Grabbing the keys for a Ford Fiesta and considering a drive over the top of the rocky Ben Nevis is not something that slips into the mind of most people. Back in May 1911, the car manufacturer Ford decided that doing this, would be a great publicity stunt and would help sell them a lot of cars!
The ‘Model T’ shown driving over the mountain, was a stunt by Ford to try and prove that this mass produced American car was far better, capable and superior than British made vehicles.
Ford successfully managed the strange but interesting feat. It only took the team at Ford five days to reach the summit, which is quite a feat. Not only did the have to battle the rocky terrain, they decided to do it during a time that there was snow on the mountain. This only added to the already difficult feat.
Luckily, cars travel much faster going downhill and they managed the descent in one day. Next time you’re walking over the summit of Ben Nevis, take a minute to consider that back in 1911, a car was driving over that very spot.