A NEW ANGLE

Way back, in 1956, Ford-UK realised that it would have to tackle a complete upheaval in its small car range. Although the well-established 100E models were selling well, they were still inflicted with a sidevalve engine and three-speed gearbox whose roots stretched back into the 1930s. Their major rivals — Austin, Morris and Standard — were all more advanced than this, and in Europe new cars like the Fiat 600 and the Renault 4CV made them look positively out-dated.

After getting clearance from Ford in the USA, chairman Sir Patrick Hennessy commissioned the building of vast new assembly hall close to the A13 in Dagenham, unleashed his technical team to style a brand-new, small family car — directing his engineering chief Fred Hart not only