Tickford returns with tuned Ranger and Mustang

Prodrive resurrects Ford-based tuner brand, will focus on chassis, power and interior tweaks.

Ford’s Tickford brand has returned – though not as a factory-aligned manufacturer of warmed-over Falcons, as it was in its previous life 15 years ago.

Two years in the making, it’s the brainchild of Prodrive Racing Australia, who took over the Ford factory Supercars team a couple of years and who still (for the moment) operate out of the base once occupied by both Tickford and the brand it morphed into, Ford Performance Vehicles.

“The choice of Tickford for the name of our automotive aftermarket business was a natural one for us based on our ownership history,” said CEO Tim Edwards, who also runs Prodrive Racing.

“We are the direct descendants of Tickford’s previous operations in Australia so it makes sense for us to bring the brand back.

“We see ourselves of custodians of the name all while injecting a modern interpretation of what Tickford is about.”

What’s not on the table, though, is any sort of V8 petrol engine conversion for the diesel-only Ranger.

Tickford won’t produce complete cars, though. It’s concentrating its efforts on offering upgrades to Ford’s most popular vehicles of 2016, the Ranger truck and Mustang coupe, and claims it wants to develop bespoke parts for other vehicles in the Ford catalog like the Focus RS.

It’s not sanctioned by Ford Australia as such, but Tickford has engaged companies like Bosch to ensure that its engine tunes meet all ADR requirements, and will source parts from industry giants like Bilstein.

There’s a full catalog of tweaks already in place for the Ranger, including an engine upgrade that adds 15 per cent more power and 20 per cent more torque to the 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel which would take it north of 170kW and 560Nm.

A new exhaust system from the catalytic convertor back finishes with a twin side-exit exhaust treatment, while an ECU retune accounts for the rest of the power-up.

A matched set of locally tuned Bilstein dampers and Aussie-sourced King Springs can be combined with a set of bespoke 19- or 20-inch rims from Advanti (who currently supply rims to the Mercedes-Benz F1 team).

A bespoke body kit and an interior trim makeover – which includes new leather-clad seats that don’t affect airbag deployment - are also available.

Each part of the Ranger can be modified a piece at a time, or it can be done as a job lot. The total bill for a top to tail makeover would exceed $21,000, while a simple damper upgrade is as little as $1285.

What’s not on the table, though, is any sort of V8 petrol engine conversion for the diesel-only Ranger.

There’s no word on what modifications will be offered for the Mustang yet, but Tickford has access to the Ford Performance Parts catalog in an official wholesaler/retailer capacity.

Service centres will be established in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane by early 2017, according to the company.

Does a Tickford-fettled Ranger or Mustang tickle your fancy? Tell us what you think in the comments below.