The Motor Museum in Miniature

The Ford collection

   Henry Ford was destined to become one of the greatest industrialists of the 20^th Century, completing his first car during 1896, a second car was running by 1899 sufficiently impressing his financiers to form the Detroit Automobile Company. Unfortunately, the cars failed to sell and Fords ideas differed from those of the stockholders, so he left. In June 1903 the Ford Motor Company was incorporated and Henry Ford could concentrate on producing an affordable car for the people. His mission to motorise the world began.     

    A significant landmark in motoring history occurred on the 1^st October 1908, the day Ford launched the Model T. For the sake of economy all other models were dropped. Gradually as the gamble paid off and the demand grew, the methods necessary for mass-production were applied to the new car.

   They were not new, having been applied in America to guns, watches and to motor cars by Henry Leland of Cadillac who had already preached and practised parts standardisation and inter-changeability thanks to precision in manufacture. The precision was achieved by the development of specialised machine tools.

   Fords Detroit factory was, at that time, the largest and most modern in the world. The company soon reaped the rewards for its efficiency and low unit costs and Ford began cutting his prices. In 1911 a Touring model cost $950, but by 1925 it was down to just $290, yet Ford still  averaged $50 profit per car.     

    By 1926 Model 'T' sales were flagging. As road conditions improved, customers wanted refinement and comfort rather than unsophisticated ruggedness. Ford could not accept that times were changing.  However, even he could not ignore falling sales, and Model T production finally ended in 1927.       

   The ‘A’ was the much awaited, entirely new car, to replace the model T. It appeared on 2^nd. December, 1927. If people expected the A to be revolutionary, they were disappointed.   

   The A was simple and sensible and prices started at $385. Henry was loath to give up his beloved transverse springs, and the A still sat up high on its chassis to give it a 9 ½ inch ground clearance. Rural buyers were still on Henry Fords mind.

   A model A was supposed to reach 60 mph - quick for a cheap car in the late 20’s, but its four-wheel brakes were pretty awful.  

   Some 4,500,000 A’s were sold before the model was replaced by the model B.    

   After the Model “A” came the Model “B”. This was a car which was designed to take the world by storm, but the Model “B” was in production for only ten months and was something of a flop for Ford, although the reason was not that it was a bad car but that Ford was getting to grips with a whole new technology; there were no examples to follow and everything had to be thought out and tried from scratch.    

1932  Ford  Model B .    1/32nd scale  Pyro kit.            

    Although the Model “B” failed to live up to the expectations of either Henry Ford or his potential customers, there can be no doubt that it was, eventually,  an excellent car.

   With the timing all wrong from beginning to end, it was eventually killed off by the Depression rather than by its own shortcomings.     

1942 Type 21A Deluxe

    The 1942 model range saw Ford redesign the Super Deluxe range. The new series of convertibles, sedans, coupes and station wagons, know as the type 21 deluxe range and released from September 1941, sported bright work around the windows, new wings (fenders), grille with repositioned rear lights. It was a most handsome car. 

    World war two put a damper on car sales and by February ’42 civilian car production had ceased. Ford did find a market for their new cars amongst the armed forces of several countries, most notably of course Britain and the U.S.A.

1/72nd Scale ACE kit.

    This next car marked the end of an era! The distinctive ‘fat’ fenders of the 1948 Ford disappeared into the slab sided ‘shoe box’ shape of the 1949 car, never to be seen again.      

    The ‘48 Convertible clearly showed it’s family resemblance but was aimed at an entirely different market. Ford’s market research often seemed to coincide with their economic theories, the companies ability to provide the same car in different guises appealed to a wide prospective clientele while costs, through standardization, remained low.   

   Ford had dominated the performance areas of the auto market for decades, but they had never made anything which could truly be described as a sports car.

   After WWII the level of European 2seaters available in the USA began to increase. Their popularity was in part because returning servicemen had experienced the nimble European chassis designs at first hand and now were looking for them at home. The growing demand for 2seaters was becoming more and more evident. Fords 2seat Thunderbird is traditionally seen as a reply to the Corvette since it appeared two years later, but it had actually been on the drawing board since the early 50’s and the Corvette just pushed the project into sheet metal.        

  A clear indication that Ford market research had identified the requirements of the US market more closely than GM was the specification of the Thunderbird. The ‘T’bird outsold the Corvette from day one, and it did it on a specification that was far higher and just what the sporty motorist wanted.    

1958 Ford  Thunderbird.           1/24th scale monogram kit.       

   Named after Henry Ford’s son the "Edsel" was designed some years after his early death. It was remarkable in being the first automobile project to be based entirely upon the results of market research governing the design from grille to tail pipe. The resultant motor car, was, however, a commercial lemon and at $350 million the most costly mistake ever made by the Ford motor company. The radiator grille was unique, being a completely vertical motif; the tail-lights were unkindly likened to in-growing toenails, while the extent of body overhang was horrendous. But underneath it all lay a strong well-engineered chassis, while the range of engines fitted during the two years of production included some of the most powerful in the USA – The Edsel wasn’t the worst automobile in American history, but it will certainly be remembered as an object lesson in how not to design for the market by remote control.    

1958 Ford Edsel Pacer.   1/25th scale AMT/ERTL kit.                        1953 Ford Popular.     1/25th conversion of Revell street rod kit.

   British Fords have often become iconic and our next car still lives in the memories of many who grew up in early 1960s Great Britain.

   The Zephyr and Zephyr-Zodiacs were built in the UK from 1950 to 1976 in three series. From 1962 the Mk III versions were offered in both four- and six-cylinder versions. The Zephyr-Zodiac was the top of the range featuring a more luxurious interior with better rear visibility, a full width grill sporting 4 headlights and more powerful 6cyl. engine.

   They were Ford UKs largest passenger cars until they were replaced by the even larger Consuls and Granada’s in 1971. The Zephyr was popular with many people due to its regular appearance in a popular TV program "Z Cars".    

1962    Ford Zodiac  Mk III.              1/32nd scale Airfix Kit.      

    One of the fastest selling cars in the history of the British motor industry the deceptively orthodox Cortina was the first of a line that endured until 1982. 

    Outwardly a lively, well-mannered family saloon, it spawned two potent derivatives, both of which appeared in 1963. The GT was mechanically closely related to the standard car, but the exciting Lotus Cortina was powered by a Lotus tuned Ford-based engine and was capable of speeds in excess of 105 mph.   

   The Cortina is regarded as a copybook exercise in engineering and, above all, product planning. Very late in the cars evolution it was named ‘Cortina’, on account of the 1960 Winter Olympics being held at Cortina d’Amezzo in the Italian Alps. This was a reflection of the fact that Ford was also looking to export it to Europe.    

    In road form, the engine was rated at 105 bhp but in Lotus’s race tuned engine there was 145 bhp. The transmission & excellent four-speed gearbox, comprised of components modified by Colin Chapman at Lotus, who was allowed to undertake more than just an engine transplant. Still potent racers on the historic circuit anyone who owned, and then sold, one of these cars, really wishes they still had it! 

   Mean while back in the U.S. Ford had started on it's 'Total Performance' crusade which included an assault upon the NASCAR title with the Holman & Moody developed Ford Galaxie 500 ‘R-Code’ Lightweight NASCAR. Although Ford commissioned approximately 210 ‘Lightweight’ ‘R-Code’ Galaxy 500s only three ever went across the compete in the British Saloon Car Campionship, now know as BTCC. 

   Continuing it's 'Total Performance' crusade Ford released one of Americas best know “muscle” car ranges in 1964. Ford America presented the Mustang, which was destined to become one of the fastest selling cars in the history of the US motor industry. The Mustang name remains with us to this very day.     

1964  Ford Mustang.             1/25th scale monogram kit.     

     In the early 1960’s Ford shook off its entrenched, staid approach to car design and embraced a new policy under the 'Total Performance' banner.  As part of this strategy, the company decided it must win the Le Mans 24 Hours race. After failing to buy Ferrari Ford turned to Lola & the Anglo-American derived GT40 gave Ford four victories in a row at the Sarthe circuit between 1966 and 1969. 

     Back in the U.S. Ford's racey image was being upheld in the 'Trans-Am' series were it battled with Chevrolet for the title honours, and in 1970 the Mustang Boss 302 did them proud.

1973 Ford Capri.

    ‘The car you always promised yourself’’ – well that’s what Ford said when they introduced the Capri, the European version of the Mustang, Ford’s run-away success in America. This was the Grand Tourer for everyman. The Capri was remarkably enduring being built by Ford in Britain and in Germany (from 1976 on in Germany only). When production ceased in 1987 1.8 million had been built.   

     Built more or less straight from the box, the 1/24th scale Doyusha kit is the only road Capri body shell available.    

   Although the DFV engine was superceded by the Turbo era Ford did still provide power in F1 and their cars were also pace setters in the Rally world.

   Having powered many independent teams like Tyrrel and Benetton Ford works supported the Stewart F1 team for three seasons, 1997-99, before buying the team and entereing as a full works team under the Jaguar name. Fords record in F1 is second only to Ferrari, when the Jaguar team folded at the end of 2004 Ford Power had accrued 176 wins, been in 524 races and had 139 pole positions.

   Ford's involvement in Nascar is long and impressive. From 1998 the Taurus took over fron the Thunderbird as Fords weapon of choice and has itself been a winning car. Tauruses have won three Winston Cup championships and two Busch Series championships.

   Our model is the car sponsored by the Cartoon network and driven by Jerry Nadeau.

1998 Ford Taurus NASCAR.         1/24th scale Revell kit.

    Ford continue to be one of the worlds top automobile manufacturers and we are sure to add more of the famous cars in years to come.