• Revved up fans make Mandurah Ford capital
• Car yard goes ape over fiery gorilla
• Driver make a pitstop
• Couple wins a new barbecue
• Youth Patrol to make streets safe
• National dealer win
• Some of Fords finest go on show
• Performance cars to go on show
• 2007 News
• 2006 News
• 2005 News
• 2004 News

Revved up fans make Mandurah capital

Stephanie Painter
Picture: Ian Ferguson
The West Australian
23-05-09

Car buff: Falcon lover Peter Leach has bought 11 Fords in Mandurah since 1987.

Peter Leach is one of the biggest Ford fans in the brand's WA hotspot - Mandurah. He has been a customer at Lane Ford since 1987 and is now on to his 11th car, a top-of-the-range Falcon G6E with all the extras.
Mr Leach, an Alcoa mine worker, said the $52,000 car be bought in August last year was the best model yet. He bought a new car every two to two-and-a-half years because he liked the reliability and he knew he could get a good trade-in price.
"I have had a number of XR6s during that time but as we are getting older we changed to a more pleasure care," he said.
He preferred Fords to Holdens because they were bigger and more comfortable to drive, plus he liked the service at the family dealership. 
Lane Ford gerneral manager Roy Lane said Fords were part of Mandurah's culture  and people often visited the business to buy Ford T-shirts, stubby holders and beanies.
Mr Lane, whose grandfather Alex started the busines in 1959, said he was not surprised that Mandurah and the surrounding suburbs  in the 6210 postcode were essentially WA's Ford capital, with 6991 Fords registered compared with 6880 Holdens.
"It is an interesting figure but it is certainly something that did not happen buy magic - it is many years of hard work," he said.
The dealership has not been hit by the economic downturn.
"Our sales are actually stronger in new cars than they have ever been, it is the opposite of what is happening to some other manufacturers in other camps," he said.

Car yard goes ape over fiery gorilla

Coastal Times
09-06-08

AN INFLATABLE gorilla was wrongly accused of starting a fire that caused more than $350,000 damage at Lane Ford, according to group operations manager Scott Waddell.
A blaze broke out at the Pinjarra Road car yard just after 4am on Tuesday morning, sparking claims the gorilla had been the cause.
"The gorilla got bad press, the gorilla never did it," Mr Waddell said, after early reports claimed the gorilla "torched" the car yard, He said arson had been ruled out and it appeared the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
Mr Waddell said 10 new cars were damaged and up to six of those were beyond repair.
While the building received mostly external damage, an office was severely water damaged.

Driver make a pitstop

Mandurah Mail
22-05-08

In Western Australia for the WA round of the V8 supercars series held at Barbagallo Raceway earlier in the month, Ford drivers James Courtney, Shane Van Gisbergen, Steve Johnson, Will Davison, Mark Winterbottom and Steve Richards made a pitstop at Lane Ford in Mandurah last week to meet local fans.

Mark Winterbottom, Jayden 9, and Justin 5, Green and Steven Richards	Mark Winterbottom, Brook Willmot 7months, Amy Fitzgerald 2, Shannon Fitgerald 1 and Steven Richards
Will Davison, Sharon Smith, Jessica Poduti, Amanda Frisina and Steve Johnson	Shane Van Gisbergen, James Courtney, Will Davison and Steve Johnson with Daryl Willmott and Kara Fitzgerald
James Courtney with Kimara 8, and Tashen 12, Govender

Couple wins a new barbecue

Mandurah Mail
22-05-08

Hot Prize: SGIO Barbecue compertition winners Ryan and Brook Benbow

Mandurah couple Ryan and Brook Benbow have a new barbecue thanks to SGIO Mandurah inside Lane Ford. From 67 entries the Benbow's name was drawn as winners of the SGIO barbecue compertition. The compertition ran for seven weeks.
The lucky couple said the new barbecue would be the perfect addition to their patio.

Youth Patrol to make streets safe

Coastal Times
21-05-08

From Right: Steve Milligan of Lane Ford, Katie Bennell of Mandurah Comunity Youth Patrol at the wheel, Senior Sarget Jeff Beaman and Eileen Allison of Comunity First, with members of the Mandurah Comunity Youth Patrol

A NEW program aimed at making the streets of Mandurah safer at night was launched at Mandurah foreshore last week. The “Mandurah Youth Patrol” is a pilot program that will run for three months and will encourage parents to take more responsibility for their children, It is hoped the initiative will reduce young people’s involvement in drug and alcohol offences and anti-social behaviour. Katie Bennell, who works as an Aboriginal education officer, will run the program in conjunction with local police and Community First.
“When I lived in Geraldton a few years ago there was a patrol which took kids off the street at night so I thought why not use the program in Mandurah?” Mrs Bennett said. “This is a great way of making the community a safer place both for children and elderly people. We need to make sure these kids are not roaming the streets at all hours, getting into trouble.” She said she was hopeful the program could be used in other Perth metropolitan areas. “If Rockingham and Kwinana have enough volunteers and the community felt there was a need for such a program I would love to see it used,” she said. Sergeant Jeff Beaman of mandurah Police said he believed the programe would have a positive effect.
“I am aware of similar programs in Perth and Fremantle and they have proved Succesful, I am sure this will prove no different Beaman said.
The patrol will have teams of volunteers on duty every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights throughout Mandurah.
A car donated by Lane Ford will allow the patrol to travel by car around the town.
To become a volunteer or for more information phone 0404 258 713.

National dealer win

Mandurah Mail
24-04-08 / 08-05-08

LANE Ford Mandurah has just won Ford’s National Rural Dealer of Year Award for 2007.
The award outlines the dealership’s standing in the local community and on a national level, as it is their 7th National Dealer Award.
Roy Lane said they were very proud of the win.
“We have lost count of our Dealer of the Year for WA Awards” Mr Lane said. “We have a great team and our only focus is to make it happen for our customers.”
“2009 will mark our 50th year of continuous trade in Pinjarra and Mandurah and what is now known as the Peel region.”

Some of Ford's finest go on show

Mandurah Mail
14-02-08

Two Perth car clubs maid their way to Mandurah for the Lane Ford Performance Day last Saturday.
The Falcon GT Clup and FPV Tickford Owner's Club put on a display of 116 cars, in what Lane Ford management described as their "Best Ever" performance day.
There was a sausage sizzle and a customer/public display, and at one stage there were about 500 people checking out the cars on show.

Helen Rakich	Morgan, Damon & Matt Ballantyne	Peta Jones & Tom Whitfield
Frank & Irene Bentley	Cathy Hutchinson	Tony Pozzi & Andrew Green
	Gary Burton & Bill Nyssen

Performance cars to go on show

Flash Back: Some of the big selection of cars on show last year's car show. More will featured this saturday at Lane Ford

Mandurah Mail
7-2-08

Close to 100 Fords will roar into Mandurah for the third annual Lane Group Performance Day this Saturday. The cars will range from late 1960 GTs from the Falcon GT Club of Western Australia to the current Ford Performance Vehicles from the FPV Tickford Owners Club of WA.
There will also be a further 32 cars on display at the special customer area where valued owners of performance cars have been invited to show off their vehicles.
Lane Group operations officer Scott Waddell said tens of thousands of dollars had been spent on most of the cars and the event was a good opportunity for the two clubs to show off their cars to local enthusiasts.
Organisers expect the event, which will run from 9am-lpm, to attract 200- 300 visitors. The performance day format is modelled on classic motor shows with members of the public able to inspect the cars close up.
There will be a sausage sizzle, mag wheel and tyre specials, performance accessory displays, competitions, prizes and giveaways and.a big selection of new and used performance vehicles for sale.“It’s a really fun day and in a way it is a way to give back to Mandurah car enthusiasts,” Mr Waddell said.”The public can also vote for best car from each club and the customer display with a prize of $1000 of Lane Group merchandise for each of the three category winners”. Mr. Waddell said “the show’s continued growth was a credit to the two supporting clubs.”