The 40th birthday of one of the UK’s most popular small cars will be celebrated in style as part of a new event taking place in Brighton this summer.
The Ford Summer Festival, organised by the team behind Fast Ford, Classic Ford, Fast Car and Retro Cars magazines, will be held at Brighton Racecourse on Saturday July 16, and will start with a traditional ‘London to Brighton’ run.
Many of the cars on the run will start their journey, just as they did at the very beginning of their lives, at the Ford plant at Dagenham, on the Essex/London border. Heading up the convoy will be a special selection of 40 Ford Fiestas, from the very first to the very last, including some rare performance models. The run will be backed by Ford itself, which will be entering a fleet of its own heritage Fiestas in the drive down to the South Coast.
The popular small hatchback celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and its birthday will be the central theme of the event, which promises to be a car show like no other.
Event manager, Katherine Chappell, said: “For the Fiesta’s birthday, we wanted something that was a bit more than a traditional car show. We wanted an event with a proper party atmosphere, and coming to Brighton gives us just that. This is a festival, not just a car show, and we fully expect Ford fans to make a full weekend out of it.”
As well as the run, the event will feature Ford displays, a retail area and a live entertainment stage, with a selection of acts throughout the day and well into the evening, including up-and-coming local bands. Overnight camping will be available and is included within the ticket cost for all those taking part in the run, helping to keep the festival atmosphere going as the sun goes down.
The Festival is open from 11am to 11pm and entry tickets cost £10 in advance (£15 on the day). For those wanting to take part in the run, entry costs £60 and includes a breakfast voucher, rally plaque, camping for two people, two free drinks and Visit Brighton vouchers for July 17.
The Ford Summer Festival is just one of a series of high profile Ford events organised by the Fast Car Entertainment team. Other events include Ford Fair, Ford Fest, The Classic Ford Show and The International Ford Show. To buy tickets, take part in the run or find out more about the Festival, visit http://www.fordsummerfestival.co.uk/
