1959 Ford Popular 103E
Launched in 1953 as Britain’s lowest-priced new car, the Ford Popular 103E carried bodywork derived from a pre-war design with roots stretching back to the early 1930s, making it something of a deliberate anachronism even at the time of its introduction.
Ford kept costs to a minimum throughout: painted bumpers, a flat steel dashboard, a single vacuum-operated windshield wiper, and no heater were among the defining features of a specification stripped to its basics.
This example is finished in Ludlow Green with color-coded hubcaps, and the simple interior presents in tan vinyl with a body-colored metal dashboard housing a speedometer, fuel gauge, and ammeter. Factory-fitted ‘Enfo’ trafficators are fitted, and the 6-volt electrical system is reported fully functional.
Power comes from the 1,172cc side-valve inline-four (the ’10HP’ unit), producing 30 bhp and driving the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. A total of 155,340 103E Populars were produced between 1953 and 1959 before the model was replaced.
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