Ford Zephyr engine

Ford introduced its all new Zephyr and Consul in 1951 to enthusiastic welcoming from the public and motoring press. Both cars featured new overhead valve engine, the Consul unit having four cylinders and Zephyr boasting six. Both engines were otherwise identical and shared many internal parts.

The Mk I Zephyr engine grew from its 2262cc to 2553cc for the introduction of the bigger Mk II range in 1956. The last two years of Mk I production had also seen a more powerful Zephyr Zodiac version which had an extra 3bhp, however the Mk II models had the same power outputs.

The Mk II range was an amazing success for Ford and led the way to the even larger Mk III models in 1962. The "finned" Mk III found fame in the hit TV series, Z Cars and was a popular model until the V-engined Mk IV replacements arrived in 1966.