Hot Fords at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Ford’s high performance automotive contributions found in the annals of motor sport history books will be underlined even further on the weekend of July 11 – 13, as it brings its iconic rally-bred Escorts and the very latest Focus RS in WRC-spec presence to bear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Having backed what is now considered Europe’s premier historic motor sport jamboree from its birth in 1993, Ford is calling on all its big guns in 2008 as it celebrates some significant milestones of its own in the right company.

The newly record-breaking Ford Focus RS WRC will take its rightful place amongst a galaxy of Ford’s motor sport movers and shakers that include the Escort’s big 40, and even more centre stage, the centenary celebrations afforded the Model T launch, and Ford’s very own book of Genesis.

Ford Model T - Ford's automotive roots

October 1908, Detroit, and the introduction of the worlds first, affordable mass produced car, the Ford Model T. Sitting atop the global motoring pile for nearly 20 years, 16 million cars had been built, in 50 factories, across 19 countries before the last one trundled off the production line in 1927, and with it, so setting the automotive blueprint the rest of the world has attempted to follow ever since.

Aside from loyally serving the rank and file throughout its life, the Model T become a synominous figure on the expanding showbusiness circuit as well as participating in a myriad of motor sport-themed pursuits including numerous long distance trials and having its own formula of racing conceived in the States.

Ford Escort - the birth of a legend

From the moment it was thrust into the motoring limelight in 1968, Ford’s everyday Escort model – albeit in tuned up and kitted-out guise – ran amok in official motor sport events the length and breadth of the globe. European and British Touring Car Championships during the 1970s, World Rally Championships in ’79 and ’81, Monte Carlo Rally and countless British RAC Rally’s, all added glamour and convictions that the man on the street driving his less colourful Escort Mark 1, 2 and 3 could relate to for the first time.

The Ford Escort – in its five different chains of family saloon office – became the Blue Oval’s all-time best selling model during its 32 year stint of continually adapting to its rapidly changing late 1960s, 70s, 80’s and 90s styling surrounds, whilst never losing sight of the providing the technical specification and equipment that its customers demanded at the time. Combined with an ever-impressive performance to fuel economy ratio, with always the keen eye on pricing structure, the Ford Escort was undoubtedly another incarnation of the people’s car.