THE FORD 100E: A CELEBRATION

When the Anglia and Prefect 100E made their bow at the 1953 Paris Motor Show, they marked a major development for Ford of Great Britain. They were the first unitary-bodied small cars to hail from Dagenham, and compared with the outgoing E494A/E493A they looked as contemporary as a Diana Dors film. Your friendly local Ford dealer could point out that they even featured flashing indicators at a time when the Austin A30 and the Morris Minor Series II retained trafficators.

And, just in case the prospective buyer was overwhelmed by such modernity, both models still used Ford’s redoubtable 1,172cc side-valve engine, married to a three-speed gearbox. The 100E also retained vacuum windscreen wipers powered from the inlet manifold. Unfortunately, these were of dubious efficiency and would slow on climbing a hill or when the driver attempted to reach the 70 mph top speed on the Great North Road.

As with their predecessors, the entry-level Anglia had two doors and four on the Prefect, the latter with twin sun visors, twin wipers and extra chrome to denote its status. Ford GB also rebadged the E494A as the Popular 103E, for those drivers who could not cope with the 100E’s modernity. 1955 marked the debut of the Escort and Squire estates, based on the Thames 300E Vans and heralded by a truly hilarious cinema advertisement targeting “the man with the load on his mind”. Remember; this is not a Harry Enfield/Paul Whitehouse creation…

Four years later, the launch of the 105E in 1959 was complemented by a facelifted Prefect 107E, which boasted the 997cc OHV engine and, at long last, four-speed transmission. As for the Anglia, it was renamed the ‘New Popular’ ‘100E and stripped of most extraneous equipment. The result was “a car your bank manager will approve of!” for a mere £494 2s 6d, even if the basic version was devoid of ashtrays, opening quarter lights, a courtesy lamp and warning lights for low oil pressure and main beam.

Production of the 107E ended in 1961, while the Popular was made until 1962, becoming Dagenham’s last side valve car. It was also the final incarnation of a range that epitomised the 1950s of trunk road motoring and when ownership of any new car was a significant step for the average family. And to better appreciate the 100E’s appeal, here is the launch PR film with various ultra-Brylcreemed chaps sternly testing Anglias and Prefects. Not to mention the very 1950s ‘housewife’ praising the Anglia’s “parcel tray” and “adjustable seats for long legs”.