The Ford Anglia 105E was the Genesis of Ford's British Success

[@FrewstonBooks]

In 1965 I bought a 1962 105E - 507GTM. Thrashed it mercilessly for two years, including a trip four-up to what was then Yugoslavia, reaching Zagreb. Never let me down. Only sold it when I emigrated to Canada. I still miss it - many happy memories.

[@tonybroadfoot8947]

I had a 105e when going to university and whilst there went on holiday with my girlfriend and a vey full boot of camping gear and food. We crossed on the hovercraft and drove to Athens, A truly memorable car and holiday.

[@markbennett9787]

When I was a veterinary student at Liverpool University in the early sixties myself and a friend used to persuade local dealers to let us road test cars and publish our findings in the faculty student magazine appropriately called « Rumen ». We did the Anglia 105E , the HA Viva and finally la pièce de résistance the Rover 2000. When I got my first job in 1966 I was offered the choice of either the Ford or the Vauxhall to thrash around country lanes and farm tracks. I chose the Viva which had the optional extra of a heater fitted ! I never got to have a Rover 2000 unfortunately but did own a Land Crab followed by two Citroën GS Breaks before settling for a series of Saabs. Nowadays in what is probably my third mid life crisis I bought one of the last Guiliettas in 2018.

[@trystero1729]

That’s an amazing story! I’ve always had a soft spot for the Landcrabs. One thing though: you don’t settle for a Saab, they’re amazing cars. I miss my 900 SPG…

[@graemeking7336]

If I were in Liverpool in the early sixties, you would find me in the cavern, rather than the uni....

[@markbennett9787]

@@graemeking7336 You can do both. The only time I saw the Beatles though was at the 1961 Fresher’s Ball , Tower Ballroom , New Brighton. They were backing up Terry Lightfoot’s Trad Jazz Band ! I did meet Brian Epstein in his office at NEMS, Great Charlotte Street to negotiate for bands such as Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders to play at functions at my hall of residence. Wayne threw me the keys of his car once just before a break in their performance to go and get them some fish and chips , it was a Cooper S and I think I covered about 15 miles in it to just nip down the road to the local chippy !

[@stuartofblyth]

@@markbennett9787 Liverpool Uni mid- to late-sixties, me, in a £25 A35 van. Those were the days, my friend ...

[@markbennett9787]

@@stuartofblyth I had a £25 Austin A40 Somerset as my first car in 1962 then an A35 in 1965.

[@bobgorman9481]

My dad had a1964 one , and I had a 1966 estate as my first car in 1975. I can still remember the huge but skinny steering wheel, and long but very precise gear lever. All cars of that era rusted prematurely, but my God if rusting were an Olympic sport ,the Anglia ( along with Viva HA ) would be gold medalists 😢.

[@kh23797]

Ford brought in innovative fresh air ventilation, the Cortina for example having eyeball-style swivelling fascia vents. But my used 105E also had effective ventilation-on lifting the footwell mats, you saw the road whizzing by through big rust holes! My MkIII Cortina similarly rusted in short order. Rustproofing was a game changer from around the late 80s. (And yes, BMC, Renault, Lancia, Alfa, etc. all rusted like crazy back in the day.)

[@thebubster0312]

The 105E was my first car, not too reliable. Finally rusted away.

[@cnocspeireag]

A second-hand 105E was my first car too. The rust was so bad that firms supplied pre-formed steel components that could be welded in for MOT purposes. I remember these being welded onto mine to prevent the leaf springs forcibly ending up in the boot. Almost any other well-worn Anglia key would open the door locks and start the car. Still, it was relatively reliable for the time, cheap to repair and maintain, and had quite a personality. The 1200cc engine didn't seem unduly slow, and was quite flexible. I'm just amazed by the picture of this one, and can't imagine how it was preserved. Does any of the original body remain?

[@kh23797]

@@cnocspeireag I once locked myself out of the MkIII Cortina mentioned above (much easier to do in those days) in a pub car park. A fellow wandered up, smiling, coolly opened the door with his own Ford key, and sauntered away again...

[@johnburns4017]

@@kh23797 You could see Alphas and FIATs rust before your eyes.

[@snich63]

This is the best video I’ve ever seen of the 105E. They were very popular here in New Zealand, and would have been assembled here from knock down kits supplied from Britain. I’ve never owned a British Ford, but I can totally understand why their simple “good enough” philosophy was so popular.

[@WaynesWorld69]

In the mid 70's my Dad wanted to own one of these. As you said in NZ they were really popular at the time.

[@JP-gi2pr]

Not a bad motor...had one but could never keep the wheels tracked.

[@proforugames1071]

my dads still got one from 30 years ago putting a 1550cc bored pre crossflow side draft in it new zealand

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, very kind of you to say :)

[@russellhammond4373]

And also 'knocked down' for Australia. Never that popular here but 100% appreciated.

[@andybone8873]

I worked at Dagenham when the 105E was launched, as management trainee, and spent a week or two in the foundry. They were very proud of the fact that due to the short stroke of the Kent engine, which was seriously over-square, they were able to cast the crankshaft, as the crank throws were very short, and the pistons correspondinlgly wide. This was much cheaper than the more traditional forged crank-shaft, which I believe was the norm for every other vehicle then on the market. The cast crank was also lighter, as it was hollow.

[@bobgorman9481]

Correct , but it was only a 3 main bearing one on the early Kents , and the center main would invariably start to rumble at 70000 miles or so ,( by which time most had rusted away anyway).

[@kyleday7452]

A homely looking car if there ever was one.

[@andybone8873]

@@bobgorman9481

[@andybone8873]

Very few vehicles of any make got past 70,000 miles, as there was little or no concept of rust protection. The designs included areas from which water could not escape, door sills being a good example. The Macpherson strut design was good, bit the chances of the strut popping up through the wing after not many miles was quite high. In those far off days, before global warming, there was much salt spread on the roads in the winter, which quickly accelerated corrosion. My 12-year old Focus has no rust whatsoever, and will probably see me out! (I'm 81).

[@bobgorman9481]

@@andybone8873 Don't worry, a friend of mine is 88 this year , and still drives HGV s , passes his medical every year with flying colours!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Ah, the Anglia 105e. My grandfather had one for many years - it was grey when he bought it. He brush painted it pale blue with cellulose - I think you could buy DIY kits in those days? A lovely, lovely little car, full of character. I’ve come to be really fond of this era of ‘Ford Of Britain’. The Classic and Capri are both lovely, if rather unsuccessful in their day. But the 105e is a little jewel of a thing. I’d love to own one!

[@MrAdopado]

I'm guessing you are not including the later Capri which had a long and successful life.

[@alanpayn8699]

Excellent video! Young man you are with out doubt the best classic car presenter on KZbin !! Well done !! 👍

[@Danny_Boel]

He should have been born a few decades earlier, he would have been great on Top Gear in the 90's before it became the Clarkson/May and Hammond show.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Alan, that's tremendously kind of you to say :)

[@CuriousDroid]

The 105E was the first car I bought in 1980 when I was 18 for £90 in two tone grey, great little car and they seem so small today but that was the norm back then :-)

[@nemesislooms6315]

My first car was a 105e too. Bought in 1970 for £27 and 10 shillings - and we argued over the 10 shillings(50p) - sold 2 years and 20,000 miles later for £40. Mine was an early model with a 3-speed gearbox. It was also composed mostly of cocky paste, fibreglass and rust and in order to shut the driver's door it was necessary to open the window, lift and slam because there was no bottom hinge.

[@Otacatapetl]

My first two cars were 123Es, same car but a 1200cc engine. Most 123Es were Anglia Supers, which is a higher standard of trim. Lovely cars, very reliable.

[@kevinwhite981]

Had three Anglias, one of my all time favourite cars, personally i never found it underpowered, but yes in did rust quickly, so i learnt to weld, many happy memories of this lovely car.

[@johnnosawyer6423]

I learned to drive in one of these in 1966. Wonderful little car, would have owned one in a heartbeat.

[@Stripeysnave]

Great views through the rear window too - didn’t get wet in the rain.

[@WolfmanWoody]

I also took driving lessons in one in 1965. There was always a problems with it, so many I can't remember them all. Once none of the indicators worked and another occasion when the speedometer didn't work, I had to guess how many mph I was doing; good job they didn't have cameras then. It put me off buying a Ford until last year when I finally bought a Kuga 2nd-hand. So far, it's good apart from the alarm going off every now and then when I open it and it saying it didn't recognise the key.

[@russellbaston974]

Loved this, my first car was a 105E, followed by another one! Great car to work on, plenty space and few tools necessary., essential for the impecunious. Being young and daft, I did a few "performance tweaks". Eventually ending up with the 123E, the 'luxury' model, the flexibility of Ford engines and gearboxes meant that 123E eventually ended up with a twin cam Lotus Ford engine, detuned slightly , disc brakes and modified rear suspension.

[@dfxl6587]

The dashboard with the instrument binnacle on one side and the shape mirrored on the other side was a simple way to allow for the left hand drive European versions, with no major build changes. Mine was a blue one with white roof, think Harry Potter, bought for £15 in 1974, the insurance for a year was also £15. Loved it, looking for a left hand drive one now.

[@rogerking7258]

Ironic therefore, that Ford currently seem to be distancing themselves from the market that found them so much success - r.i.p. Fiestsa, Focus and Mondeo.

[@TwinCam]

Indeed, though Ford's downfall has been expected for a number of years as they haven't kept up with buying habits.

[@andybone8873]

In addition to my comment of yesterday, may I add that the 4-speed gearbox was really a 3-speed, with an overdrive 4th gear. Being such a short stoke one could ref the a..e off the Anglia in 3rd gear, which gave one about 75mph, slip into top, the speed remained at 75, but the revs dropped. I caned my Anglia when I was a sales rep, and it never let me down.

[@emmacohen3926]

I could listen to this lovely man ALL day folks,,I happily subscribed 👌👏👏👏👏🇬🇧

[@jetsons101]

This must be one of the British cars that never made it to the US. I have only seen them in pictures. Thanks to Ed for his time and work.

[@runoflife87]

They were sold in the US.

[@jetsons101]

@@runoflife87 Really? Never saw one. Years back there were Jag's, MG, Triumph's and Austins everywhere. I would love to have a real Mini Cooper.....

[@TwinCam]

Thanks as always mate :)

[@FrewstonBooks]

They were certainly sold in Canada. I remember a girl at my first job in that country in 1967 had one.

[@richardcline1337]

I absolutely love these cars, both the 105E and the 100E that was it's predecessor. I've owned both and would love to find another one of either!

[@febweb17]

I learnt to drive in a side valve Anglia. It took all the crap gear changes I threw at it. It was a great car.

[@Ray-ki6fs]

Learned to drive in a Anglia. When I passed my test, I went out and foolishly bought a 105E. It was ‘65 year and was only 6 years old and was the biggest rust bucket you could ever wish for and became my own personal money pit and a welders dream with new rear spring hangers being eventually required and a rusted through boot floor and front wings that rusted above the front lights, despite treating the area several times it always came back as it did on the outside of the front wings, I also discover thick rust down the inside of the front wing in the footwell of both wings, behind the red interior card. Certainly not having any expertise in the family didn’t help me at the time when looking for my first car, but I certainly learnt from the experience as a 17 year old and finally parted company with my Grey Ford Anglia, HLE159C, with some relief…

[@bryansmith1920]

I'm a 69yr old Brit ex mechanic lived within the smell of Dagenham and Langley, We at any Ford dealer I worked at got them factory fresh(one with no brake fluid Delivery driver used the handbrake all the way across London(Langley to Bexley) Kudos bro

[@Jz-vd5zg]

I absolutely love your classic car reviews, cheers from Australia

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate :)

[@joeking1019]

I has a couple of 105Es, went to Switzerland in one of them with a mate, it was the estate wagon body with a 997cc after a rebuild

[@WaynesWorld69]

Watching this channel is like watching a young James May with the information and presentation style. Love it. Really enjoyable channel and I'm so glad I found it.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, that's very kind of you to say :)

[@oneeleven9832]

Imagine a car that weighs 739kg now…at least three times that for a crappy electric thing…

[@TwinCam]

Light cars are the best cars.

[@davidpesekmuller3883]

Almost light enough to fly.. ✨

[@garygalt4146]

My uncle had one. I think 63. He used it to go to ford Halewood. For about 23 years in It. We called it Fred. He only got rid when my cousin was changing his car and talked his dad into buying his. It was still mechanically sound and the body work was immaculate. Fond memories of Fred and my uncle

[@711-j5j]

In 1971 winter was coming fast in Toronto, Canada and I heard of a dealer who traded motorcycles for cars and went there to see. I saw a perfect, low mileage 1965 Anglia, white with the red stripe and nice smelling leather interior and traded my 68' Yamaha 305 for it even. That car was simply the best I ever had for reliability and low maintanence and it was fast for the time. My friend's mother always got a new VW beetle every year and when she got one with a 1,600 engine when mine was a 1,200, my friend and I had to have a drag race. We went from a stoplight and for the 1st gear he got ahead and I figured I was beaten but a quick shift into second brought me up beside him and once i got it into third, he was a goner. A few guys saw the race and after that many changed their view on my little "foreign" car. :)

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Terrific video, Ed, so well researched and presented. I got a 105E in 1972, it was one of the last made in 1968. It was my pride and joy, but it rusted like there was no tomorrow. The front wings decayed because Ford had put sponge packing that held water. An outer sill fell off one night as I was driving along! Finally, a leaf spring at the rear broke through the boot floor. I became an expert at changing the starter bendix, even buying a special tool for this. My neighbours would come out in the morning to help me and my wife push start it. It died in 1975, but I still think of it fondly.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Andy :)

[@philliprobinson7724]

Hi. Fondly?? Why?? P.R.

[@andyarmstrong1493]

@@philliprobinson7724 It was my second car, my first was a rotten 1961 Mini. The Anglia was 4 years old when I got it and it had been off the road for 18 months. To me it seemed almost new and a lot more refined than the Mini. I learned a lot of mechanical skills and also bodywork. Had to, because it needed work as I used it. I still use these skills today. Pity it dissolved so quickly, but a lot of cars did in those days, rustproofing wasn't uppermost in car manufacturers minds then!.

[@philliprobinson7724]

@@andyarmstrong1493 Hi Andy. Didn't we gain mechanical skills at an amazing rate? Give a man a set of spanners, a British car, and a Haynes repair manual for it, and by golly, five years later you had a top notch mechanic. What a wonderfully clever education policy, and so economical. The huge market for those Haynes manuals was mute testimony to the British motor industry and taught many likely lads how to read and write proper. I did a Mr. Fixit double degree including British motorcycles. In all fairness, my brother's old American Chrysler wasn't any better, but I sure got that sinking feeling when Rootes became Chrysler. "Birds of a feather---", and all that. Seriously, I believe the quality issues were more about the influence of WW2. An aircraft engine wasn't expected to last more than 100 hours in combat conditions, and only 10 minutes on full boost, so they didn't over-engineer the quality. No point. The post war British cars were just "business as usual". I guess if they remade them today with modern quality control they'd be retro-winners. Cheers from the colonies, P.R.

[@andyarmstrong1493]

@@philliprobinson7724 Hi Phillip, you hit the nail on the head, I still have many of the Haynes manuals charting my ownership of various cars, can't bring myself to chuck them out. Working on your car wasn't a hobby, it was a necessity. Got myself a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe three years ago. Shock horror, no Haynes manual, just a silly disc that is hard to navigate. Enjoyed the chat, stay well, Andy

[@derekstocker6661]

Well done on this video, I learned to drive on one of these and later drove the van version for the job I was doing. Fabulous little vehicle and rarely seen now but have very fond memories of these vehicles. The Ford Consul Mk I a model from 1956 was my very first car and loved it so much, my driving instructor took me out in it once I was proficient, and I actually took and passed my driving test in it. Thanks for this, great entertainment.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Derek 🙂

[@derekstocker6661]

@@TwinCam More than welcome, keep the great video's going.

[@andrewstones2921]

The best UK motoring content anywhere. Thank you so much for your time and effort into this, thanks to you I now have a new respect for the 105e and I never ever expected that. I will say this though, as good as the 105e was those 1.3 million cars disappeared from UK roads extremely fast, I remember as a kid in the 60s seeing an abandoned rusting 105e in a garage block next to our home, it had been there rusting as far back as I can remember. When I started to learn to drive and take an interest in cars at the end of the 70s I cannot remember seeing any 105e for sale and they had long since disappeared from the roads. Of course this was not unique to the Anglia. I remember in the 70s my neighbor had to get new wings (fenders) on his Vauxhall viva to pass it’s 1st MOT at 3 years old and it was a rust bucket by the time it was 6 years old.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks as always Andrew :)

[@martincopelin9024]

I think that in the UK they put salt on the roads in winter which would have kicked off the rust. In Australia that wasn't necessary.

[@tedgaida156]

Had one of these (used) in the 60's. As a young Engineer I couldn't help but feel it was underpowered and fitted a Twin Cam Lotus. A car I remember best despite such competition as owning a Jaguar XK150S

[@pauljasuta9017]

I still own a 1967 105E Panel Van that I customized back in 1977. When I bought it I knew it would be difficult to get parts for it, especially since they were not imported or sold here in the USA. So I got a wrecked 1972 Ford Pinto and mounted the panel body on the Pinto chassis and running gear (4cyl 2000 CC 4 speed). The wheel bases were the same, I had to raise the steering column 5 inches. I also modified the body for the wider track and taller radiator. It would be interesting to know of anyone else who owns an Anglia 105E here in the States. Good Video.

[@Grahamvfr]

Great review.. Passed my test in 74, using dad's 1200 super.. Fond fond memories, thank you.

[@nor0845]

Yup, Dad had one, complete with ‘flag’ indicators, which as a child I loved! The car itself was (and still is) a great looking car! Great video as always! Thanks for posting.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate :)

[@Innerlight320]

Never seen a 60s anglia with flag indicators

[@Colin623]

My Dad had one of these back in 1964, really stood out in the looks department, but the downside was it's reliability issues, the main problem was the electrical system which used to be very susceptible to the damp, which meant it wouldn't start during the winter mornings, often meant yours truly ended up pushing the dam thing down a hill to jump start it !

[@paulosilva3350]

My father had one of those cars, the Ford Anglia, colour green. Bought in 1967. Beautiful car. Unfortunatelly, he had to sell it in 1984, and it had a lot of rust in the bottom. I remeber the licence plate of the car HC-72-75 (Portugal, Oporto). It's part of my childhhood memories.

[@paulallen6915]

I bought a 123E around 2 months ago, it was fitted with the Cortina 1500GT engine in period and keeps up with modern traffic. I also have a 1300 Beetle and depending on my mood, one always sees its way out of the garage on a weekly basis. Thanks for the review.

[@robertkimber822]

Excellent video! My Dad had a 105E, in light blue, I think. I was about five years old at the time. Your comments about the business case is spot on as well.

[@phils866]

Right, off to make a coffee, and sit down to enjoy this, for it will be good! 🙂

[@TwinCam]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@phils866]

@@TwinCam I most certainly did! 🙂 Informative, entertaining, enthusiastic and detailed, without getting too bogged down in minutiae...spot on!

[@PropanePete]

The 105E was very popular here in Australia. Great little cars, simple to work on and quite reliable.

[@RR-kb2ks]

Just look at those lines, the shape, a car oozing character, which was a trait of cars of that era. All were individual, distinctive, didn't look the same, or like each other, you could tell them all apart. Modern cars have come a long way but in the process we sadly lost that something.

[@TwinCam]

Certainly true of this era. I think by 1980 we'd reached the tipping point, and by 1990 everything looked the same! That being said, back in 1930 everything looked the same too!

[@RR-kb2ks]

@@TwinCam Yeah, I'd agree by 1990ish that was it. I had an Astra GTE 16V in 1990, and there were a ton of other hot hatches at the time, so Golf GTi, the hot escorts XRs/RS/Turbo etc, Renault 5 Turbo, Peugeot 205 GTI, and many others and they were all different/distinguishable from each other.

[@MrDaiseymay]

My first car, in 1960, was a Ford Anglia 105E. primrose yellow with white top, and light grey interior. I lovely little car, with light steering, excellent gear change , lively engine, very good road holding and brakes. Faultless in fact, Moved up to a 1500 Cortina , 5 yrs later. another very good Ford.

[@carlarthur4442]

Remember my Dad getting a ford Anglia sit up and beg , as they called it , he used to travel up to Scotland in it for work that was about 1960 , i was 10 , but their was a family further up the street with a new Anglia just like the one your commenting on even the same colour, great little cars , further down the years i had a work mate with the Ford Classic in the maroon & grey 👍, , mini i had owned 3 in my time amongst many many other cars in my time . Great video 😊

[@Rjhs001]

Hi Ed. So well researched and so brilliantly presented. Fantastic stuff...many thanks.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate :)

[@peterbroad1772]

I have been watching your videos for quite a time now and I've seen you get better and better. That was your best yet. There's only so much you can say about the car, it's the setting of the context and significance that was done so well in this. It takes talent to tell a story so well.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Peter, that's very kind of you to say :)

[@chrisbagley8104]

A few 100E cars were produced with the 105E engine and gearbox and were classed 107E and named Prefect. Few that is, in Ford production figures. The word was that they were left over 100E body shells after 100E production ceased. The give away was the 107E had the chrome "tick" on the side, the 100E did not. The 107E is now very rare.

[@Firebrand55]

I had one for three years. One of its best features was visibility, a lost art in todays designs. You could see all four corners of the car, making driving and parking a dream. DIY maintenance was simplicity itself, engine removal a snip, brakes easy....but it was a rust bucket underneath, I discovered to my cost once!

[@george2916]

Didn't know they were still making 'em. That one looks like it rolled off the production line yesterday. Well, almost. 😆 Lovely example.

[@frankb5603]

??

[@michaelbarlow3686]

What another well presented documentary, I've always been a Ford fan they had clever marketing with models designed for everyone. They also were very generous to the media by supplying cars a very clever idea for marketing and I think most people would identify a Ford car with well known TV series. The Anglia was a good looking car and many of us had these for our first car

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Michael 🙂 You hit the nail on the head with the marketing. Ford were the masters.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Another Fantastic Video Ed, as a Ford Enthusiast this really appealed to me, i was never a fan of the Anglia but really appreciate the car for what it did for Ford.

[@josephseverino674]

The ford Anglia and the Citroen Ami 6 are my favorite small economy cars of that era, they had style,and practicality. Great video.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Joseph :)

[@stefanholmstrom1968]

First and only car for my grandfather. After that used by my uncle, then by my cousin, later my father got it and restored it. It is '66 and has run 185.000 kms, it is out on the road every summer (actually the car my father drives most summertimes). We have a 100E, too, driven only 85.000 kms, but that's another story.

[@MakerfieldConsort]

In 1982, at the tender age of ten, I started a new school. (You'll know the place, Ed - Scarisbrick Hall.) Now that entailed a 30-minute coach journey each way, but one highlight was when the coach went down Liverpool Road South in Burscough, for on that road was a house with an Anglia - in these colours - parked outside. I loved that car, and dreamt of the day when I would drive one myself. Needless to say, that never happened. 😢

[@malcolmpatton9314]

Great video as always brings back some good memories of our family ford Anglia which was purchased after trading in our mini. Dad told me the salesman said my Dad and done him over as under the mini boot carpet the floor was rotten to be honest my Dad probably never knew the state of the mini.We than had a ford escort estate 1968 followed by a saloon 1975. I always wanted the Mexico but could only afford a 1100cc drum brakes all round. Safer than my motorcycle which I traded to buy the escort. Now at 65 years old I am back on a motorcycle and have the Toyota 86 which I love Manuel of course !

[@williamevans9426]

My father owned an Anglia Deluxe (which looked almost identical to the Harry Potter car) from 1961 to 1985, and I learned to drive in our old dependable Anglia!

[@rayfordham9230]

I had a 107e which was a 100e body with 105e running gear. Speedo packed up at one stage and because of the ongoing fight with rust the side of the front wing would start to flap at about 40 mph so had some idea how fast we were going, moved on to a 105e and it broke a rear leaf spring, bought another from a scrap yard and when replacing it found the rear shackles were rusting badly so had them replaced. That was the last ford I have ever owned but my dad had a 61 Zephyr 6 for a few years that was a nice motor

[@davidpaterson2309]

My first car was an “Angle-box” - in 1972, a 64 model. Bought it from my brother in Scotland (a proverbial second hand car dealer) for £75 complete with a new MOT and drove it to London overnight. It got a bit tired and hot climbing Shap on the M6 but otherwise fine, if rather long and not too comfortable, drive - it really wasn’t made for 400 mile journeys. The really great thing about those kinds of cars, especially Fords, was that if you were hard up and had to fix them yourself, you could - as my brother said at the time - “buy all the parts in a corner shop and do most of the work with an adjustable wrench, a screwdriver and a spark plug spanner”

[@michaeltutty1540]

Interesting video, Ed. Unusually, I have a correction. MacPherson was working for GM of Europe, aka Vauxhall, when he developed the front strut suspension. He held the Patent, and when his project was cancelled he moved to Ford, taking his strut suspension design with him. The reverse canted rear window was developed to allow the rear window to retract behind the rear seat. On the 58, 59, and 60 Lincoln the reverse canted window was on the Continental Mark III, IV, and V. Regular Lincoln models had a fixed convex rear window. The only other reverse canted rear window that was fixed that I can think of was the 63/64 Meteor models designed for the Canadian market. Cars with the retractable rear window were badged as "Breezeway". That is really interesting. Fords of that vintage are interesting to me, because here in Canada we saw a few of them. In fact, the 1959 Zodiac owned by a neighbour was the first car I saw that passed the 100,000 mile mark. The 100E was a sharp little car. It would be interesting to see a head to head between the Anglia, Vauxhall Victor Super, a Volkswagen Beetle, and whatever BMC had in the same price bracket in 1959. I keep having to remind myself that little cars like the Hillman Minx and Triumph Herald are actually a size class up, as they are all tiny compared to what I was seeing as a kid in the 60s. Even the Valiant, Ford Falcon, and Chevrolet Corvair are huge in comparison, and those were our "compact" cars. The Anglia looks like it could be carried in the boot of a Continental as a spare car!

[@TwinCam]

Ah! That's very interesting to hear! I knew he worked at GM before Ford, but I didn't know that. Every day's a school day.

[@michaeltutty1540]

@@TwinCam I learned that from reading an article in a magazine called Collectable Automobile. They did a large and in depth article about the Mark I Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac. Over the last 30 years or so the magazine has done articles on many, many different cars. The articles are always very carefully researched and well written. The magazine has won many awards for the quality of the writing. Could be worth a look. Most of the cars are American, or imports that were sold in the USA, but they do sometimes cover cars not available here. They also, where possible, have drawings and pictures of the car in question being designed as well as featuring interviews with designers and other movers and shakers in the motoring world.

[@ben5156]

This was the first car that I bought learned to drive and passed my test in traveled over Scotland and England so reliable car i still have fond memories of it.❤

[@alecbrown66]

My grandfather owned a 105e in that exact colour and trim, and my happiest memories are going out with him in it. It really was fantastic for its day, and you can see the cues for the mk1 cortina in it. It was also a damn good club track car! Just compare the 105e with the old ford pop it replaced to see the huge leap forward for ford it was

[@GSimpsonOAM]

My Grandfather bought one of these new in the UK after a short stint with the dreadful side valve Anglia. The first thing he did was to strip the car and thoroughly rustproof it. He did the same with the Escort that replaced it. Both cars remained in the family for several years without rusting.

[@mikebennett3812]

My first car, the 105E built in Dagenham in 1963 and I bought it in 1968 from the Ford Dealer in Staines, but just the marron body colour (same roof colour). Oh the memories!

[@craigcolavito5606]

My favorite Anglia story (is it weird to have one of those ?? ...) Is after one racing season Colin Chapman sends Jim Clark home to Scotland and has him drive an Anglia that was sitting at the Lotus works, Jim is shocked by the car's speed and after overtaking a Jaguar at over 100mph, pulls over to pop the hood. Underneath he sees a very early Lotus Twincam prototype, this Anglia was one of Colin's rolling testbeds for developing the new engine/head.

[@markrainford1219]

They make me smile even today. As a child I always thought that they were pulling a face at me.

[@hugebartlett1884]

Excellent presentation. Your enthusiasm for cars shines through every time. You have found a hobby you really enjoy. Bravo!

[@mryorkshire3623]

That was a brilliant video. My dad had an Anglia so i have many happy memories of growing up with this car.

[@djmossssomjd8496]

I had 2 x 105E's and they were great cars. Yes they rotted like all cars did back then (late 60's early 70'. Would love one now. Good video!

[@keith6400]

The Anglia was very popular. I can remember noticing how many you might see randomly queueing in traffic. I once saw five Anglias nose to tail at a set of lights. Can you ever see five cars of the same model in general traffic. This shows how they dominated the street scene.

[@hughwilson2219]

Was a passenger in one of these involved in a crash. MG 1300 hit the side of the car as the MG shot through a red light. There were four in the rear and three in the front of the Anglia.... no deaths or injuries. The Anglia turned over twice.

[@roberttaylor6295]

Ed, for me nobody has even come close to stealing your bejewelled crown as the thinking man's car reviewer, so gained by your incredible, deeply researched, enthusiastic and intellectual scripts, clever editing and superb delivery. I fully understand that due to vital sponsorship you are not always able to road test some, like this 105E, which deprives us of the personal fun and personality of a car; it also seems to deprive us of your exquisite use of metaphor, simile and idioms that hint your degree may have had an English element! The perfect example of all your unique style for me was encapsulated in the review and road test of the big V8 Jag of a fortnight ago (in my crazy technophobic chronology!), but even so all your reviews are thoroughly enjoyable and informative highlights in your automotive firmament, including this one! They are much anticipated, mouth watering video treats! Rob

[@TwinCam]

Ah, as usual, you're far too kind with your words!

[@stephenthompson330]

This was the first car I bought, it had a lazy starter especially in winter, put a van battery in it and never had an issue again.

[@4thebanjoguy]

My first car. Back in the sixties, boy racers either went for a mini or anglia. I chose Ford. Out came the engine replaced with bored out 1350 with Webber carbs, lowered suspension, five and and a half J rims and tyres “ bucket seat” slip on seat covers etc. Good memories

[@1951GL]

My father had driven Fords in the 1950s - the Popular, the Prefect and, briefly a 1951 Ford Pilot, bought in 1961. But in 1964, his first new car was one of these, in Imperial Maroon reg AWH503B. Nothing serious went wrong, it drove well, touring Scotland and performed well on the M6 driving down to friends in Stoke. Exactly the car for the time.

[@briansteffmagnussen9078]

Two reasons i love the first Ka. The Kent block, and they reused the lines from the Anglia on the side indicators.

[@wellman692001]

My first car was the 105E 997cc (DAL 775C) I was 17 I'm now 68 and of all the cars I've had this Is the one I have fondest memories of, the only problem was it had a synchronised gearbox but not on 1st gear so you had to try and time your approach to roundabouts so you could use 2nd gear, I kept it for 2 years and went everywhere. I passed my test when I was 17 but it was the 105E that taught me to drive.

[@davecummo8743]

My first car in 1978. FRL 787D. It even had the original tax disc holder from the dealer in Truro. Loved it, it was a deluxe in velvet blue. My next car was a signal yellow RS2000! Bloody hell

[@andymathias6261]

As a diver and owner this was a understated car the 1200 was quite a fast motor for it's time and gave lots of fun

[@MisterHampshire]

I always felt that the 105E was a car of two halves. The front is unquestionably aggressive, angry even, yet by the rear it had become softer, even passive. Either way, it can’t be denied that as the video says, it was the catalyst for Ford’s dominance over the next three decades. Bottom line was that even though they lost ground in the way of standard features (as did all British cars) to the Japanese, Ford understood their customers and gave them what they wanted.

[@peterward3965]

I purchased from my cousin an Anglia in the same colour scheme as this one back in 1979. It was registered in November 1959 reg 432MPD being a Surrey registration. I did sell it to someone in the Ford 105E Anglia owners club so a good chance of it being around seeing it was an early example.

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

You'll be glad to learn Peter, she is still around and just relicenced to July 2024 !.Any ' 59 105E still in existence should rank as rare as a ' 59 Mini !

[@peterward3965]

@@Roger.Coleman1949 Thank you, that is good to know. I also owned a MK1 Ford Escort two door saloon reg TPC375F registered on 1/1/1968 again an early example. In the days you could collect your new car from the showroom on new years day. How times change. Cheers 🍻

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

@@peterward3965 Was your early Escort the one captured on an old film with you getting out on a London bridge ?.I remember someone recognising himself and the car captured on an old b/w film of London streets seen around a year ago .The TPC reg. seems to ring a bell !.I have a '61 Austin 7 Mini registered 1/1/62 , another date where this would never happen again as it became a bank holiday .

[@peterward3965]

@@Roger.Coleman1949 yes that's right Roger. Hello again , I do remember our last chat as such. As you say late 59 minis are sought after , also Triumph Hearld was launched at the end of 59 as well. Yes I can't believe I'll be on KZbin way after I'm gone with my Escort lol 😂 I wish we could go back to simpler times when motoring was a joy. Cheer 🍻

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

@@peterward3965 Hello again Peter, yes indeed , '59 a great year for innovative new car designs and also the largest sales ever for motorcycles and scooters , probably as it was a great summer !.Shame your early Escort did not have the longivity of the Anglia !.

[@ericjames9475]

Super presentation.Concisely presented with facts not any annoying personal presenters ''performance''

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Eric 🙂

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Growing up here in the States, I've always liked GM and haven't really cared for Ford. But looking at what was available in the UK. I probably would've been a Ford fan too. That being said, I do really love the Opels and Vauxhalls. I wish I could afford to get one here

[@paulosilva3350]

Back then, FORD made beautiful and iconic cars, like the Anglia, Escort, Cortina, Capri...

[@Rickroll1-s7x]

Cool, does it come with the flying gear or is that optional

[@PiperX1X]

Oh hell this brings back memories, my dad had one of these black in the 70s. I’ve always had a soft spot for the mk3 cortina’s as my first car I was given by an uncle back in 1986 and I had the estate ghia 2.0 black vinyl roof in what I’d describe in metallic racing green and I can still remember the reg which was WNL741T I ran that car for years and loved it that much that when it had got to the point it was going to cost more than it was worth to get it through its mot it was sadly time to let it go. Then five years later I found another but in saloon in metallic brown and we went on honeymoon in it. But then I had an accident at work which severely damaged my spine and I was taken off the road and was forced to sell it as I needed the money and now I wish I’d survived on bread and milk knowing what I know now and the condition it was in but we can’t turn back the clock. But I’m still driving fords today with the focus st. So maybe in years to come my st will be worth something but it doesn’t give me the smile as my cortina’s did.

[@tedecker3792]

Your example has probably the best color combo offered.

[@rickremco6275]

Ahhh - memories of my first car in 1963. The 105E was practical and reliable.

[@SunofYork]

Had two of these. Bought one with my inheritance from my Grand Aunt in Morecambe ... 300 quid.. Total rot boxes. Now in Wisconsin, l love my 2017 Toyota Camry SE 2.5.... It is like new.

[@kimeldiin1930]

Fondly remember those brutally widened and lowered and with twin DCOE Webers, and early BBS rims in Swedish track racing , and with fiberglass flip fronts !!! Great Lookers !!!

[@dufushead]

I owned a couple of 105E's back in the day and they were fine cars. Light and airy inside with great all round vision and back windscreen that never got dirty. They had pretty good acceleration for the time. They didn't handle particularly well with the Armstrong lever dampers and neither were they particularly good on gas. They did rot sadly. I had a Riley Elf after and a Vauxhall Victor 101 FD which were both better all round cars.

[@TwinCam]

To be fair to them, the lever dampers were only at the back. Obviously not perfect, and though the Mini and later cars had telescopic dampers, older cars like the Morris Minor had lever arm dampers all round! That being said, handling was never their strong suit!

[@kh23797]

@dufushead Yes, I recall those Armstrong units on my A35. Pretty easy to replace, like the leaf springs and even the king pin bearings (if you had a press), but they wore out at mileages we would consider pretty low today. Expectations were rather more modest, though, back in the 60s/70s. Only when I swapped my BSA motorbike for a car did I discover it made me much more popular with girls...

[@dougnolan5567]

Learnt to drive in one of these back in '87..

[@colinlivingstone3014]

I passed my driving test in an Anglia December 1969. Bought a Triumph Herald a week later and often borrowed my dad's MKI Cortina. The rest is history ...

[@The.Last.Guitar.Hero.]

One of my earliest memories as a kid was helping to push my parents Anglia that looked identical to that as it kept breaking down sometime in the early 70s

[@martinda7446]

My Granddad bought a Ford Prefect in that same dark red/ burgundy of the Anglia. He picked it up in about 1971 for 50 quid from a dealer on the Bath Road. My sister and I would get run home to Wimbledon from Hounslow (he didn't travel far to buy it). I remember it was a three speed, a little noisy and bouncy but seemed a really good fifty quid.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

Grandparents had an estate version in the late 80's. Killed in the end by tinworm. A solid drive, just gets you there (though the clutch was a bit 'sharp' but you got used to it and worked with it). The passed it onto me when I passed my driving test. It was a solid starter car.

[@MrAdopado]

The only Anglia that I remember riding in as a kid absolutely stank of raw petrol! It was a hard winter and the churning that was required to start the engine was considerable ... when on choke it seemed to spit back more fuel than was burned in the engine! (It couldn't have been very old either as that was either 1962 or 63.)

[@pauldeane9849]

I'm an old phart who lived in the era, and I'm hard pressed to nit pick any of your videos...sometimes I even learn things. I got my license here in NZ in an Anglia van, our shop hack. The biggest problem with the 105E was it was only a 2 door, the 100E was available as a 4 door, and later the Escort too, but the 105E lost in that department.

[@JaydenB23]

Great Video Ed, my dads first car was a Anglia 105E, I have a great pic of my late grandparents siting in the back of it

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Ian :)

[@stevenbrannan9775]

The other thing I remember about the Anglia is that when they wouldnt start, it sounded like somebody hitting the inside of a bucket with a stick. Very distinctive noise. I am 70 years old and remember all of the cars you review with affection. Even the rubbish ones. My personal favorites - Austin 1300 and Triumph Dolomite 1850...

[@MrAdopado]

Ha ha ... yes, I just posted a comment myself ... stank of petrol on choke as it fruitlessly churned away in cold weather!

[@alexandermathar7780]

I wonder why Lotus didn't choose the Anglia to be refined by them. Lighter than the Cortina. All right. 105 HP would have been dangerously powerful for such a nimble car ! But there are a few modern conversions with a Lotus twin cam.

[@theopinionatedbystander]

My first father in law worked at dagenham where the 105 was produced. His job was final inspection of paint, fit, finish etc.. he oft told a story of a visit from the USA of “the big wigs” and it just so happened that they were standing at his station the last of the process before the car rolled out of the factory door. They were looking at this 105 and this miraculous new car as it was starting to spit off the assembly line.. as they walked around this car they knew something was wrong but they could not put their finger on it. James “my father in law” eventually worked out what it was and began giggling.. you see as a ford car run down the assembly tracks the crews working on each side of the car never crossed the line, and they worked off a postcard that was handed back and fourth over the roof of the car going down the line. The car outline was a fixed silhouette but if 2 door had two lines through it, if a four door had three lines dashed through it. In the case of this car the last line was a bit faint.so it went down the line as a two door car on one side and a four door on the other.. yes, it was a unique 3 door ford anglia 105e. It was crushed of course. But what amuses me more was many years later.. ford actually, on purpose made a Ford Fiesta that had one door on the drivers side, and two on the passengers side. I think it was a sales flop, but it was supposed to be a safety feature, to discourage peapole getting out of the car into traffic.