Best Ford car clubs

From the elegant Zodiac to the swaggering Mk3 Cortina, Ford has produced some stunning cars over the past few decades. Each and every one of these classic Fords has a devoted fan and owner community of its own – and each of those communities is centred on a thriving owners' club.

We're big fans of owners' clubs here at Lancaster, as we've discussed on several occasions (that was the third part in an ongoing series on some of the UK's best clubs. Elsewhere on the blog, you'll find parts one and two, not to mention our rundown of ten compelling reasons to join an owners' club). Essentially, membership of the relevant club for your classic brings a wealth of benefits, with likely discounts on your classic motor insurance being just one of these many perks.

Here are some of the best and most thriving owners' clubs for fans of the Blue Oval in all its wonderful variety.

Cortina Mk3 Club

Formed in 1992, this lively club is aimed at owners and fans of perhaps the Cortina's most iconic generation: that Coke bottle-styled Mk3 from the 1970s (and what a '70s symbol the car was, as we remembered elsewhere on this blog). All those with an interest in the Mk3, owners and non-owners alike, are welcome to join and the cars can be anything from a Concours winner to a restoration project.

The club's magazine, the splendidly named Coke Bottles, is produced four times a year. The online forum is also lively, featuring active advice, parts for sale and parts wanted sections among others. The club has also been hosting an annual national gathering since 2000, featuring awards, a static show, and plenty of opportunities to exchange restoration stories and ideas. Merchandise includes T-shirts, grille badges, pin badges, stickers and keyrings.

Members are always on hand, either online or at the regular gatherings, to offer advice on all aspects of ownership, modification and maintenance.

Ford Anglia 105e Owners' Club

This worldwide club caters for owners of the popular, final 105E generation of Ford's Anglia small saloon. That includes, in both standard and modified guise, the 105E itself plus variants including the 106E, 123E, 307E and Ford Prefect 107E.

Members get access to both new and remanufactured spares as well as a bi-monthly magazine, Anglebox, a busy forum, and the chance to attend the annual National Day and AGM.

Better still, the 105E Club Historian has close ties with the DVLA, and can help members negotiate those thorny registration and paperwork issues – including re-registering a vehicle that’s been out of circulation, and retrieving the ownership and service history of your Anglia. Discounts are also available with a range of suppliers of pressed steel panels, brakes, suspension and other key essentials. Last but not least, if you want to start competing in your Anglia, club membership will give you the necessary affiliation with Motorsport UK.

Ford AVO Owners' Club

This club was formed in 1980 to unite owners of the special range of vehicles produced, between 1968 and 1975, by Ford's Advanced Vehicle Operations plant (AVO), based in Aveley, Essex.

These elite sporting Fords consisted of the Twin Cam, RS 1600, Mexico and RS 2000 versions of the Mk1 Escort, as well as the RS 3100 Capri. Each of these five revered sporting Fords is allocated its own Club Registrar, who can pass on their own specialist knowledge and personal experience of the car. The Escort 1300E has since joined the original quintet of members' cars, as the first 5,000 1300Es were built at the AVO plant and, indeed, played a key role in keeping the plant financially viable.

Other benefits include receipt of the award-winning club magazine, HAVOC. Members are also entitled to a written appraisal and valuation of their sporting Ford, useful for classic auto insurance purposes.

Ford Classic and Capri Owners Club

Filling a very precise niche in Ford's distinguished history, this club is for owners and fans of the Ford Consul Classic & Consul Capri models of 1961 to 1964.

Impressively for a range of cars built for a short period over half a century ago, the club has its own extensive spares programme, spanning everything from replacement panels via interior trim to mechanical parts. Annual or biannual 'autojumble' meetings, meanwhile, typically take place in Essex.

The club's quarterly magazine always includes a range of interesting articles, both technical and historic, while members can use the free classified section to trade both cars and parts.
Based in the UK, the FCCOC claims members from as far afield as Australia, Iceland, Romania, Norway, and Canada.

Ford Cortina MkII & 1600E Owners Club

Produced from 1966 to 1970, the second generation of Ford's hugely important Cortina family car was a big seller. A well-liked model, it has survived and been looked after in decent numbers – indeed, the website How Many Left tells us that there are some 410 Mk2 Cortina’s still at large in the UK. Small wonder, then, that the car has its own thriving owners' club.

As its name indicates, this club is open to fans and owners of all trim levels of the Mk2 – including, but by no means limited to, the top-spec, four-door, much-admired 1600E variant.

Benefits include access to the club's considerable range of spare parts, which you can inspect for yourself on the website's Spares page. The quarterly magazine, The Executive, also features – among other things – a comprehensive list of Mk2 Cortina’s for sale. Your next project perhaps?

Ford Granada Mk1 & Mk2 Drivers Guild

Celebrating its 30th birthday in 2023, the Mk1 & Mk2 Granada Drivers Guild welcomes owners and fans of every variety of the first two generations of Granada: the Mk1 of 1972 to 1977, and its 1977-1985 successor.

Regional groups around the UK hold regular area meetings, as well as hosting club stands at various shows. Membership is also open to owners of the Consul, the name for certain entry-level Mk1 Granada’s up until 1975.

The quarterly magazine features a good mix of information, photos, nostalgia, technical information and details of cars and spares for sale. Look out for the spring issue, which carries listings for all that year's UK and European car shows where the Guild will be in attendance.

Ford RS Owners Club

'Fast Fords' is the common thread behind the various models welcomed into this club. Essentially, the Ford RS Owners Club is open to owners (and admirers) of all Ford RS models produced since 1968.

That takes us all the way from those iconic, early sporting Escorts, such as the Twin Cam, Mexico, RS 1600 and RS 2000, via later rally and racing icons such as the Mk2 RS 2000 and Mk3 RS Turbo. But that's not all – the list also takes in the RS versions of the Escort's successor, the Focus. Then there are various sporting Sierras including, most famously, the RS Cosworth.

The Ford Capri also dipped its toe in the RS waters three times. The first generation followed hard on its sibling's heels, spawning both RS 2600 and 3100 derivatives, while the third and final generation got its own RS 2800 hot hatch. The Mk3 Fiesta also sported a couple of tuned-up RS derivatives.

Owners and fans of all these thrilling fast Fords are very welcome to join the RS Owners Club. An active summer events schedule includes various Regional Concours up and down the country, where you can feast your eyes on other fast and fabulous Fords. Last but definitely not least, the Club is also able to arrange discounts on classic car insurance.

Ford Taunus Club GB

The Taunus name was given to a variety of mid-size Fords from as early on as 1939. As a result, the members of the Ford Taunus Club GB, between them, own and maintain a fascinatingly wide variety of vehicles: take a look at the Members' Cars section of the website to get a flavour.

Most recognisable will be the Taunus TC, Germany's equivalent (from 1970 to 1982) of our own Ford Cortina. One notable difference, though: this Taunus was, unlike the Cortina, available in a rakish coupe form until 1975. These coupe Taunus cars are now rare – and highly sought after as a result.

Ford Y & C Model Register

We're going right back in time with this one, as the Ford Y & C Model Register is dedicated to the Blue Oval's Model-Y and Model-C cars and their derivatives, built between 1932 and 1939. Yes, this club lends a whole new level of meaning to the term 'classic'.

With members drawn from around the world, the register now has over 1,400 of these plucky 1930s survivors on its list of extant cars. Membership gives you, among other things, a bimonthly magazine and all the technical advice you'll need (and who among us can honestly say they know their way around a 90-year-old engine?).

On top of that, you'll get access to a range of reprinted Ford publications from the era – such as service bulletins, handbooks, parts catalogues and library archives.

Like so many other clubs we're featuring here, the Ford Y & C Model Register can also help you secure a discount on your classic car insurance.

Fordsport

The Fordsport owners' club has a nicely broad remit, being open to owners of any high-performance Ford, from whatever decade and model, and whether modified or factory standard.

Members' cars cut across a huge swathe of Ford history, from vintage Consuls and Anglia’s right on through to the latest tuned-up Focuses and Fiestas. Not surprisingly, there's a strong presence of Ford's '70s, '80s and '90s sporting lines – the iconic Fiesta XR2, Escort XR3 and Sierra XR4, for example, as well as the Escort's various legendary RS rally heroes.

The group attends various major classic car events each year, including the Ford Fair and the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show.

XR Owners Club

Back in the 1980s, for anyone with a taste for fast, flashy and affordable sports cars, Ford's XR range was an absolute must.

Ranging from the sporty Fiesta XR2, via (perhaps the most popular of the lot) the Escort XR3 and XR3i, and onto that sporty dad's car of choice, the Sierra XR4, these quick and aggressively attired Fords were a huge part of '80s motoring culture.

These cars are still around in decent numbers today – a quick look at the How Many Left website shows us that numbers of the Escort XR3 and XR3i, for example, are still well north of 500.

The XR Owners Club is a busy and friendly umbrella for drivers and fans of all these souped-up Fords. Owners of the short-lived but fondly remembered Fiesta Supersport (the XR2's predecessor), as well as the sporty Mk3 Escort 1.6i Cabriolet, are also welcome.

Activities and membership benefits include area meets, shows, events, a quarterly magazine, and a busy forum where you can post any query from a technical niggle to a parts request.

Membership options include two- and three-year packages, which not only give you a bit of a discount over the single-year membership, but also feature a premium membership pack with one or two additional items.

Other perks include exclusive XR merchandise, technical help and support, product discounts and, of course, possible reductions on your classic car insurance. A brilliant club, in short – no wonder we made it our Club of the Month a while back

Ford Classics UK

This is an easy club to recommend joining – as membership is free. Aimed at both classic and performance Fords, the club stages car shows, rallies, and races, as well as track days.

To be honest, we were sold the minute we saw the immaculate, rally-plumaged Ford Escort Mexico on the website's homepage.

Ford Corsair Owners Club

With a membership now more than 200, this club exists to celebrate, and bring together owners and lovers of, Ford's stylish Corsair saloon of the 1960s.

In production from 1963 to 1970, the Corsair had the same design team as the Mark 1 Cortina – including styling by Charles Thompson, who, splendidly, is the Corsair Owners Club President at the time of writing.

A replacement for the equally stylish Consul Classic, the Corsair was essentially a re-skinned, long-wheelbase Ford Cortina, with extra soundproofing and more comfortable seating – ideal for the high-speed, long-distance driving that Corsair drivers were expected to enjoy.

The Club sends out news of its activities, events, spares, and cars for sale via its quarterly newsletter. Club meetings are held throughout the year, and around the country. Membership is £22 a year.

Mk II Owners Club

The 'Mk II' in the title here refers to the second generation of three 1950s Ford saloons, the Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac. The second iteration of all three of these large Fords came along in the mid to late 1950s, and all became much-loved motors.

Indeed, the Mk2 Zephyr and Zodiac models are fondly remembered for their use as patrol cars in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and for their many appearances in the hugely popular police action series Z-Cars.

Owners of all Mk2 Consuls, Zephyrs and Zodiacs are welcome to join the club – indeed, like most of the clubs we're profiling, you don't even have to own one of these beautiful saloons to sign up.

As well as the usual forum, parts trading and other services, the club organises a well-attended annual weekender, where you'll get to meet fellow Mk II enthusiasts and learn more about these graceful mid-century Fords.

Model A Ford Club of Great Britain

When we profiled the Ford Model Y & Model C Register above, we thought that we'd gone back as far as we could go into Blue Oval history. But no, it turns out that there's a UK owners' club for an even more vintage Ford than the Y / C duo.

Yes, the Ford Model A, which emerged way back in 1927 as the replacement for the legendary Model T, also has its own club here. Perks for your £25 annual membership include receipt of the club's award-winning bi-monthly magazine, Quail, plus access to various events and gatherings at which the nation's Model A enthusiasts get together to show off their beautiful vintage vehicles.

The club is also a member of the Inter-Register Club (IRC), a multi-marque umbrella club for a huge variety of pre-war vehicles. That means that members can attend all other IRC events nationwide, tapping into a huge community of pre-war cars and their enthusiastic owners.

The Model A Ford Club is also listed as an Authorised Club with the DVLA, so it can offer members a full dating, authentication and certification service for their cherished classic.

Ford Sidevalve Owners' Club

This is another club with a very broad base. The unifying factor in this case is Ford's famous four-cylinder 'side valve' engine, which found its way into a wide range of Blue Oval vehicles during its long working lifetime (1932-62).

Among the illustrious Fords to feature the engine are the Model Y, Anglia, Prefect, Popular, and both the first and second generations of the Taunus that we mentioned above.

So, effectively, if you are the owner of any of those vintage Fords, you'll find a brilliant community of like-minded enthusiasts at the Sidevalve Owners' Club. Vans, commercials, and specials based on the ubiquitous side-valve unit are also more than welcome into the fold.

Capri Club

Most '70s and '80s kids wanted a Lamborghini Countach – but if (for whatever reason) that wasn't quite going to happen, we're sure they'd have settled for a Ford Capri.

Sleek, svelte, low-slung and – if specified with the right engine – blessed with the speed and agility that those looks warranted, the Capri was one of the most exciting cars of its era.

It's still around in decent numbers, and the Capri Club caters admirably to all the many owners and admirers of this iconic coupé.

For an annual outlay of £34.95 (new members) or £29.95 (renewals), members get access to a very decent range of benefits. These include savings on classic car insurance, club special offers, discounts on spares and accessories, free technical help, and advice, and much more.

Ford Owners Club

Out of all the Ford owners' clubs we are profiling here, this one is, undoubtedly, the club with the broadest remit. That's because it's, well, the Ford Owners Club. As such, owners of any car from the marque are welcome to join.

So yes, you'll see plenty of current Fords on the members' roster, but you'll also find plenty of well-maintained examples of those classic Fords that we all know and love. Have a look at the website's Gallery page to get a flavour.

Classic car insurance – another great way to look after your classic

Joining an owners' club is a brilliant way to help you restore and maintain your classic car as well as making a few new friends along the way.

Another essential way to protect your classic is to take out some insurance for your classic car. Contact the team at Lancaster for a quote today and see if your club membership entitles you to a discount.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.

Click here to read about the iconic Ford Fiesta.