The 40th birthday of one of the UK's most popular small cars will be celebrated in style as part of a new event this summer.

The Ford Summer Festival, organised by the team behind Fast Ford, Classic Ford, Fast Car and Retro Cars magazines, at Brighton Racecourse on Saturday, July 16, will start with a traditional London to Brighton run.

Many cars on the run will start their journey, as they did at the beginning of their lives, at the Ford plant at Dagenham, on the border of Essex and London. Heading up the convoy will be a special selection of 40 Ford Fiestas, from the very first to the very last, including some rare performance models. The run will be backed by Ford which will be entering a fleet of its heritage Fiestas.

The Fiesta's 40th anniversary will be the central theme of the event.

Event manager Katherine Chappell said: 'For the Fiesta's birthday, we wanted something that was a bit more than a traditional car show. We wanted an event with a proper party atmosphere, and coming to Brighton gives us just that. This is a festival, not just a car show, and we fully expect Ford fans to make a full weekend out of it.'

The event will also feature Ford displays, a retail area and a live entertainment stage. Overnight camping will be available and is included within the ticket cost for all those taking part in the run, helping to keep the festival atmosphere going as the sun goes down.

The festival is open 11am to 11pm and entry tickets cost £10 in advance (£15 on the day). For those wanting to take part in the run, entry costs £60 and includes a breakfast voucher, rally plaque, camping for two people, two free drinks and Visit Brighton vouchers for Sunday, July 17.

Find out more at www.fordsummerfestival.co.uk