Passion for the classics drives White Rock Ford dealer’s dream job
Ocean Park Ford owner Ron Ford’s passion for classic cars reaches back to his teens – he was just 14 when he and a friend began his first project: a 1934 Ford cabriolet.
While Ron Ford undoubtedly enjoys seeing the latest F-150s cruise onto the Ocean Park Ford lot, or checking out the engine specs on the newest Mustang, his passion for vehicles reaches far beyond “what’s new.”
In fact, the local dealership owner has owned one of the earliest Fords – a 1915 Model T roadster – for more than 50 years.
It may not be his daily driver, but with a collection that includes a 1940 Ford woody, a rare 1932 Ford phaeton and Model A roadster, some classic car aficionados have suggested Ron might in fact have Canada’s best selection of historic hot rods.
It’s a passion that’s been growing since Ron’s first foray into the classic car world – when as a 14-year-old in Victoria, he and a 16-year-old neighbour chopped and channelled a 1934 Ford cabriolet, teaching themselves the mechanics and body work in the process.
Ron continued to build more sophisticated street rods over the years, and as he became more involved in the Lower Mainland car scene, he made the move from the Island, formally entering the car business – not with Ford, as it happens, but Datsun.
That experience, and his continued passion for vintage Ford street rods united in 1986, when Ford approached him about opening a small dealership to serve the growing White Rock community. Ocean Park Ford was born.
As White Rock has grown, so has the dealership, driven by Ron’s passion for cars and customer service. Today one of Canada’s top Ford locations, it was one of the first to locate in the South Surrey Auto Mall.
Today, as one of the few local family-owned dealerships operating in the area, customers love seeing Ron and his classic cars on the lot. It’s just part of the personal shopping experience they enjoy at the longstanding local dealership.
Not all of Rod’s wheels have come as easily as that first teenage project, but each has a story.
It took six years of persuasion to convince a California owner to sell him the “Sportsman Green” 1950 convertible. And the all-original 1940 convertible was purchased from the son of a Kamloops woman who’d owned it since it rolled new off the lot. More stories will likely be shared during Ocean Park Ford’s annual car show, coming up this September.
In the meantime, visit Ron and the team at Ocean Park Ford at 3050 King George Hwy. or connect online at oceanparkford.com, where you can browse the current line-up of new and used vehicles or book your next servicing.