Helen Bond, from Whangārei, is bringing her 1980 Australian-assembled Ford mark II Escort to the Taranaki Holden Club's All Australian Car Day in Stratford.
Helen Bond, from Whangārei, is bringing her 1980 Australian-assembled Ford mark II Escort to the Taranaki Holden Club's All Australian Car Day in Stratford.
The traditional Ford versus Holden rivalry will be put on pause in Stratford next month, when a new car event focuses on the commonality between the two companies.
Organised by the Taranaki Holden Club, the All Australian Car Day will feature a wide range of cars that have one thing in common - they were manufactured in Australia.
Helen Bond from Whangārei will be one of the many car owners at the event showing off her pride and joy - a 1980 Australian-assembled mark II Ford Escort.
“It has a factory 1600 engine with a four-speed gearbox, limited slip diff and comes with stronger frame rails and stronger strut towers. Its fuel filler is also located behind the rear number plate which is unique.”
Despite being a proud Ford owner, she is no stranger to Holden events.
“My partner Jason owns a Holden so we go on a couple of runs with the Taranaki Holden Club. I saw the event advert on their Facebook page and thought it would be great to bring along my Escort.”
Bond said she has owned the car for six months, first spotting it sitting in a paddock when she was travelling home from Stratford.
“Jason owns Cars and Classics Valuations in Stratford so I’m regularly down there to visit him. I was going through Urenui on the way home and saw her in a paddock. When my partner and I saw it again in Urenui, we decided to stop in and chat with the owner.
After speaking to the owner, Helen purchased the car.
“I hadn’t had an Escort for a while and wanted another one so it all worked out. The lady told me the reason she sold it to me was that I would keep it original, rather than modify it.”
Helen Bond said she's looking forward to showing off her pride and joy at the Taranaki Holden Club's All Australian Car Day.
The car has its own unique story, she said.
“It was purchased by this woman and her husband to restore it for a beach hop event. Tragically, her husband passed away so she’s selling the car. Once I finish restoring the car to her former glory, we’ve arranged to go on a drive in it together.”
Bond said she plans to paint the car, fix the door cards and add new shocks.
“It’s just doing little bits here and there.”
Taranaki Holden Club member Graeme Scown said there will be many cars in town for the event.
“We’re expecting all sorts of vehicles. This event is about showcasing cars manufactured in Australia whether it be Holden, Mitsubishi, Toyota, or Ford.”
He said the event would be great for Taranaki.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from people outside the region. It’s awesome as it’s catching like wildfire.”
