Rally stars visit Ford's Bridgend engine plant.

Ford's World Rally stars, Scotland's Colin McRae and Wales' Nicky Grist are visiting Ford's Bridgend Engine Plant today ahead of the Rally of Great Britain.

The rally, Britain's largest spectator event, is the finale to this year's World Rally Championship and will decide the championship title - victory for McRae will secure him the drivers championship crown and make Ford the winning manufacturer.

The pair will be joining employees on the production line to help build some of the Zetec engines which power cars including the Ford Focus - the model their World Rally car is based on.

Bob Murphy, major launch manager, Bridgend Engine Plant said: "We're delighted that the Ford World Rally Team are coming to visit us in the run up to the Rally of Great Britain. We're proud of our link with the team, building engines for the Ford Focus, the same car that Colin and Nicky drive. With the World Championship race so tight, I know that all of us here will be wishing them the best for the final stage here in Wales."

Bridgend Engine Plant, opened in 1980, employs around 1,300 people and last year manufactured 485,156 engines to power cars including the Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Jaguar XJ8, Jaguar XK8, Jaguar S-TYPE and Jaguar XKR.

By 2004, the expansion in engine production at both Bridgend and Dagenham will result in around two million petrol and diesel engines being manufactured in Britain. This means that one in four of all Ford vehicles sold globally will be powered by a British-built engine.