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Tickford Family Day 2002
Something a little bit different from the usual news stories today. Although specific to Australia there are numerous good news stories to come from the recent Tickford Day held in Melbourne Australia.
March is a big occasion in Australia. The Melbourne International Motor Show and the Australia F1 Grand Prix are two such events for motor enthusiasts but for Ford fans the Tickford day is one not to miss.
For Fordforum readers there are further points of interest that I will elaborate on shortly, but for the hundreds of Ford enthusiasts that ventured out to 33 Glenbarry Road they were no disappointments. Everything from the first of the GT models to the very latest in Tickford engineering was on display. Arguably the new 250 Pursuit Ute was the number one attraction, but the same could be said of the numerous Ford Racing drivers on hand to sign what ever was asked. Maybe the new TS or TE were the stars or possibly the Mustang models across the road held pride of place. Which ever, what ever, no one could argue that this wasn't the best presented, best attended such event to date.
Club representation from all corners of this country was something special to behold. From Western Australia to Queensland and down to Tasmania and all places in between, the effort from these clubs was nothing short of outstanding. Best club presentation fell to Queensland and was thoroughly deserved.
For the clubs this was more than one day. For many the event kicked off on the Friday with tours of parts of the Ford plant and the Discovery Centre. Saturday saw club officials meeting with Tickford to discuss relevant issues at club levels, which led into a short drive and spit roast at a winery.
Sunday was the biggie but Monday saw some club members back at Ford for a talk with SVO operations staff.
Ford forums also had a presence and I have to say that all associated with this site should be immensely proud of the effort put in by the guys. Something that is hard to appreciate is the acceptance this site holds within Ford Australia. Before this event it was something I didn't fully appreciate, but that changed when the manager of SVO commented on his enjoyment of reading the forum. I don't really know how it happened. I guess when people converse in public forums you never really know who is watching but I thank the good lord that this type of relationship exists.
It really is special, but equally impressive is the fact that I can honestly say I have never met so many net people that are so genuinely nice. Net friends are just that. You never know what people really mean and you can't really get that picture straight in your head, but I have to say that the guys I met were sensational. Coming from Tasmania and knowing next to no body, there seemed to be someone to talk to at every corner. Good honest conversations, just like on the board but the people are now real.
Guess there should be no surprises with this. Maybe all car enthusiasts can lay claim to having the best clubs and the best people in the world but I doubt these enthusiasts can back the claim like I can today. There is a passion, a desire an understanding if you like, of what it is like to be a Ford enthusiast and this comes from what is sometimes labelled as a cold corporate company. Someone obviously forgot to tell the people at Ford how they should act. There is genuine belief that the new model and the models to follow in Australia are going to be the winners required to get Ford Aust back to the top, but you know what, I no longer care what these cars are like. In four days I witness first hand a willingness to be kind, helpfully and appreciative to nearly extreme levels that will last a lifetime. I don't know how so many people in the company arrived with the attitude they have but there is a new industry benchmark for others to aspire and the leaders can be found in a country called Australia.
Pictures will follow shortly
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