GARTRAC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Founders
- Owner of Gartrac ( 1936 - 2015 ) "Out of All the Escort 's We Have Produced over the Years This Is My Favourite. Probably Always Will Be"
Gartrac founders David Bignold and Bill Payne first met in 1968 whilst working for Alan Mann Racing in Byfleet, Surrey. During their first year at Alan Mann Racing they worked under the former head of Ford Motorsport development; Len Bailey. They were part of a team of engineers that produced the Escort Mk1 Twin Cam which Australian racing driver Frank Gardner won the British saloon car championship in 1968.
Dave Bignold - Owner of Gartrac (1936-2015) "Out of all the Escort's we have produced over the years this is my favourite... probably always will be"
Gartrac was made aware a year in advance that Ford would be pulling out of world rallying to concentrate on developing the Escort RS1700T. Dave Bignold was invited to a meeting at Boreham and was told the works Escort Mk2 rally production was coming to an end.
Malcolm Wilson, the boss of M-sport, the team which has masterminded Ford's assault on the world rally championship since 1997, flew into Dunsfold aerodrome just outside Gartrac's workshop in Chiddingfold, Surrey, in January 2008.