Dunton Enthusiasts' Day - 2010
Essex Auto Group were proud to support the 6th Dunton Enthusiasts' Day. The Day was a complete success with good weather and a great turn out of unique vehicles. Essex Auto Group Brought along a fantastic display of car parts and accessories which aroused a lot of interested with the Ford employees.
There were 113 vehicles on display at this years event. They were all lined up along the test track of the research and development HQ where 3,000 engineers work on future Ford commercial vehicles, engines and transmissions. The weather was kind despite a changeable forecast thus the barbeque and ice cream van were a big hit with employees.
Ford Dunton's 6th Vehicle Enthusiasts' Day was won by a 50-year-old Dagenham-built tractor. The 1958 Fordson Power Major was entered by Ian Emery, of Writtle, into the annual event for Ford employees and pensioners at the Laindon engineering centre.
Ian, a Test Technician in the Dunton Emission Laboratory bought the tractor in 2008 and has spent the last two years restoring it. The Power Major was the first Fordson offering over 50bhp, but had the shortest production run of all tractors from Dagenham from 1957 to 60.
The 'Best Ford' prize went to John Robertson, from Benfleet, who entered a 1958 Ford Thames Van 300E belonging to his relation Cecil Norton, of Wickford. Powered by an 1172cc side valve engine the vehicle was fully restored around ten years ago.
James Killick, Engine Diagnostics Engineer, won the 'Best Green' prize for his 1996 Ford Probe which he converted to run on battery power last year. James drives the car daily and is currently saving up for Lithium-ion batteries to increase the vehicle range from 25 to 70 miles per charge.
Crowds watched passenger rides by Ford Focus RS World Rally Car driver Jari-Matti Latvala and British Touring Car Championship's Tom Chilton of Team Aon. Ten workers won there places in a raffle raising £758 to be shared equally between the Dunton Charity Committee and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Other prizes included rally car parts and t-shirts signed by Jari-Matti plus limited edition signed artwork of Jari-Matti's WRC Ford Focus produced by Dunton employee David Ginn, a member of the Guild of Motoring Artists (GMA).
Event Manager, Nathan Roulson said 'This year's Vehicle Enthusiast's Day has been yet another great event. The class of vehicles on display gets better each year and there is always a wide range of vehicle types from buses to scooters and everything in between. We are very grateful to M-Sport, Team Aon and the star drivers for supporting the day and providing ten lucky winners with an experience they will never forget, and entertaining the crows with tyre smoke and noise. Thanks also to Essex Auto Group for attending on the day with the Ford accessories display and their support with the BBQ. A big thank you goes to all the employees behind the scenes that made the day possible, many of whom volunteer their time. That's part of the reason the event is so special.'
At Essex Auto Group we represent Ford across Essex with a network of franchised dealers able to meet all your motoring needs. Along with Ford car sales we offer accident repairs, genuine Ford parts and accessories and the Ford Privilege scheme.
