Ford made a significant transition by adopting an overhead-valve engine for its smallest family sedan, debuting with the Anglia 105E in September 1959. Featuring a compact 997cc four-cylinder engine with an ultra short-stroke design, it displayed a remarkable affinity for high revs and boasted ample tuning potential, exemplified by its triumphs in Formula Junior and Formula 3 racing circuits.
The Anglia 105E inherited its McPherson strut/live axle running gear from the preceding Anglia/Prefect 100E model, while introducing a modern four-speed gearbox, a notable improvement over the previous three-speed version.
Stylistically, it embraced innovation with its distinctive ‘grinning’ radiator grille and rear window with a reverse-slope design, providing enhanced rear headroom and weather resilience. The 105E Anglia series, offered in various iterations, became a phenomenal sales hit for Ford, surpassing a million units sold before production concluded in 1967.
