Author Steve Saxty is an ex-Ford product designer that has written a series of books on Ford design. Ford of Europe granted him unique access to over 6,000 never-seen images from their top-secret design archive. The two volumes in his
Secret Fords books are unique. They take readers behind the scenes to hear the designers’ stories and see a head-spinning array of one-offs, cancelled cars and prototype designs that led to Fords most iconic production cars in Europe.
Last year, Steve gave a series of talks from Volume One that covered the ’70s and ’80s. That book went on to be
Classic Ford Magazine’s ‘Best Book 2021’ and an RAC Book of The Year Finalist. This year, he’s back to reveal a whole new world of secrets behind the later cars from the ’90s and 2000s that feature in Volume Two. A Ferrari-challenging supercar, the New Edge Design era, and Ford’s Forbidden Fruit each feature in three unmissable seminar talks from the author.
See more about the author’s books, which will be available at the show at
www.stevesaxty.com/secretfords
Ford’s Forbidden Fruit – Friday, June 3 at 1PM
Step inside a parallel world of secret and not-so-secret Fords. Hear and see the back stories of the most exciting Fords that never made it to US shores – unicorns like the Sierra Cosworth, Puma Racing, Focus RS. See previously secret, head-spinning cars like a British-designed Mustang, the Escort Cosworth Speedster, wide-bodied Capri RS turbo and the feisty-looking RS designs that were considered before production started.
If you’ve ever wondered what were the true inside stories of Ford’s most interesting and exciting cars we never saw, then this talk is essential! Journey into the world of Ford’s forbidden fruit that’s full of secrets, prototypes and special cars
Ford’s Secret Ferrari/NSX-challenger – Saturday, June 4 at 10AM
In the late-’80s Ford’s SVO team planned to take on Porsche 911, Ferrari 328 and what became the NZX. It was codenamed GN34 – selling as a Corvette price but with all the Italian mid-engined performance and style of Turin’s best, it could have been a world-beater. A British-designed chassis under an Italian body, powered by the SHO engine through a German transmission – this rumored but never-seen unicorn would have been Ford’s answer to the NSX. It was tested on Ford’s track by F1 World Champion Jackie Stewart; this was no dream but a fleet of running prototypes.
Nothing has ever been seen, until now; hear author Steve Saxty tell the whole story for the first time. Separate the myth from the facts and look in wonder at what the fastest Ford of the ’80s and ’90 might have been.
Focus and New Edge Design – Saturday, June 4 at 2PM
The late-’90s was Ford’s chance to reinvent car design. The New Edge era produced some incredibly fresh-thinking from Ford’s design team. For a while it looked like the Cougar, Focus and even the 99 Mustang looked like sharp edges and triangles were going to replace the smooth-as-soap look of the mid-’90s. There were hits and misses but the biggest success of all was the first-gen Focus.
Author Steve Saxty will walk you through this memorable era and how the Focus changed Ford’s whole approach to car design. For a brief moment, 25 years ago, Ford threatened to turn car design on its head. Find out what happened and why thanks to the inside tales of Ford’s designers.
Visit Steve Saxty Online