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'My late father was into classic commercials and did the steam rallies when I was a kid with his old AECs and Fodens.  I wanted to do the rallies again with my kids, so it needed to be able to tow a caravan. I'm into 50s and 60s Fords so it had to be a Mk. II or Mk. III Zodiac or Zephyr'.

Luke Harwin began his search for the latter as 'the Mk. III has so much more to offer; 100bhp engine, speed gearbox with a synchromesh 1st gear, electric wipers -  the list goes on.

I knew the Farnhams were rare and thought I would never get one, so I set out looking for a saloon. And guess what - the estate popped up and at the right money I had to have it!!!’ And Luke's reaction to his splendid 1963 Zodiac Farnham Estate is quite understandable.

At that time, when David Frost was starring in TW3 and The Beatles' Please Please Me LP marked the official end to the Teddy Boy era , ownership of a new flagship Ford station wagon denoted a motorist who was 'going places'.

This was an estate-car to dash to that crucial sales meeting at the Blue Boar café on the M1. Or, at the weekend, causing a sensation on arriving at the local trattoria.

It is sometimes forgotten that Ford GB did not offer an-house large station-wagon until the introduction of the Granada. Before 1972, E.D. Abbott Ltd. of Farnham converted four generations of Zodiac, Zephyr and, in Mk. I and Mk. II guise, Consul.

Survivors are now extremely rare, which makes Luke’s Mk. III all the more distinctive. He came by the Zodiac in May 2017 – ‘It was a one-owner car up until about 2006-ish; I believe changing hands a few times until I got my hands on it’. 

As compared with the Mk. II, the Mk. III Estate had an unbroken roofline, which gave it the appearance of a purpose-designed model rather than an aftermarket conversion.

Luke remarks that the GRP tailgate ‘was bespoke to the individual car – i.e. another tailgate from another Farnham may not fit’.

Autocar tested the Zodiac’s Zephyr Six Estate stablemate in May 1963 and were clearly taken with the styling – ‘the designer’s rather rakish treatment of the back half’.

They also noted that ‘Normal holiday luggage for six people would probably disperse itself just as well, and more securely, in the 21 cu ft. boot of the standard saloon, but a pig or two would probably not complain’.

At first glance, this appears to be a truly bizarre remark but the Zodiac Farnham, as with the rival Vauxhall Cresta PB Martin Water Estate, did indeed have aspirations to the “gentleman-farmer” market.

However, such tweed-jacketed types often preferred the more expensive Humber Super Snipe and the Ford had a more suburban image. You can imagine a Zodiac Estate piloted by an Ian Hendry look-a-like, all sharp suit and pointed handkerchief in his top pocket.

132 HVP has covered ‘29000 miles from new’ and Luke has treated his Farnham to several modifications – ‘ I fitted a new old stock carb and electronic ignition for reliability, and style spring helpers - or spring assisters as they are sometimes known - for towing’.

There are also white-walled 1962 Ford Fairlane wheels ‘which I had sandblasted, and powder coated’, and Luke has ‘fitted a steering box brace to cope with the extra wide wheels. The brace holds the steering box in place as the 1960s steering box casting can crack on the mounts’.

Today, the Harwin Zodiac causes a minor sensation at the ‘East Anglian steam rally circuits’ and ‘most people understand it's rare, but I don't think they realise how rare’.

It also serves as a weekend tow car, as the Farnham is still being used the way Ford intended – and still cutting a dash after 57 years.

With Thanks To – Luke Harwin

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We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

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• Historic rally cover

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