Ideas for Ford enthusiasts
If your interest in Ford goes a bit beyond the pages of What Car? or Auto Trader, there's plenty of scope for developing it into a hobby. Ford has a vast and loyal following in the UK, and the enthusiast community will be nothing less than 'enthusiastic' in welcoming you into its ranks.
Whether it's through a Ford magazine or owner's club, getting more involved with your Ford and fellow enthusiasts will be a cinch - the hard part is finding time to do anything else afterwards! The following is a brief guide to what's on offer for Ford owners, brought to you by the team at Hoot Car Insurance Services.
Ford magazines
Ford has a big enough enthusiast community to earn itself several glossy monthlies. Just as with non-brand specific car magazines, these tend to fall into two types: those associated with performance and tuning, and those with classic or vintage models.
Ford owners looking to get into the thriving British customisation scene should first take a look at publications like Fast Ford or Performance Ford. These are packed full of advice on tuning and upgrades, along with regular 'project' features (which describe the complete package of options for a particular Ford model); coverage of events and club listings of interest to modders; and car buyers guides. On top of that, most Ford performance parts and body kit suppliers place adverts in such magazines, so they're a great resource even if you already know your motor inside-out.
If driving and restoring one of the many legendary models from Ford's history is more your thing, try a title like Classic Ford or Retro Ford. Though the format here is roughly the same as the performance mags, the emphasis is on returning old models to their former glory, and then showing them off at club meets and events up and down the country.
Owners' clubs
The next step for a Ford enthusiast is to join one of literally hundreds of Ford owners' clubs on offer. Most Ford magazines and websites feature up-to-date listings of all the British clubs, along with their particular focus; be it a certain model or engine type; manufacturer series (i.e. the RS or XR model types); or whichever part of the country the club's in.
For a committed Ford enthusiast, membership to one or other of these clubs provides a rewarding sense of community that the magazines and events just can't match on their own. And as well as benefiting personally from the help and advice that's on offer at club meets and through members' web forums, signing-up means giving some of your own time and expertise to help other Ford owners get the most out of your shared passion.
Annual events
Besides the regular meets organised by Ford owners' clubs, the enthusiast scene boasts several much-bigger annual events with a deliberately wider scope. Of these, perhaps the biggest is Ford Fair (it claims to be the biggest all-Ford show in Europe), held at Silverstone on the first Sunday in August. The 2006 show drew an impressive 15,000 visitors through its gates, and organisers have promised an even larger crowd for '07.
The key pull of Ford Fair is its massive display of cars; some 2000 in all selected from owner's clubs across Europe, featuring everything from painstakingly-restored classics to highly-customised supercars. Besides the display cars, the festival offers a number of tests for your own Ford: a 0-60 Sprint competition, a 'Rolling Road' to analyse BHP and torque, and the golden opportunity to drive round Silverstone's famous racing circuit. Lastly, Ford Fair boasts many trade stands and a massive 'Autojumble' of Ford parts and accessories - perfect for those who are looking for a cheap upgrade. Track days
If you missed the chance to race at Silverstone, all is not lost: Ford has teamed-up with Prodrive to offer year-round driving days at the firm's own private test track in Warwickshire. Ford is unique among UK manufacturers in sponsoring its own track days, called 'Drive Unlimited'.
For £195, you'll get the chance to sample no less than four Ford hot rods, including the world-famous Focus RS, on four very different surfaces: the twists and tight corners of Prodrive's rally circuit; the straights and chicanes of the high performance track; simulated wet weather conditions in the skid pan; and a punishing off-road course to finish. As a Ford enthusiast, it doesn't get much better than that. Get Ford car insurance from Hoot
At Hoot Car Insurance Services we share your passion for Fords - and we also know that track days and body kits don't come cheap. That's why we provide car insurance that's specially-tailored for Ford owners, saving you a substantial amount on your premiums.
The policy you get from Hoot Car Insurance Services are cheaper than most because we don't waste money on advertising or renting expensive shop-space on the high street.
So for a cheap rate on Ford car insurance, just click below.
Ford car insurance
Ideas for Ford enthusiasts
Ford buyers guide
Classic Ford models
Ford testimonials
Ford in motorsport
A brief history of Ford
Ford in the cinema
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