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All Blacks Put Their Mark On The Ford Fiesta

Monday, 2 May 2011, 2:11 pm
Press Release: Ford New Zealand

The All Blacks and Ford New Zealand have teamed up to create a one-off limited edition design of one of New Zealand’s biggest selling cars, the Ford Fiesta.

Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Conrad Smith were among the 20 players who tapped into their creative side and worked alongside a team of specialists from Ford New Zealand on the project. The players had input into the interior, exterior, performance and in-car entertainment system of the top-selling vehicle.

Only 35 of the cars have been made with the final look still under wraps and will not be revealed to the public until it goes on sale at selected Ford Dealerships nationwide from May 30. One car will be auctioned off on Trade Me with proceeds being split between Ford New Zealand’s official charity partner, Variety – The Children’s Charity and the NZRU’s official charity partners, Plunket and KidsCan.

For people raring to catch a glimpse of the rugby stars at the track and working on the design of the car, five behind the scenes webisodes will be posted on www.ab35.co.nz in the lead up to the car going on sale. A new webisode will be posted each week beginning May 1.

Ford New Zealand has been a sponsor of the All Blacks for 17 years, and wanted to take a different approach in showing their support for the team this year.

“By bringing the squad together in a design project, they have created something unique and special for rugby fans to enjoy in the years to come,” says Chris Masterson from Ford New Zealand.

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“Today’s rugby is a game of power, strength and intelligence. The Ford Fiesta was our pick for this project as it offers those same traits, with some European flair to boot.”

Since launching in late 2008, the Ford Fiesta has won more than 70 accolades globally, including praise from New Zealand motoring journalists. In 2009 it was crowned Car of the Year at the annual AMI Insurance NZ Autocar Car of the Year Awards, and Car of the Year by the New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild last year.

Supercar driver Shane Van Gisbergen had the honour of taking the players for a spin around the racetrack in the Ford Fiesta so they could get a taste of its performance and handling.

For more information, and to take part in the online treasure hunt to win a Ford Fiesta for a year, visit www.ab35.co.nz.

ENDS

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