vehicle I ever owned. Introduced in
1959, the Ford Anglia, based on the
styling of a Mercury Monterey (seen in
the background), took the British
motoring public by storm. It marked a
complete change with the British design
tradition which, at that time, gave a new
meaning to the word staid.The Anglia
quickly established itself as a best
seller and was sold around the world with
a few making their way to these shores.
In many ways the Anglia design was way
ahead of its time. The distinctive
rear-sloping back window and frog-like
eyes made it very different from any
other small vehicle on the roads at the
time. Ford also went in for colors that
no one had even dared consider. Ford
Anglias were built in primrose yellow,
light green and blue and even with two
tones.
The car introduced the British to
American car styling with the two
diminutive wings and a full-width plated
grille.
Its engine was a tiny
high-revving four-cylinder 997cc ohv
engine, which developed a whopping 39 bhp
at 5,000 rpm through a four-speed gearbox
with no syncromesh on first.
The little car had a real problem with
rust. It grew everywhere as I found out
one day when I pressed too hard on the
clutch and the floor pan gave way. The
rest of the car wasnt far behind
Michael Binstock
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