Ford Popular

Ford Popular was the model name for two generations of small cars from Ford of Britain . The poorly equipped and technically outdated Popular were each the cheapest passenger cars and at times also the cheapest new cars from British production. They were based on older Ford Anglia models and served as entry-level vehicles. The term Popular was also used for Australian Ford models; the cars sold there as Popular differ from the British vehicles of the same name.

Ford of Britain

The British Ford subsidiary built two model series called Ford Popular from 1953 to 1962. The cars were derived from other Ford models. From 1975 to 1980, Ford used the term Popular again to designate an equipment variant of the Ford Escort.

First series: Popular 103E

1st generation
Ford Popular 103E
Production period:	1953-1959
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	1.2 liter petrol engine
Length:	3848 mm
Width:	1435 mm
Height:	1638 mm
Wheelbase :	2286 mm
Empty weight :	737 kg

The first Ford Popular was built in England between 1953 and 1959. It bears the internal designation 103E and is unofficially referred to as Upright because of its narrow and high radiator grille . The 103E is largely identical to the Anglia E494A , which was produced from 1948 to 1953 , which in turn goes back technically and stylistically to the Ford Model Y introduced in 1932 . The technical basis of the Popular 103E was already 21 years old when it was launched.

In the early 1950s, the Ford Anglia 494A was an inexpensive but clearly outdated model. In particular, the narrow and tall radiator grille, the free-standing fenders and the attached headlights looked “like from another time”. The successor, which was sold as the Anglia 100E from 1953, came on the market with a contemporary body in the pontoon style and thus set itself apart from the old Anglia. The Ford management's initial planning was aimed at offering the Anglia 100E in a poorly equipped, particularly inexpensive version that was to become the cheapest British-made car. However, given the high development costs of the 100E, this goal could not be achieved. Instead, Ford decided to continue producing the old Anglia 494A alongside the new Anglia 100E for the base market. The old Anglia 494A was given the model name Ford Popular and remained in the range until 1959 in the form dating back to the pre-war period.

The Popular 103E was only available as a two-door sedan. The standardized body corresponds completely to that of the previous Anglia 494A. The Popular 103E was delivered from the factory with almost no chrome-plated decorative parts. The parts that were chrome-plated on the Anglia 494A are painted either in body color or in silver on the Popular 103E. There is only one wiper mounted on the upper frame of the windshield and turn signals were only available at an additional cost. The headlights have a smaller diameter than the Anglia 494A. The car is powered by a side-controlled four-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 1172 cm³, which produces 30 bhp (22 kW; 30 PS). Power is transmitted by a manual three-speed gearbox, the two upper gears of which are synchronized .

When it was launched in the fall of 1953, Popular was £ 390 in Great Britain. This made it the cheapest new car produced in Great Britain. Its price was £ 55 lower than the last version of the Anglia 494A from which it was derived, £ 85 under the Austin A30 and £ 121 under the new Anglia 100E.

The Popular 103E was built from November 1953 to August 1959. The cars were built in Ford's ancestral factory in the London suburb of Dagenham until July 1955 , after which production was relocated to the former factory of the body manufacturer Briggs in Doncaster , South Yorkshire , which was taken over by Ford . A total of 155,000 vehicles of this series were built, around 85,000 of them in Dagenham. This made the car in the Ford Popular version far more successful than the original Anglia 494A, which Ford had built around 100,000 times between 1948 and 1953.

Second series: Popular 100E

2nd generation
Ford Popular 100E Deluxe
Production period:	1959-1962
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	1.2 liter petrol engine
Length:	3804 mm
Width:	1543 mm
Height:	1493 mm
Wheelbase :	2210 mm
Empty weight :	775 kg

In the fall of 1959, a model change at the Anglia also led to a realignment of the Popular. The new Anglia 105E ( New Anglia ) replaced the previous Anglia 100E . The previous Anglia 100E was then named Ford Popular (100E) and remained in the range as a new basic model alongside the new Anglia. The production of the old Popular of the 103E series ended.

The Popular 100E was only available as a two-door sedan. The pontoon body is identical to that of the Anglia 100E. Stylistically, it is reminiscent of the shapes of the first Ford Zephyr from 1951. Technically, the Popular 100E corresponds completely to the Anglia 100E produced until 1959. Like this, it is powered by a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 36 bhp (27 kW; 36 hp) at 4500 rpm. It emits its maximum torque of 52 lbs ft (70 Nm) at 2500 rpm. The side- mounted valves were an outdated design feature in 1959. The power is transmitted as standard by a manual three-speed transmission, the second and third gears of which are synchronized. The Popular 100E reached a top speed of 70.2 mph (113 km / h) and accelerated from 0 to 60 mph (97 km / h) in 29.4 seconds.

Compared to the Anglia 100E, the equipment of the Popular 100E is significantly reduced. The basic version of the Popular was considered particularly spartan. The front triangular windows could not be moved, and a shelf in front of the passenger was missing. A slightly better equipped deluxe version had ashtrays, interior lighting, sun visors on the vehicle roof and movable front triangular windows as standard.

The basic version of the Popular 100E was once again the cheapest new car in Great Britain when it was launched. It cost £ 494. So that it was £ 80 more expensive than the old Popular 103E, but £ 95 cheaper than the new Anglia 105E and £ 3 cheaper than the Mini from BMC . The deluxe version of the Popular 100E was £ 515.

The Popular 100E was produced from October 1959 to June 1962. During this time, 126,000 cars were built. In addition to the sedan, Ford also sold a two-door station wagon under the model name Escort. It remained in the program until October 1961 and was replaced by the Anglia 105E Estate .

1975 to 1991: Popular as an equipment line

"Workers' dream car": Two-door Ford Escort II with basic equipment Popular (1976)

From 1975 the term Popular revived in Great Britain. It referred to particularly simple equipment lines for several small Ford models.

From 1975 to 1980 the Popular was the simplest variant of the Escort II . This model was only offered as a two-door. It was equipped with a 1.1 liter version of the Kent engine that developed 40 bhp (30 kW; 41 hp). The Escort Popular had drum brakes all around, 12-inch wheels and simple cross- ply tires . All decorative parts, which were usually chrome-plated, were painted matt black on the Popular. The top speed was 123 km / h. The Escort Popular cost £ 1,299 when it launched. It was cheaper than a Mini 1000 . In Great Britain the car was at times stylized as the “workers dream car”.

The Popular equipment line was then also available for the third and fourth generation of the British Escort. From 1980 they were also available at the Fiesta .

Ford Australia

Australian Ford Popular Coupe Utility

From 1953 to 1955, the Australian Ford subsidiary sold a two-door utility vehicle with an open loading area (so-called Ute ) under the name Popular . The Ute were based on the extended chassis of the Ford Prefect E493A , which was produced until 1953 and whose wheelbase is 2400 mm. The front mask, however, corresponded to the British Popular 103E. The Australian Popular was available with a complete passenger compartment ( Coupé Utility ) or as a chassis with an engine cover and windshield; the latter variant enabled the construction of individual commercial vehicle bodies.

literature

Michael Allen: Anglia Prefect Popular. From Ford Eight to 105E , Motor Racing Publications, 1986, ISBN 0947981071

Web links

Commons : Ford Popular  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Michael Allen: Anglia Prefect Popular. From Ford Eight to 105E , Motor Racing Publications, 1986, ISBN 0947981071 , p. 27.
2. ↑ Michael Allen: Anglia Prefect Popular. From Ford Eight to 105E , Motor Racing Publications, 1986, ISBN 0947981071 , p. 141.
3. ↑ Michael Allen: Anglia Prefect Popular. From Ford Eight to 105E , Motor Racing Publications, 1986, ISBN 0947981071 , p. 24.
4. ↑ Michael Allen: Anglia Prefect Popular. From Ford Eight to 105E , Motor Racing Publications, 1986, ISBN 0947981071 , pp. 26, 143.
5. ↑ Overview of the Anglia generations on the website www.anglia-models.co.uk (accessed on May 8, 2020).
6. ↑ Michael Allen: Anglia Prefect Popular. From Ford Eight to 105E , Motor Racing Publications, 1986, ISBN 0947981071 , p. 141.
7. ↑ Michael Allen: Anglia Prefect Popular. From Ford Eight to 105E , Motor Racing Publications, 1986, ISBN 0947981071 , p. 47 f.
8. ↑ Michael Allen: Anglia Prefect Popular. From Ford Eight to 105E , Motor Racing Publications, 1986, ISBN 0947981071 , pp-143.
9. ↑ Technical data of the Ford Escort Popular (1975) on the website www.automobile-catalog.com (accessed on May 11, 2020).
10. ↑ Wolfram Nickel: The Ford Escort was the workers' muscle car. Die Welt vom November 19, 2014 (accessed on May 11, 2020).