
In 1977 the Ford parts depot in Cologne burnt down, destroying most of the parts stored in it and that apparently affected parts availability for early Fords. I had serious problems in getting brake and exhaust bits for my Mk1 Transit a couple of years ago.
Since then, Ebay has grown of course, and an online shop for old Fords has opened up in Munich for service parts, but the odd looks I may get from Volvo these days are nothing like the baffled expressions I used to get from Ford ...
Tom