It recently appointed a new CEO, Jim Farley, and is gearing up for a launch of several important new vehicles including the Bronco SUV and Mustang Mach-E EV.

But could Ford also look to its past for help in reinventing its future? We posed the question to Steve Saxty, former Ford manager and the author of a book about Ford, The Cars You Always Promised Yourself. He gave us a guide to what he deems the Blue Oval's ‘Hidden Heroes”. These are not the obvious RS cars and Capris but vehicles that demonstrated how Ford would quickly dive into a market or create a new one; it’s a fascinating story - and may well contains some pointers for Ford's future: