Lot 418: 1953 Ford Prefect Saloon

Introduced for 1939 and offered in a variety of body styles, the Prefect continued post-war as a four-door saloon only. Powered by a 1,172cc sidevalve four coupled to a three-speed gearbox, the Anglia’s big brother was roomier and better suited to family motoring. Its performance was comparable with the best in its class, 60mph being bettered flat-out, with a fuel consumption of around 35 miles per gallon achievable on longer runs. Re-styled for 1949 with wing-integrated headlamps and a revised bonnet and radiator grille, the Prefect continued in production until 1953, by which time the staggering total of over 350,000 had been built. The vendor purchased this example at auction in February 2006 directly from the estate of the late Gerry Marshall, one of the most versatile and colourful racing drivers of modern times. Apparently, the car had been acquired at auction in 1995, the sole previous keeper listed on the accompanying Swansea V5C document being a Miss Davies of North London. The Prefect was taken off the road some eight years later and placed in dry storage pending conversion to a ‘Q car’ or classic racer, although neither plan came to fruition. A relatively straightforward restoration project, the car is offered with history file, original instruction manual, Ford 10hp Engine Tuning CD-ROM and the aforementioned Swansea V5C. A quantity of spare parts, including a gearbox, comes with it.