Ford Popular, also known as Ford Pop, is a classic car that was produced By Ford of Britain for nine years, from 1953 to 1962. It was very popular in Britain as it was the lowest priced car of that period. Its name, Popular, was widely used by Ford, both before the introduction of the car and after.
Ford Popular 103E
It was a very basic motoring. The Ford Popular 103E had 6 volts electrics, rod-operated drum brakes. Though there was synchromesh, it was used only in 2nd and top gear. There was no heater or demister, no water pump or semaphore indicators, and the car had boot access.
Actually, Ford Popular was developed as an alternative to Ford Anglia and Ford Prefect. The production of these cars stopped in 1953 and Ford Popular was aimed to offer a budget-friendly alternative based on the classic style of E494A Anglia, which was a renewed version of Anglia E04A, and the rebodied version of famous Model Y. It means that the Ford of Britain produced nearly the same design, with renovations, improvements, and changes in name, for the period 27 years.
The car had a four-cylinder engine, single-vacuum powered wiper, vinyl trim complimented by a little of chrome. Bumpers of the car were painted. What is more, the bakelite dash was replaced with a flat steel panel.
The Ford Popular 103E shared much detail with its predecessors, the Anglia and Perfect. The car was quite similar to the Anglia E494E but differed visually. It had smaller headlights, as well as the lack of trim on the side of the bonnet.
The success of the Ford Popular 103E is explained by the postwar period in Britain. The car was offered as an alternative to used cars, but there were nearly no such cars in the UK. The thing is that the Second World War stopped the production for nearly 6 years. Actually, there were only 3 choices of cars: pre-war cars, the Ford Popular 103E and Anglia 100E, Austin A30 or Morris Minor that required paying extra £100. Despite the lightweight construction of Ford Popular 103E, it was very popular till the late 50’s. According to The Motor magazine test held in 1954, The Motor the speed of the Ford Popular 103E reached 60.3 mph (97.0 km/h). During the production period of the 103E, about 155,340 were produced.
Ford Popular 100E
1959 saw the replacement of old Ford popular by its new version, 100E. The production period of the Ford Popular 100E lasted for 3 years, until 1962. During the career of the Ford Popular 100E, about 126 thousands of cars were built.
The car had a classic Anglia body shell but equipped with more powerful, 1172 cc side valve engine. Also, the Ford Popular 100E had hydraulic brakes. The top speed, tested by the British Motor Magazine in 1960 reached 69.9 mph (112.5 km/h). Despite the large list of extras available, it was quite similar to well-known Anglia. The best in the range was De Luxe version. It was as popular as standard one.
Top questions about Ford Popular (FAQ):
- When was the Ford Popular first introduced?
- What was the engine capacity of the original Ford Popular?
- What was the maximum speed of the Ford Popular?
- How many doors did the Ford Popular have?
- What was the fuel consumption of the Ford Popular?
- What were some of the main competitors of the Ford Popular?
- What was the price range of the Ford Popular?
- Were there any special editions or variants of the Ford Popular?
- How long was the production run of the Ford Popular?
- Did the Ford Popular have a convertible model?
- What were some popular features or options available for the Ford Popular?
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- What were some common issues or problems with the Ford Popular?
- How many seats did the Ford Popular have?
- Was the Ford Popular known for its reliability?
- Did Ford offer any warranty or service packages for the Ford Popular?
- What were some of the colors available for the Ford Popular?
- How often did the Ford Popular require regular maintenance?
- Are there still active Ford Popular car clubs or enthusiasts today?
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