British Ford Cars of the 1960s and 1970s

Book excerpt: The 1960s and 1970s were a pivotal period for Ford in Europe and, seen from a British perspective, were a time of experimentation and exploration. At the start of the 1960s Ford had models aimed at just two market sectors – small family saloons and large family saloons – but by the end of the 1970s they were represented in no fewer than five areas of the market with small hatchbacks, small saloons, medium saloons, sporty coupés and large saloons. And they had overtaken all rivals in Britain to be the best-selling manufacturer with (since 1967) the Cortina as the best-selling car. With over 270 photographs, this book details: the Ford company structure, businesses and key locations throughout the two decades; the factors influencing model design, engineering, styling and interior; specification and performance tables; market reception and sales; special editions, models produced overseas and conversions and finally, helpful buying advice for each model.