Blue Ovals steal the show at the classic and modified meet.
Frankie’s Classic Car and Bike Show at Ford’s Technical Centre at Dunton is fast becoming something of an annual pilgrimage for the Blue Oval fan, so we popped along to see why…
Frankie’s Classic Car and Bike Show may not be a Ford-exclusive event, but based at the home of many a Blue Oval legend at Ford’s Technical Centre at Dunton, it’s an event that attracts plenty of fast Fords… of all ages.
The event was held back in September, and with the Capri celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019 there were a fair few models of Ford’s iconic coupe in attendance – no fewer than 258 as it turns out, forming a special display that stretched out across the hallowed Dunton test track!
Of course, it wasn’t just Capris on show, neither was it just Fords. With the show continuing to gain popularity with more classic car owners, Frankies attracts all sorts of interesting metal from throughout history, this year including E-Type Jaguars, classic Ferraris, AC Cobras, and plenty more. But, as you’d expect it was the fine array of fast Fords that commanded most attention! Frankie’s is a charity event, with proceeds going to the St Francis Hospice. Last year the event raised £25,000, but this year that figure was closer to £35,000! It just goes to show how much love the UK has for the classic and modified car scenes, and it’s great to see that passion being put to good use to raise funds and awareness for such a worthwhile charity.
Frankie’s is more like a family day-out than a traditional car show that we’re perhaps more familiar with during the summer months; there’s an eclectic mix of cars both old and new, live music and dancing to create a family-orientated party vibe, and in recent years it’s been a fantastic platform for important Ford models to celebrate milestone anniversaries. Last year it was the turn of the Mustang, and previous years have held celebrations for the Escort Cosworth 25th anniversary and also 15 years of Mk1 Focus RS too. We can’t wait to see which models will be celebrated in 2020; Racing Puma perhaps, maybe the Fiesta RS Turbo…?
We must say a big thank you to Alan Mason (the man behind the event), the staff and volunteers from St Francis Hospice who help out on the day, and of course to all of the owners who take the time to bring their immaculate cars along. It truly does make for a great a great day out, but importantly it shows just how fantastic the car community can be when everyone comes together to enjoy their passion and help raise funds for an worthy charity at the same time.
Here’s some of the highlights that caught our eye from the day…