Gartrac generated the basic friend which have David Sutton who was simply the newest manager out-of Clark & Simpson who have been Ford traders for the Sloane Square, London. The cars were mainly simple without roll cages, not Gartrac given uprated suspension and you can powering tools components into the skills.

Right before the beginning of this new rally Dave Bignold is questioned of the Ford to travel to Clark & Simpson and you may match rear wonder absorber turrets towards the Rauno Aaltonen’s Ford Escort 1850 GT. The installation is actually completed quickly more than a week-end and Aaltonen’s car is prepared to contend from the rally.

Regarding the early 70s, Gartrac changed Escort Mk1 bodyshells for Clark & Simpson inside the London

New London area – Mexico Business Cup rally started from the Wembley Stadium during the London with the April nineteenth 1970 layer up to sixteen,000 kilometers as a consequence of European countries and South america and you will finishing during the Mexico Area may 27th 1970. The function was most successful having Ford with Hannu Mikola and you escort girl central Ludwigshafen can Gunnar Palm winning the newest rally and Rauno Aaltonen and you will Henry Liddon completing 3rd.

Gartrac continued developing pieces with the Escort Mk1 rally autos. In early seventies other popular winnings try Hannnu Mikkola and you may Gunnar Palm’s 1972 Safari Rally earn on Escort RS 1600. The pair would need an earlier lead which they never destroyed and you may became the first low-African team so you can victory brand new East African Safari Rally.

seventies – The brand new Really works Escort Mk2

These variations was indeed mainly fitted surprise absorber turrets, steel bubble arches and you will reworking axle’s. Gartrac create personalize 2-3 bodyshells per week for many years.

Gartrac try increasing inside the reputation therefore the sheer quantity of work created which they needed to go from its quick workshop in the Farnham, Surrey. They easily discover a different sort of larger working area for the Godalming, Surrey, enabling them to take on more team, and thus the returns grew considerably.

Ford had merely presented the fresh Escort Mk2 and realised Gartrac’s fast progress. Ford needed a fabrication organization that’ll generate Escort Mk2 bodyshells and you will parts because of their work rally party.

They wanted the new Mk2 bodyshells as similar having a kit regarding pieces one fitting the car; this was not true towards Mk1. Each drivers’ mechanic will have her thought of an educated cure for create an automobile, meaning no two cars certainly are the same. That it triggered difficulties when maintenance the vehicles towards the occurrences, as bits didn’t fit widely.

The fresh work Escort Mk1 bodyshells had been fabricated because of the Gomm Material Improvements. These shells was basically gas welded otherwise nickel bronzed and therefore lay high heat and you can fret on procedure, hence contributed to deformation and you can energy trouble. Ford desired the new Escort Mk2 to get welded utilising the new mig welding process. Gartrac had been having fun with mig welders for a while and that aided safer an initial order for five bodyshells to be delivered to their real requirements.

Gartrac properly complete the transaction and you may Ford was thus pleased with the quality of the newest design they immediately contracted Gartrac to exclusively build Escort Mk2 bodyshells for the work cluster.

Ford and commissioned Gartrac to make bits that will standardise the newest mechanic’s create process. It fabricated an enormous gang of pieces including axle’s, radius rods, pedalboxes, electricity tanks and you can petroleum tanks and you can suspension parts.

Gartrac was given a free rule at that time to provide suggestions about just how Ford makes the vehicles most useful as well as then followed its pointers somewhat easily as autos was indeed getting faster, healthier plus legitimate.

The fresh new designs were changing from day to night. Gartrac would make variations with the axle to alter traction, Ford would after that enhance drawings to incorporate the alterations. They’d following make different distinctions to possess Tarmac and you will Forest software. The same techniques was used to cultivate other parts such as the fresh system crossmembers, sump secure sets, pedalboxes and you can suspension parts.