The Ford Prefect was a line of British cars produced by Ford UK between 1938 and 1961 as an upmarket version of the Ford Popular and Ford Anglia. Introduced in October 1938, it stayed in production until 1941, returned in 1945 and was offered until 1961.
Ford Prefect at a glance
| Maker | Ford UK, Dagenham |
|---|---|
| Production | 1938–1961, with a wartime gap |
| First model | E93A, from October 1938 |
| Engine | 1,172 cc side-valve four |
| Cooling | thermosiphon, no water pump |
| Electrics | 6-volt, with starting handle |
| Bodies | two- and four-door saloons, plus tourers and dropheads pre-war |
| E93A production | 41,486 to 1941, 158,007 from 1945 to 1948 |
| 1953 change | from the upright shape to a three-box body |
| Australian production | local bodies, including utilities and vans |
| Later use | a favourite basis for British hot rods |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford Prefect
The E93A of 1938
The Prefect was introduced in October 1938 and built at Dagenham. It was a slight reworking of the previous year’s 7W, the first Ford designed outside Detroit and made specifically for the British market. It used a 1,172 cc side-valve engine with thermosiphon cooling and no water pump, and like many cars of the period it could be started with a crank handle when the 6-volt battery could not turn the starter. The wipers were driven by vacuum from the inlet manifold, so they slowed to a standstill when the car laboured uphill and picked up again at the top, and the windscreen opened forward on top hinges with two flaps either side of the scuttle letting air in. Most cars were two- and four-door saloons, with a few tourers and drophead coupés before the war; afterwards only four-door saloons were sold at home, with two-door models made for export. 41,486 were built up to 1941 and 158,007 more between 1945 and 1948.
Built in Australia too
The E93A was also produced in Australia, where the locally built four-door saloon had an all-steel roof, and two-door saloons, tourers, a 5 cwt panel van, coupé utility and roadster utility were also made. In late 1939 the Australian Prefect models were recoded E03A.
A modern shape in 1953
The Prefect grew from its original upright, perpendicular “sit-up-and-beg” style to a more modern three-box structure in 1953, when the 100E generation arrived. The line ran until 1961, overlapping with the Anglia and the basic Popular. Like its siblings, the Prefect became a popular basis for hot rods, especially in Britain, where its light structure and four-cylinder engines appealed to builders.
Design and features
- Upmarket small Ford: the better-equipped companion of the Anglia and Popular.
- Side-valve engine: 1,172 cc with thermosiphon cooling and a starting handle.
- Vacuum wipers: which slowed and stopped on long climbs.
- Two eras: the upright pre-war shape and the 1953 three-box body.
Ford Prefect versions
- E93A (1938–1949): the original upright model.
- Australian E93A and E03A: local saloons, tourers, utilities and vans.
- 100E Prefect (1953–1959): the modern three-box body.
- 107E (1959–1961): the last Prefect of the line.
The Prefect was the upmarket version of the Anglia and was joined at the bottom of the range by the Popular. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- Ford Prefect (car), English Wikipedia: introduction, E93A, Australian production, later models
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