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Although it’s controversial raked back rear window design ruffled a few feathers, this very capable small saloon quickly established itself as a firm family favourite
The 105E Anglia – a small Ford that quickly became a family favourite.
Next year will mark sixty years since the 105E Ford Anglia went into production, a watershed car for Ford that was in many ways ahead of its time or at least fully up to date for 1959 and remained popular right to the end.
The Anglia was nothing like as advanced or as nice to drive or ride in as a frontwheel drive BMC 1100 but at the time, the new Ford was as good as a conventional rear drive leaf spring car could be made – it made a fearsome race car as well, taking the 1966 British saloon car championship.
Ford replaced the Anglia in late 1967 and despite being eight-years old and pretty dated when it bowed out, it still sold well and it was a particular favourite with driving schools due to being so light and easy to drive. In later years, bits of the Anglia would find their way into other Fords. For example the Anglia Van rear bumpers were used as front quarter bumpers for the faster Escorts. The Anglia’s droopy front grille design with a triangular indicator at each end resurfaced again in the design of the 1996 Ford Ka.
1 Ford sold 1,004,737 Anglias of all types between 1959 and 1967. That was not enough to outsell the Mini, which passed the million mark in 1965, or the BMC 1100 that had sold a million units between 1962 and 1967. Even so, Ford’s strict cost accounting and simple model range meant it generated far more profit than BMC’s two stalwarts. 2 The Anglia was made in two factories in the UK. Up until 1963 they were built exclusively at Dagenham but from 1963, the all-new factory at Halewood on Merseyside opened to build the Anglia. The same year, Vauxhall opened Ellesmere Port to built its new Viva. 3 The 105E set a new production record for Ford of England. In 1960, it’s first full year of production the 105E sold 191,000 units, far more than the old side valve powered 100E ever managed. This record was broken in 1961 and 1962 and again in 1963 by the new Cortina MkI, a model that sold a million units in just four years. 4 1961 was the first year of added models to the Anglia range. The old 100E Van was replaced by a Thames 307E Van that was known unofficially as the Anglia Van. An Anglia Estate car also arrived – like the BMC 1100 Estate, it was moderately successful but not a massive success. 5 In 1962 the Anglia Super arrived to replace the last of the 100E type Prefects, the 107E. This new Anglia was coded the 123E and used the standard 1200 Cortina engine and gearbox. Added bits included a two-tone roof and side flashes, extra chrome trim, a better interior and taller final drive ratio. 6 The Anglia introduced quite a few firsts for Ford, or at least the small ones. Dangerous vacuum wipers were finally replaced by electric versions and threespeed gearboxes were replaced by a similar four-speed unit as found on the outgoing 107E, although there was only synchro on second, third and fourth gears.
7 The 105E introduced the all-new Kent OHV engine that sparked a performance revolution within Ford. This 997cc engine was very different to the A-Series or Triumph inline-four with a very big 81mm bore and incredibly short 48mm stroke. This configuration meant the Kent engine was very amenable to high revs and further tuning. 8 The 1200 engine used the same bore but a longer 58mm stroke crank. This was still much shorter than the 83mm stroke in the BMC 1100 engine and Ford still used a three-bearing crankshaft with hollow webs on the 997cc unit for lightness. It gave 48bhp at an unstressed 4800rpm and the Super sold moderately well. 9 Ford never made a 1500GT although prototypes were made. Using the Cortina GT engine, gearbox and final drive as well as uprated suspension and disc brakes, an Anglia GT would have represented a serious threat to the Cooper S but Ford chose not to proceed with production – a real pity. 10 The rarest model to survive is the basic entry level Anglia standard saloon, a poor seller that sold mainly to fleets. With no external chrome apart from the bumpers, the small Van-style pressed steel grille and the lack of a heater, the standard Anglia was pretty much misery on wheels but today they’re rare and sought after – a funny old world eh!