Our car-loving, senior Enthusiast Underwriter, Alan Bradbury, attended & supported Greenlight Insurance at the recent Ford Fair, here's his write-up on what he got excited about during the busy show...
As the sun arose early on Sunday morning, many car enthusiasts were making their annual pilgrimage to Silverstone for Ford Fair 2019, Europe’s biggest Ford show. With over 4,000 cars on display, and around 20,000 visitors, there was something for everyone including track sessions around the famous Silverstone circuit, stunt display form Paul Swift, trade stands, and of course the many, many car clubs. Greenlight Insurance, one of our specialist broker partners, were in attendance alongside ERS, with a fine display of cars on their stand, including Rich Fox’s heavily modified Focus, an incredibly loud Ford Connect van and a mix of modified hot hatches. Even before the doors opened to the public, the stand was packed with enthusiasts keen to get up close to the cars on display.
It was good to see a wide range of Fords - classics from the 1960’s to the most recent models, such as the Fiesta Mk8 and Focus Mk4. There was a huge contingent of Focus RS’s and Fiesta ST’s, but was great to see a number of other models, such as Escort, Sierra Cosworth’s and stripped out track weapons! It was evident that Ford owners are keen to modify their cars to make them stand out from the crowd – thousands of pounds are spent on aftermarket parts enhancing the cosmetics appearance, or increasing the performance, not to mention the huge array of detailing products which are available. Vinyl wraps seem to be the ‘in’ thing these days, with some outrageous designs! Many of the trade stands were well known tuning companies keen to entice customers to upgrade their rides. Mountune were once again the headline sponsor and judging by the amount of people on their stand, it’s clear that the modified car industry is still thriving – good news for specialist insurance brokers and insurers like ERS!
As Silverstone is perhaps best known for Formula 1, it was a huge draw for a number of Ford owners, who had the opportunity to take their car on track. Many cars driving around the circuit were modified specifically for track, although there were many classics too including a Cortina, Escort Mexico and modified classic Capri. There was even a modified Transit on track! I was lucky enough to take a ride with Will Fraser (Greenlight) in the modified Airtec Fiesta ST, complete with roll cage, bucket seats, etc. Will was certainly an experienced and enthusiastic driver, but despite spinning out on one bend, it was certainly a thrilling and enjoyable ride. Greenlight also had their modified Focus track car on the stand which also took part in many track sessions.
I walked around the many club stands during the day and it was impressive to see the level of care owners take with their cars. I spoke to a few enthusiasts about insurance and it was reassuring to hear that most almost chose a specialist broker to insure their pride and joy – most prefer talking to specialists as staff are knowledgeable on aspects such as modifications and ensuring they have the right cover. Theft is still a concern for many owners, particularly for newer cars, although many owners now take additional steps to prevent theft, such as physical deterrents (steering locks, OBD locks, etc), or fitting tracking devices or additional immobilisers.
Overall, it was a great show – was a huge turnout, weather was kind and I survived a track session! Thank you to Greenlight Insurance for looking after me – looking forward to next years event already!
