Ford Popular 100E, Prefect 100E and 107E, Anglia 100E and Escort and Squire estates (1953 to 1962)

The 100E family was Ford of Britain's first small car built without a separate chassis. Unveiled at the 1953 Paris show, the two-door Anglia and four-door Prefect borrowed the modern unitary layout of the larger Consul, with independent front suspension using coil springs on struts, hydraulic brakes and flashing indicators. What they kept from the past was the 1172cc sidevalve engine and a three-speed gearbox, plus windscreen wipers driven by inlet manifold vacuum, which famously slow down when you climb a hill or accelerate.

The range grew in 1955 with De Luxe saloons and two small estates, the plainer Escort and the better-trimmed Squire, both based on the Thames 300E van. When the 105E Anglia arrived in 1959, the 100E two-door was stripped back and sold as the Popular, the last British Ford with a sidevalve engine, while the four-door became the 107E Prefect with the new overhead-valve engine and four-speed gearbox. These are honest, simple cars that cruise gently rather than quickly. The 107E is the most usable on modern roads and is also the rarest. A dedicated owners' club with a strong spares scheme keeps the family well supported.

• Years: 100E Anglia and Prefect 1953 to 1959; Escort estate 1955 to 1961; Squire estate 1955 to 1959; Popular 100E 1959 to 1962; Prefect 107E 1959 to 1961.
• Body styles: two-door saloon (Anglia, later Popular), four-door saloon (Prefect, 107E), two-door estate (Escort and Squire), plus Thames 300E vans on the same basis.
• Engines: 1172cc sidevalve four, 36bhp at 4,400rpm (figures from period press material and Wikipedia); 107E uses the 997cc overhead-valve Kent engine from the 105E Anglia, quoted by Auto Express at 39bhp at 5,000rpm.
• Gearboxes: three-speed manual with no synchromesh on first for sidevalve cars; four-speed manual on the 107E. A clutchless Newtondrive option was offered briefly in the late 1950s. Note that Auto Express lists the 107E as a three-speed, which conflicts with the club and Classics World; the four-speed is correct for the 107E.
• Rear axle: spiral bevel on 100E cars, hypoid on the 107E, which the owners' club regards as more reliable.
• Production: reliable totals for the whole family are hard to find. Wikipedia gives 33,131 Escort estates; Auto Express says Popular output peaked at nearly 100,000 a year. Treat any single figure with caution.

• 1953: Anglia and Prefect launched with 7in brake drums and vacuum wipers. The passenger wiper was optional on the Anglia.
• 1955: De Luxe versions added with extra brightwork; Escort and Squire estates arrive; brake drums grow to 8in; lower first, second and reverse gear ratios.
• 1957: facelift with a new grille, larger rear window, revised rear lamps, new dashboard and revised brakes. The Squire loses its wooden side trim. Newtondrive becomes available.
• 1958: Newtondrive dropped.
• 1959: Anglia and Prefect 100E replaced. The two-door continues as the basic Popular 100E in standard and De Luxe forms; the four-door becomes the 107E Prefect with the 997cc engine and four-speed gearbox. The Squire ends.
• 1961: final 107E and final Escort estate.
• 1962: last Popular built.

Bodywork and structure

The panels are relatively thick, so cars rot more slowly than some rivals, but the structure still needs close inspection. The owners' club singles out the box sections around the rear spring shackles as critical, and warns that rust in the bulkhead and front suspension turrets can be very expensive to put right. Look into the engine bay at the strut tops; repairs here should be fully seam-welded rather than plated. Then check the inner and outer sills, especially the open section at the front of the sill, the jacking points, front footwells (often wet from leaking screen rubbers), the seam between front wings and valance, inner wings, door bottoms, wheelarches (particularly on four-door cars), lower rear quarters, rear valance and spare wheel well. Complete floor sections are not available as repair panels.

Engine

The sidevalve is simple but wears relatively quickly, often needing attention at around 40,000 miles even when serviced well, because of its white-metal bearings. A low rumble with high oil consumption suggests big-end wear. Fumes from the oil filler and blue smoke point to bore wear. Hot-starting trouble and misfiring can be fuel vapour in the mechanical pump, which sits near the exhaust manifold. The 107E engine lasts longer but listen for rumbling main bearings. Many cars have later Ford engines fitted, from Crossflows to much more modern units.

Gearbox and drivetrain

Weak second-gear synchromesh and jumping out of second are the classic three-speed faults. Gearbox whine is usually more irritating than serious. A noisy 100E spiral bevel differential can run for a long time, but rebuilding it needs special tools. Check for clonks from dry propshaft joints, and judder from tired engine and gearbox mountings. Many cars have been converted to the later four-speed box.

Suspension, steering and brakes

There are many grease points and they need attention every 1,000 miles, so ask about the regime. The worm and peg steering box wears, particularly if it has run dry, and the roller peg is no longer available new. The ball races in the top strut mountings can seize. On the 100E the rear wheel bearings run directly in the axle casing, which wears; lift each rear wheel and feel for vertical movement. Black brake fluid means perished seals. Early wheel cylinders are scarce.

Electrics and interior

Check the vacuum wipers actually work, and that the pipework is intact. Electrical gremlins usually come from corroded terminals and poor earths, and old aftermarket wiring can be a fire risk. Trim and seat covers are available, and later brightwork was made in stainless steel.

Identity and paperwork

Confirm what the car is. A two-door could be an early Anglia or a later Popular, and the estates should be checked against their documents because Escort and Squire shells were also used for vans. A Squire with surviving wood trim is from before 1957. On a 107E, confirm the overhead-valve engine and four-speed box are present, as that is what defines the model.

Most consumables and mechanical parts can be found, and the Ford Sidevalve Owners' Club (https://www.fsoc.co.uk) runs one of the best spares schemes among smaller clubs, open to members only. It also publishes a technical book on the 100E and 107E. Repair panels exist for rear quarters and wheelarches, and reproduction trim is available. Ordinary motor factors stock very little, so expect to rely on the club and specialists. The independent ford100e.com site, mentioned by Auto Express, offers technical advice and a forum.

• Which engine and gearbox are fitted, and are they original to the car?
• Have the rear spring hanger box sections, strut tops or bulkhead been repaired, and how?
• Do the vacuum wipers work, and has any electrical conversion been done?
• When were the grease points last attended to, and is there any service history?
• For an estate, can the seller confirm it left the factory as an Escort or Squire rather than a converted van?