I would guess that most of us have a car we always planned to tick off our ownership list,

but for one reason or another haven’t yet got around to it. And I don’t mean one of those when-I-win-the-lottery dream cars, the kind that was never a realistic proposition in the first place. No, what I’m thinking about is the one that you could once genuinely have afforded to buy and to run, but for no good reason that you can put a finger on, it just never seemed to happen. Of course, the danger with this scenario is that by the time you pull your finger out and actually get around to looking, your chosen car may have become so rare and/or expensive that now you really do need a lottery win to buy one.

In some ways, I am finding myself uncomfortably close to this scenario, but in my case it is not just one model, but a whole marque that really needs to be ticked off my bucket list. That marque is Ford. I’ve been lucky enough to have owned a fairly eclectic mix of classics over the years, but somehow Ford has rarely figured in my motoring history. I did have a 100E Popular once, a project that I swapped for a Hillman Imp before ever getting it on the road. The only other Fords I remember were a couple of Mk2 Escort estates that my dad had when I was growing up, (LFK 948P and YUE 707S – how the heck have those stuck in my memory?!) but my most vivid recollection of them is travelling seven-up on holiday from Norfolk to Scotland with three of us children sharing the back seat and the other two having to sit in the boot, all surrounded by luggage. I don’t recall it being an especially comfortable trip... Dad later got a Mk5 Cortina saloon which was a cracking car, but by then I’d become more interested in mopeds and bikes.

When I did start looking at cars again, you could buy stuff like Mk3 Cortinas for little more than scrap value, while Mk1 Capris could be bought and run on a shoestring too. This would have been in the 1980s, but in 1986 a Triumph Herald was the only convertible I could afford as a student and off I went in a different direction. Now it is too late for any of the genuine fast Fords, as their prices have rocketed into lottery win territory. That doesn’t mean there are no other options though, because four doors, small engines and automatic gearboxes can all bring down the price of something interesting, and since I am no longer 21, I can live with any of those. However, if I am ever going to scratch that Ford itch, I’d better do it soon or cascading price inflation will rule out even the more affordable options. I’ve probably already missed the Escort boat, but I quite fancy a Cortina. So to borrow a phrase, what is the car you always promised yourself but haven’t yet had?

Finally, don’t forget that if you have not got a subscription and are struggling to get to the shops, we do have some fantastic offers running which will get Classics delivered safely to your door, and often for less than the cover price. Some of these offers are detailed on p5, on p58 and p115. As well as ordering via the website, you can also secure your copies by speaking to an actual person on 01959 543747.