English Ford Anglia

Retired stylish workhorse Ford Anglia never forgotten by pop culture

The Anglia's quirky, American-inspired styling meant that, while it was ubiquitous, it remained an unusual sight on British roads in the 1960s. The last in a line of Anglia models first launched before the war, the classic 105E was produced at unprecedented levels in Ford's British plant in Dagenham. In an eight-year lifespan more than a million rolled off the production line and into the suburban streets and cluttered cul-de-sacs of the UK. For the baby-boomer Beatles generation it was the car their father owned, that they took their test in, where they stole their first furtive kiss. The nostalgia that the Anglia evokes has made it a very popular classic.

Unlike many modern Fords, like the mercilessly mundane Mondeo, the Anglia was a brave, striking design that lent it character and charisma. Though mass produced in Dagenham, it took its styling cues from Detroit. Its fins, frills and chrome grilles were reminiscent of a Cadillac or Chevrolet - but at a price most could afford. One of its most distinctive features was its back sloping rear window, an unconventional design borrowed from a Lincoln and claimed to aid rear visibility by preventing rain from settling. But in truth it owed more to form than function. The angle of the Anglia inspired later designs such as the Reliant Regal and, in the modern era, the Renault Megane.

But though the Anglia had an American style, it had a British soul. The name itself emphasised its Britishness. It has even been suggested that the name was adopted as a patriotic marketing tool when the model was first launched, shortly after war was declared in 1939. But times change and so do markets. When Ford looked to give the Anglia another facelift for the 1970s, it dropped this very English name for the more universal choice of Escort, hoping to break the continental market. Suffolk was as east as Anglia would stretch.

Ford Anglia - $1000: $2011 Classifieds forum: Grassroots ...

1957 English Ford Squire. Its all there but the oil pan. Lots of extra engine and drivetrain parts. Engine is apart and needs rebuilding. The little Ford is solid but has some rust issues in the floors and a messed up drivers fender. All glass is good but for one broken side right flat glass. Email me for more pics. 1000.00 OBO cash or trades? Flat tires included and door art at no extra charge!!!

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