Join the club Ford Taunus Club GB
If you like your classic Fords with a twist, you won’t go far wrong with a Taunus variant, reckons the UK-based club’s Roy Townsend.
When was the club founded? The club was founded in 1991 by Neil Dashper having taken an Italianregistered 1971Taunus P7b in part exchange in a car deal. He was curious, and the more he looked into the various models and history, so had a desire to find out more about these often overlooked and forgotten Fords. And with his enthusiasm fired up, he formed the Club, by placing adverts in various motoring magazines of the day. Soon he had enquiries, not only from the UK, and Europe, but from literary all over the world. And of course remembering this was 1991, and pre-internet! Soon Neil had a small UK membership expanded with worldwide ones too, and produced club newsletters full of information. Sadly Neil passed away, and in recent years having acquired aTaunus myself, I decided to pick up the reigns, and continue what Neil and Helaena started all those years ago. We feel very fortunate to have the club’s co-founder with us today, and on the team.
Which models do you cover? Well, production began in 1939 in Germany and ended in Turkey believe it or not, in 1994, so there are a huge range ofTaunus models to choose from. Generally, here in the UK as elsewhere the popularity of the later models is apparent, from 1960 with the P2s and into the early ’80s with the TC3. The majority are left-hand-drive, of course, with the South African models being popular and sought after too.
How many members do you have? Whilst we have a low club membership compared to most Ford clubs here in the UK, this is purely down to the low volume of available cars here at present.
Can you describe a typical member? This is difficult to answer, but probably someone who dares to be different on the Ford scene, particularly here in the UK. And quite happy with the left-hand-drive configuration, too. Generally, turning up to a show in a Taunus gives you Ford exclusivity!
What shows does the club have a presence at? We usually attend the Classic Ford Show at Mallory Park in June and the Classic Motor Show at the NEC over the weekend of November 13-15 (Hall 5, Stand 984), and of course members meet up and attend events locally, too.
What is the parts supply like with these models, and does the club help with sourcing? Parts availability for the later examples in the TC range of 1971 to 1982 is excellent as Cortina items are in popular supply. As for the M-models up to 1971, it’s a question of thinking ahead as to what the owners need. We have excellent suppliers in Europe and generally parts arrive in three or four days — not unlike the UK. Help on a daily basis is always available on our website and Facebook page.
What are the club’s goals for the future? Like a lot of clubs and groups these days, we are essentially a Facebook-based club with a comprehensive website. This structure gives us the stability to grow, and be sustainable for the future ahead. While we move forward, and continue promoting these largely-forgotten Fords, we have made huge progress in recent years, and will continue to do so at major events. Our worldwide coverage of the range of models, and proactive approach helping members makes us one of the top-rated when searching for ‘Taunus clubs’.