Car parts ad band plays for charity

May 6 2008 by Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post

DO THOSE car parts played as musical instruments on the TV ad for the Ford Focus really work?

Well, yes, they do, as the public will discover from Friday when a selection of the car part instruments go on show at St George’s Hall, in Liverpool.

Not only will the instruments be on show but they will be played twice a day at 1.15pm and 5.15pm.

The idea for the car parts orchestra came from two American composers, Hollywood film composer Craig Richey and New York sound designer Bill Milbrodt.

They were given a Ford Focus with just a few miles on the clock and dismantled it.

Eventually, they put together 21 car parts from which they made 31 instruments.

These included the Transmission Case Cello-Dulcimer, the Clutch Guitar, Rear Suspension Spike Fiddle, Hatchback Kick Drum, Handheld Gear Tambourine and Door Harp. Perhaps the best named was the Fender Guitar.

It took some ingenuity to create the instruments. The Door Harp, for example, was made from the front door of the five-door hatchback, a window, a spring and – a bit of a cheat this – real harp strings.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted for the Teenage Cancer Trust.