Ford Prefect

Ford Prefect
1948 Ford Prefect E93A Saloon
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford UK Ford Australia
Production	1938–1961
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford 7Y
Successor	Ford Anglia

Ford Prefect E93A
1948 Ford Prefect E93A 4 door Saloon
Overview
Production	1938–1949
Assembly	United Kingdom Australia
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door saloon 4-door saloon 2-door tourer 2-door drophead coupé 2-door van (Australia) 2-door coupé utility (Australia) 2-door roadster utility (Australia)
Related	Ford Anglia Ford Popular
Powertrain
Engine	1172 cc Ford side-valve I4
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	87 in (2,210 mm)
Length	151 in (3,835 mm)
Width	61 in (1,549 mm)
Height	63.5 in (1,610 mm)

Ford Prefect E03A
Ford Prefect E03A 4 door Saloon
Overview
Production	1939–1945
Assembly	Australia
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door saloon 4-door saloon 2-door tourer 2-door coupé utility 2-door roadster utility 2-door van
Powertrain
Engine	1172 cc Ford Straight-4 side-valve

Ford Prefect A53A
Ford Prefect A53A 4 door Saloon
Overview
Production	1946–1948
Assembly	Australia
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door saloon 2-door coupé utility 2-door van
Powertrain
Engine	1172 cc Ford Straight-4 side-valve

Ford Prefect E493A
Overview
Production	1949–1953
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door saloon
Powertrain
Engine	1172 cc Ford Straight-4 side-valve
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	94 in (2,400 mm)
Length	151 in (3,800 mm)
Width	61 in (1,500 mm)
Height	63.5 in (1,610 mm)

Ford Prefect A493A
Ford Prefect A493A 4-door Saloon
Overview
Production	1949–1953
Assembly	Australia
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door saloon 2-door coupé utility
Powertrain
Engine	1172 cc Ford Straight-4 side-valve

Ford Prefect 100E
Overview
Production	1953–1959
Assembly	United Kingdom Australia New Zealand: Lower Hutt Singapore: Bukit Timah
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door saloon
Related	Ford Anglia Ford Popular Ford Squire Ford Escort Thames 300E
Powertrain
Engine	1172 cc Ford side-valve I4
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	87 in (2,210 mm)
Length	152 in (3,900 mm)
Width	57 in (1,400 mm)
Height	58.5 in (1,490 mm)

Ford Prefect 107E
Overview
Production	1959–1961
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door saloon
Powertrain
Engine	997 cc Ford Straight-4 overhead valve
Dimensions
Wheelbase	87 in (2,200 mm)
Length	150 in (3,800 mm)
Width	61 in (1,500 mm)

The Ford Prefect is a line of British cars which was produced by Ford UK between 1938 and 1961 as a more upmarket version of the Ford Popular and Ford Anglia models. It was introduced in October 1938 and remained in production until 1941; returning to the market in 1945, it was offered till 1961. The car progressed in 1953 from its original perpendicular or sit-up-and-beg style to a more modern three-box structure. Some versions were also built and sold by Ford Australia.

Like its siblings, the car became a popular basis for a hot rod, especially in Britain, where its lightweight structure and four-cylinder engines appealed to builders.

The Ford Prefect was introduced in October 1938 and built by the Ford plant in Dagenham, Essex. The original Ford Prefect was a slight reworking of the previous year's 7Y, the first Ford car designed outside of Detroit, Michigan. It was designed specifically for the British market. It had a 1,172 cc (71.5 cu in) side-valve engine with thermocirculation radiator (no pump) and the ability to be started by a crank handle, should the battery not have sufficient power to turn the starter motor, running from the six-Volt charging system. The windscreen wipers were powered by the vacuum ported from the engine intake manifold — as the car laboured uphill the wipers would slow to a standstill due to the intake manifold vacuum dropping to near nil, only to start working again as the top was reached and the intake vacuum increased. The windscreen opened forward pivoting on hinges on the top edge; two flaps either side of the scuttle also let air into the car. The car has a durable four-cylinder motor.

The most common body styles were two- and four-door saloons, but pre-war a few tourers and drophead coupés were made. Post-war, only four-door saloons were available on the home market, but two-door models were made for export.