Sunday 311st March 2024

Fast Fords: 50 Years up close and personal with Ford’s finest  Book review By Peter Baker

Author Jeremy Walton and I have a lot in common. To start with, we both peaked between 1966 and 1980, launch time for some exciting cars that could still be driven with verve on UK’s less restricted public roads.

And again, something else we had in common, we both were involved, one way or another, with Ford Motor Company. Mind you, while I spent endless hours selling Cortinas, Escorts and Capris to the aspiring young population of south London, Jeremy, after writing for Car and Car Conversions, and Motoring News, landed the plum job; Motorsport Public Relations FMC. This book is all about the cars he was privileged to live with, or road test.

Naturally, I love this book. So many reminder word and picture flash-backs: Jim Clark, myriad performance twin-cam race and rally cars, wet days at Silverstone, race reports involving American ‘yank tanks’, written by himself after being behind the wheel and, of course, a close-up Ford GT40 discourse.

Oh, and best of all, a full chapter on the faintly ridiculous ‘Supervans’ Transit episode. Barry Lee three-wheeling this full-race, V8 commercial delivery vehicle around Druids at Brands Hatch - once seen, never forgotten.

As a Guild of Motoring Writers long term member, it goes without saying, Jeremy Walton’s words flow across the 400 pages with a composite and compact blend of authority, knowledge and humour. So entertained was yours truly, I read the complete book in one sitting. And you can’t get a better recommendation than that. Five stars.

Fast Fords: 50 Years up close and personal with Ford’s finest
Written by Jeremy Walton
ISBN 978-1-910505-83-0
Published by Evro Publishing
Price £60.00