Brian Turner
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Brian Turner's ordinary-looking Maestro is in fact rather special: it is of those built by a cottage industry-style operation at Ledbury in Herefordshire between 1999 and 2001, from a batch of CKD kits which had originally been destined for Eastern Europe.

A good friend of Brian’s bought a right-hand drive example of the “new” Maestro over 12 months ago, against which he part-exchanged an old Ford Granada. He got it at a very good price because this was before all the national publicity that the “Hereford” project would later attract.

The story did not end here, though: some months later, Brian and his colleagues happened to be working near the garage in Ledbury, and spotted an immaculate white Maestro in the company's small showroom. They went through the gates, to find a workshop full of Maestros; as Brian says: “it was like going back in time! I was fascinated... as at one time in my working life I spent many happy hours at the Longbridge plant...” Upon seeing this amazing sight, Brian’s friend decided that he wanted a Maestro van to go with the hatch be had bought some months previously – so he ordered one. Unfortunately, the garage was unable to fulfil his order, so they let him have a left-hand-drive hatchback for the same price, meaning that he was now the proud owner of two “new” Maestros - both red, one LHD, and one RHD.

Brian takes up the story again: “I was very tempted to splash out on one of these bargains, but by now the cars had got into the press again.” Whereas the demand for these CKD Maestros had initially been very poor, suddenly they were all the rage – thanks to the coverage in Top Gear, Auto Express and Autocar. “Quentin Willson’s recommendations had almost cleared out the stock before I could get back to Ledbury”. Luckily, Brian managed to secure one of the very last cars – a red left-hooker – and so he became the very happy owner of a “new” Maestro. Brian has since converted the car to right-hand-drive, in total costing him £100, including the steering rack… not bad when you consider that this Ford Focus-sized hold-all – brand new – cost him less than the price of a Perodua Nippa! Fair play to you, Brian!

Brian returned to his former place of work to take the following photos of his new Maestro at its spiritual home...

Copyright © 2002 Keith Adams