Lot 643: 1953 FORD ANGLIA E494A TWO DOOR SALOON

8,377 miles from new



Black with red interior.

Engine: four cylinders in line, side valves, 933cc, 23bhp at 4,000rpm; Gearbox: three speed manual; Suspension: front, transverse leaf springs, rear, semi-elliptic leaf springs; Brakes: mechanically operated drums all round. Right hand drive.

In 1948 Ford released a revised version of the highly popular Anglia. Originally introduced back in 1939, and continued after the end of the war, the diminutive saloon catered for the bottom end of the market in a continuation of the theme begun with the Y-Type. Modernisation was a mainly aesthetic affair with the more rounded front grille sloping back at a greater angle than on the E04A. Mechanically little had changed, but the War's interruption and the austerity of the years that followed meant that few resources were available for grand technological development, while the ration-restricted and cash-strapped public were still reeling, their attention drawn to other more pressing matters. Thus the Anglia continued to provide cheap but reliable transport in a difficult era, earning itself a hardy reputation in the process.

First registered on 2nd November 1953, the example presented here is among the last of the E494As, and as such is an excellent example of the type. The continued austerity of the time is alluded to by the car's original black paintwork which is still in good condition, and is brightened by the red interior which also remains in good overall condition, and which is still the original. This car also features the useful addition of a spotlamp mounted at the front for improved night-time visibility, a common addition in the days before dipped-beam headlamps. Described by a Christie's specialist as "complete and original", this car is a rare gem of a find, a fact surely highlighted by the odometer which, incredibly, only displays 8,377 miles. This car is sold with its V5.