FORD ANGLIA HISTORY
The fourth in a line of Ford Anglia designs dating back to 1939, the 105E model ushered in a number of innovative features for Ford small cars with its Us-influenced styling features, most noticeably the rearwards-sloping back windscreen. The latter was a feature copied in Ford’s Consul 315 and by a number of other car makes such as Citroën with its Ami, Mazda with its Carol 600, Suzuki with an early Ignis, Bond, and Reliant.
The ‘105E’ designation also meant a new long-overdue motor in the form of the Kent in-line four-cylinder overhead-valve engine. With its very over-square dimensions, strong cylinder block, and five-bearing crankshaft, it wasn’t long before the little rev-happy car hit the racetrack with all sorts of modifications, especially later as the engine underwent capacity increases.
There was also a new four-speed gearbox with synchromesh on the three upper ratios and full synchromesh from 1962. Gone were the awful vacuum-operated wipers; the new electric units were a big improvement. Instrumentation was still very basic, with just a fuel gauge and speedometer with warning lights for oil pressure, high beam, and generator.
The Anglia was launched at a time when new British models, such as the Austin/morris Mini and the Triumph Herald, were also entering the market. Sales were good, and the Anglia was well received. It set a new yearly production record for Ford at its Dagenham plant in 1960, with 191,752 cars leaving the plant in the first full production year. Production moved to Ford’s new Halewood plant in 1963.
So popular was the Anglia in South Africa that it was assembled alongside the new Ford Escort well into 1968, similar to what happened in New Zealand assembly.
In 1962, the Anglia took on the version of the engine fitted to the Ford Cortina and the 1198cc version became the Anglia Super, usually distinguished by the different-coloured body side stripe. The 100E shape remained in production as the new Ford Prefect 107E, along with Escort and Squire Estate models available until 1962 when the Anglia Estate was introduced. There were also ‘Thames’-badged 5cwt (254kg) and 7cwt (356kg) (with the weights referring to maximum load weights) vans until 1965, when the ‘Thames’ name was dropped and all were marketed as Anglia vans. The total number of vans produced up to 1967 was 205,001. Who would have thought that, out of all the popular Fords, the Anglia would become a star? It became a very stylish prop in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, with Ron Weasley and Harry flying back to school in one, having missed the Hogwarts Express!