A sleek, black 1950 saloon car is being prepared to go in front of the cameras – to help raise money for the Cancer Care and Haematology Fund (CCHF).
Called Betty, the Ford V8 Pilot will be on show at Aylesbury's popular Soapbox Derby, to be held at Whitehill Park on Father's Day, Sunday 16 June. Owners Lesley and David Ridgway will be inviting spectators at the event to have their photograph taken with Betty for a contribution to our charity.
Betty holds a special place in Lesley's heart. As a little girl her father had a Ford Pilot and she remembers using the back seat arm rest as a horse holding on to the ropes on the back of the front seat.
Lesley was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in October 2022 and was successfully treated at the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit (CCHU), Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where she underwent chemotherapy.
Husband David secretly purchased Betty in December that year and the car was delivered to Aylesbury just before Christmas without Lesley knowing. David tells us: “On Christmas day there was a note in her stocking saying that there was a surprise for her in the garage. The family went around to the garage at dinner time. I have never seen such a big smile on Lesley's face when she saw Betty for the first time!”
The Soapbox Derby is organised by Aylesbury Town Council and is free to attend. It opens at 11.00 am and the first timed race starts at noon. You can find out more about the event by viewing their visual story.
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Betty's history: The Ford Pilot was the first large post-War British Ford and was manufactured at Dagenham between 1947 and 1951. Based on the pre-War 22hp Model 62 chassis, it was initially offered with a 2,227cc side-valve engine, but this was soon replaced with a more generously powered 3,622cc side-valve V8 engine – claiming over 80bhp. Only 21,487 units were built, and the luxury saloon featured a Bakelite dashboard, ashtray and steering wheel and a Clayton Dewandre heater as standard equipment. The Pilot also has a Jackall automatic jacking system. This car was first registered in July 1950. The car was exported to Jersey in 1999, where a detailed restoration was undertaken and had a Jersey number plate J94107. The car remained sunning herself in Jersey until 2021, when it returned to the UK and re-acquired its original UK registration number.
- CCHF was set up in 1990 to raise funds to help patients diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders by funding the construction of a specialist unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Today the charity continues to provide financial support for patients and clinical staff at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust treatment facilities at both Stoke Mandeville and the Sunrise Unit at Wycombe Hospital. www.cchf.org.uk
Our main photograph shows Betty at Buckinghamshire's Kop Hill Climb in 2023
6 June 2024
