RPO83

A new book which details 216 British Ford cars, commercial vehicles and tractors produced since 1911 is now available in bookshops.

The 480 page 'Ford in Britain File' is published to coincide with Ford's 100th anniversary this year and it covers the company's history from the early days in Trafford Park, Manchester, right up to the present time and the newest model from Ford, the StreetKa.

Written and published by Eric Dymock, and with a foreword by Roger Putnam, chairman, Ford of Britain, each model featured in the 'Ford in Britain File' has some 220 words of text and 70 separate pieces of information in the specification section. The book is lavishly illustrated, with many photographs coming from Ford's own archives.

A detailed chronology covers Ford manufacturing, Ford in motor racing, rallying and other events as varied as Ford's ascents of Ben Nevis and Sir Malcolm Campbell's appointment as a director.

"This is the most comprehensive yet in the Files series," said Dymock. "Ford's activities in Britain are well documented and I imagined this might make compilation straightforward. Yet the sheer volume of information almost overwhelmed me, far more was available than for any of my other books, and it became a question not of what to put in, but what to leave out."

Innovations in the 'Ford in Britain File' - the sixth in the series of Eric Dymock Motor Books - include production figures and prices wherever possible. Metric and Imperial conversions are used throughout, Imperial given first place up to 1950 when this would have been the norm, metric thereafter.

Engine power is quoted in kilowatts and brake horsepower, prices re-converted from £sd to decimal and where applicable, purchase tax is quoted separately. The varying tax rates are contained in the chronology.. Performance data has been collected from contemporary road tests, the sources shown when known. Those not attributed are Ford's own.

The 'Ford in Britain File' ISBN 0 9534142 6 4 is published by Dove Publishing of Rothesay, Isle of Bute, PA20 0BD and is available from all good bookshops at £19.99

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*Retired.