Cork's Ford plant celebrated its 50th anniversary with a £2 million revamp in the 1960's

The Marina plant in Cork marked its 50th anniversary in 1967 with a £2million revamp — and it was a golden era for motorists, as the iconic Cortina, Escort and Capri hit the ground running.

“For 50 years, the Ford company has been part of the industrial life of this city but of course, Ford’s links with Cork go back much further...”

So began a speech by Taoiseach Jack Lynch when he visited the Marina factory in his native city on October 11, 1967, to mark its golden anniversary.