Green light for £90k Ben Nevis Ford 03 | 02 | 2017
THE FAMOUS FORD Model T, which drove down Ben Nevis in 1911, is to be marked by the creation of a £90,000 full-size bronze replica. The bronze will be located in Cameron Square, in Fort William, in the shadow of Britain’s highest peak.
Highland Council has sought a contractor to develop, cast and install the sculpture in Fort William, with the timescale running “from end of May to December 2017”.
The hardy 1911 team, lead Henry Alexander Jr, the son of Scotland’s first Ford dealer, climbed the 4409ft (1344 metres) peak and drove across some of the most rugged terrain in the UK.
The venture was used as a publicity stunt to show the mass produced American car was superior to hand-crafted British ones.
The event will now be permanently commemorated by the sculpture, which will also feature a “life size figure of Henry Alexander at the wheel” and allow access “photo opportunities.”
In 2011, a crew of 60 volunteers carried a “collapsible” replica of the Model T up and down the mountain, assembling the car at the summit and dismantling it for the descent.
The Ben Nevis Bronze Ford Committee had been attempting to raise £86,000 to pay for the bronze statue and according to their website they had raised around £45,000 by January last year.
The contract posted by the Highland Council read: “The sculpture will incorporate a recognisable, life size figure of Henry Alexander at the wheel, and access should be available to enable public interaction and photo opportunities.
“The parts of the ‘collapsible’ car taken up Ben Nevis in 2011 are will be available to be used as templates for casting of the Bronze.
“It is recognised that while the sculpture is to be as authentic as possible, some element of adaption may be required to ensure its robustness and safety in terms of public interaction, maintenance and longevity.
“There is an available budget of up to £89k for the contract, and the timescale would run from end of May to December 2017.”
Rare footage was recently released showing the 1911 journey showing dynamite being used to destroy peat bogs, making the road a bit smoother for the Model T.
The amazing black-and-white film shows Edinburgh motorist Alexander Jr. and his team during the week-long expedition in May.
The five-minute video, hosted on the British Film Institute’s website, shows Mr Alexander,driving the Model T through snow and rivers, cheered on by a gang of men in tweeds.
Before the trip even got under way, workers spent six weeks laying a timber path.
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Jim McGill