To celebrate the centenary of Ford of Britain in 2011 the company is exploring its photo archive to reveal rarely seen images.

Ford’s unique relationship with Britain and its society will be illustrated each week by specially selected pictures.

The end of summer is a good reminder for all drivers to carry out winter maintenance. A change of tyres and topping-up vehicle fluids can make all the difference between a smooth journey and a fraught one. Over the years Ford engineers have worked diligently to ensure that all Ford vehicles can operate efficiently whatever the weather.

This week’s image is from 1968 when the soon-to-be launched Ford Capri was still Project Colt, a programme for a European Mustang. In an age before sub-zero environmental laboratories, Ford specialists took to the wilds of Finland to ensure “the car you always promised yourself” could operate in the harshest climate.

Today, Ford’s technicians can recreate the worst driving conditions imaginable within the safety and convenience of a laboratory. Ford test chambers reproduce temperatures from -40 to +55 degrees Centigrade and replicate an altitude of 4,000 metres above sea level, ensuring that Ford drivers can cope with anything the British winter has to offer.