Ford Anglia 105E and 123E (1959 to 1968)

The 105E Anglia was Ford of Britain's small family car of the 1960s, launched at the Earls Court show in autumn 1959 and built first at Dagenham and later at Halewood. It replaced the upright sidevalve 100E with a car that was new in almost every respect: a short-stroke overhead-valve engine, the first four-speed gearbox in a small British Ford, MacPherson strut front suspension and that unmistakable backward-sloping rear window. The engine was the first of the Kent family, which went on to power Cortinas, Escorts, Capris and a generation of racing cars, so the Anglia matters both as a popular car and as the start of a long engineering line.

On the road it feels light and willing. The 997cc unit enjoys revs, the gearchange is quick and precise, and the steering is direct, although the narrow track makes the car fidgety on broken surfaces and it leans when pushed. The 1198cc 123E Super adds useful torque, synchromesh on first and larger brakes. Over a million were made, which means a strong club and parts scene today, but rust killed most of them and a large share of survivors have been restored, modified or both. Its appearance as the flying car in the Harry Potter films raised its profile with a new generation of buyers.

• Years: saloon production September 1959 to November 1967; vans and estates ran on into 1968, by which time the Escort had taken over.
• Body styles: two-door saloon (Standard, Deluxe, Super), three-door estate (from 1961), 5cwt and 7cwt vans (from 1961, Thames badged at first, Anglia badged from 1965), and small numbers of pick-up conversions. The Michelotti-styled Torino was built in Italy for some European markets.
• Engines: 997cc Kent overhead-valve four with a single carburettor (around 39bhp at 5,000rpm in standard form, though Classic & Sports Car quotes a spread up to 48.5bhp); 1198cc Kent in the 123E, quoted by Auto Express at 50bhp at 4,800rpm.
• Gearbox: four-speed manual. The 997cc box has no synchromesh on first; the 1198cc box is all-synchromesh and longer, so it needs the matching propshaft if swapped.
• Suspension and brakes: MacPherson struts with an anti-roll bar at the front, live axle on leaf springs with lever-arm dampers at the rear, recirculating ball steering, drum brakes all round (larger on the 1200).
• Production: Classic & Sports Car gives 1,004,737 105E and 79,223 123E cars, a total that matches Classics World's figure of 1,083,960 excluding vans. An Anglia enthusiast reference site gives a lower 954,426 for saloons alone, and Auto Express estimates around 130,000 estates. Treat all of these as approximate.

• 1959: Standard and Deluxe saloons launched. The Standard has a painted slatted grille and minimal brightwork; the Deluxe has a full-width chrome grille, side strip and chrome rear lamps.
• 1960: carburettor revised to cure a low-speed flat spot on early cars; seat travel increased.
• 1961: vans arrive in June and the Ford-built estate in September. Estates got larger rear wheel cylinders, a lower axle ratio and bigger tyres. A timing-chain tensioner is added to the engine.
• 1962: the 123E Super arrives in October with the 1198cc engine, all-synchromesh gearbox, larger brakes, two-tone paint, twin side flashes and a padded dash top. The 1200 engine later became available in Deluxe and estate models.
• 1963: production moves to Halewood.
• 1965: final-drive ratio lowered on 997cc saloons; vans rebadged as Anglias.
• Late run: two limited editions in Venetian Gold and Blue Mink metallic, about 250 of each. Sources disagree on whether these date from 1966 or 1967.

Bodywork and structure

Corrosion is the deciding factor. The most serious area is the front inner wings and MacPherson strut tops, where rot can eventually let the suspension push through the structure. Look down into the engine bay at both turrets for fresh plating or lumpy welds, and check the right-hand strut top where the chassis number is stamped, since repairs there often obliterate it. Underneath, examine the inner and outer sills, the hidden centre sill section, all four jacking points, front floorpan corners, rear spring hangers, rear crossmember and boot floor. Open the doors and press the bases of the A-pillars, because rot there weakens the hinge mountings. Front wings bubble around the headlamps and at their rear edges; doors rust from the inside out along the bottoms; rear arches, lower rear quarters and the valance suffer, especially if boot seals have leaked. Check the double-skinned front edge of the bonnet and rear edge of the bootlid. A spotless, leak-free underside usually means recent restoration, so ask for the photographs.

Engine

The 997cc unit is generally longer-lived than the 1198cc, which has a reputation for early bearing wear. Listen for a deep rumble from the bottom end, a rattling timing chain at the front, and look for heavy fumes from the oil breather, blue smoke and oil leaks. Core plugs corrode. Poor starting and uneven running usually trace back to a worn carburettor. Many cars now carry 1.5-litre or larger Kent units, and some have far bigger transplants, so check what is actually fitted against the documents.

Gearbox and drivetrain

The gearboxes are durable. Check for weak synchromesh on second (and on first for 1200 boxes), whine, and second gear jumping out, which points to selector wear. Look for oil weeping from the gearbox rear seal and the axle pinion seal.

Suspension, steering and brakes

Look for leaking strut inserts, perished top mounts, sagging rear springs and tired lever-arm dampers. Rock the front wheels to feel for play in the steering idler and drag link, a known source of shimmy. Drum brakes suffer seized wheel cylinders on stored cars; disc and servo conversions are common and should be properly engineered.

Electrics and interior

The electrics are simple: dirty switch contacts and poor earths are the usual faults, and many cars have alternator conversions. Inspect seat vinyl for splits and springs breaking through, and lift the floor covering for damp, since hardened screen rubbers let water in. Original rubber floor mats on Standard and Deluxe cars are not reproduced.

Identity and paperwork

Check the stamped number on the right-hand strut top against the V5C where it is legible, and confirm the trim matches the claimed model, since Super brightwork is easily added to a Deluxe. Vans have unique doors, screen and seals, and estates use their own rear panels and lever-arm dampers, so check a commercial has not been assembled from mixed parts.

Mechanical parts are plentiful and most body panels are available as reproductions, though new front wings are expensive and have long lead times, and some brightwork, especially the front bumper, is hard to find. Van-specific seals and parts are scarcer. Reproduction trim is available. The Ford Anglia 105E Owners' Club (https://105eoc.com), founded in 1981, runs a members' spares scheme, publishes a bimonthly magazine and supports modified cars as well as original ones. Anglia Models (https://anglia-models.co.uk) is a useful reference site for variants and brochures.

• Has the car had welding to the strut tops, inner wings or sills, and are there photographs of the work?
• Which engine and gearbox are fitted, and are they the originals for this car?
• Is the chassis number on the strut top still legible, and does it match the V5C?
• What brake or suspension modifications have been made, and by whom?
• How long has the car been stored, and when did it last run and stop properly?