Launched on September 30, 1959, and the culmination of a five-year development programme, the new Anglia 105E was billed as ‘The world’s most exciting light car’.
Whether Ford’s marketing department had failed to notice the arrival of the revolutionary Mini only weeks before was open for discussion, but there was certainly truth in that the Anglia was exciting for small car buyers.
Its reverse-rake rear window didn’t meet everyone’s approval, but its neat rear fins and streamlined front end contributed to distinctive styling that was light years ahead of Ford’s previous Anglia models. It was also the first Ford to have electric windscreen wipers and a four-speed manual gearbox, while it also had a brand new engine beneath its forwardhinging bonnet.
Featuring an oversquare design, the new Kent 997cc motor was praised for its smoothness at high
