The 1959 Earls Court Motor Show was something of a classic by any standards, with BMC proudly showing off the new Mini, Triumph exhibiting its neat little Herald and Ford revealing its adventurous looking new Anglia saloon, available in both ‘standard’ and Deluxe guises.
Known as the 105E, the latest Anglia featured a brand new OHV engine and four-speed transmission, both of which represented a big improvement on what had gone before. But it was the Anglia’s super-sharp styling that really grabbed attention, with its swept-back front end, reverse-rake rear window and miniature tail fins all combining to thrust Ford into the ’Sixties.
At its Motor Show debut, the Anglia was shown riding on what appeared to be a floating carpet, drawing attention to what Ford claimed was its ‘magic carpet ride’. Shown here is the launch brochure issued when the Anglia first went on sale, proclaiming it to be ‘the world’s most exciting light car’.
