Ford of Britain 100: Image of the Week - 33/52

BRENTWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – Aug 17, 2011: To celebrate the centenary of Ford of Britain in 2011 the company is exploring its photo archive to reveal rarely seen images.

Ford's unique relationship with Britain and its society will be illustrated each week by specially selected pictures.

As mixed summer weather continues, this week's images remind us of warmer times. In 2006 temperatures in excess of 30C/86F were common as a heatwave engulfed Europe. In the UK, manufacturers were preparing for the British International Motor Show in London's ExCeL Exhibition Centre.

Although several new models were on display it was this Ford exhibit that proved particularly popular. Carved from ice, this life-size Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet provided a welcome distraction as UK temperatures reached a record 36.5C/97.7F. Chilled air kept the model from melting and provided a refreshing breeze for visitors. Even supermodel and TV presenter, Jodie Kidd, stopped by to chill out.

When the Ford Focus was crowned 1999 Car of the Year it was praised for its "courageous and fresh looks" and "wide range of versions". In 2006, as our images shows, the Ford Focus was still cool.