BUYING: Consul Classic
What you need to know if you’re on the hunt for Ford’s ’60s saloon.
Although originally scheduled to break cover in 1960, the Consul Classic wasn’t launched until June of the following year.
But when it did surface, the Classic arrived in style. The first examples were ushered into showrooms under the cover of darkness, and when other road users caught sight of the Consul Classic, they certainly took notice.
Granted, customers had already had time to digest the reverse-rake rear window design thanks to the earlier Anglia, but the Consul Classic was bolder still with a sleek, American-influenced body style and a sloping front end with quad headlamps and a closed front grille. Ford summed up the distinctive style by inviting motorists to ‘take a long look at the long low look’. The Anglia’s influence was also more than skin deep, the Consul Classic running the same engine but with an increased stroke to give a displacement of 1340cc. While the engine wasn’t exactly groundbreaking, the Consul Classic did have some advanced features, such as front disc brakes, manual screen washers and variable electric windscreen wipers, all of which featured on the standard and plusher Deluxe trim levels.
The MacPherson front suspension wasn’t new either, but it did bless the Consul Classic with a decent ride and handling. However, while the motoring press rated the mid-sized Ford’s driving dynamics, they weren’t so hot on the actual engine. Having to work hard to pull the over-engineered, weighty body, the motor drew criticism for being gruff and was 150cc short of that found in many rivals.
Ford came up with its reply in July 1962, introducing the five-bearing 1498cc engine. The new, larger-engined Classic (codenamed 116E) also came with an all-synchromesh gearbox and changes that significantly reduced the amount of regular maintenance.
Coupled with the Consul Classic’s practicality and refinement, the changes made the saloon more capable, but the relatively high price and the imminent arrival of the Cortina meant that its days were numbered. The axe would finally fall in 1963, with 111,225 made over two years.
Only a couple of hundred are thought to survive, but it’s worth hunting one down if you want what is arguably one of the rarest ’60s Fords. Throw in usability and the unique styling, and it’s fair to say that it’s a classic not just in name.