English cars

A completely original Anglia

Posted 23/08/2021 by Terje Bjørnstad

A Ford Anglia at a roadside diner brings back many good memories. That's how it was before. The cars were more stylish and people liked to stop at a roadside cafe.

It is incredible to think that the beautiful car with continental kit is 60 years old. You don't have to be a car enthusiast to recognize a car with a slanted rear window. In 1960, car sales were deregulated. Those who could afford it could buy a public van or Anglia and take them around the country and beach on road trips.

Original car

I discovered the beautiful car in the lot outside Furuly Spiseri in Hvittingfoss. It is a 1961 model in the original "Savoy Black" color with a red interior. The same English red color on the fabric and artificial leather that is found in English sports cars from the same time. The owner, Steinar Granli, says that the car is original. Original paint with the exception of the front fenders that have been replaced. The car has retained its original registration number from Gjøvik. This is not a pure show car that has been fully renovated and put in storage. Steinar's Anglia is just nicely treated, well maintained and is driven. At the last, recent EU inspection, the mechanic noted how nice the car was underneath and signed off with "No comments."

A modern Ford

The Ford 105E succeeded the popular 100E. The new Anglia that arrived in 1959 had an appearance that completely broke with its predecessor's rounded pontoon style. Line leaks with a streamlined front that ended in discreet fins at the back. Slanted rear window that should prevent rain and dirt from sticking - and provide more space in the back seat. New 1,0 liter OHV engine and 4-speed gearbox. Wheel suspension with MacPherson independent suspension at the front and leaf springs at the rear. This concept was carried over to the Cortina. The slightly larger Cortina got the same type of engine, only with a larger displacement - 1200 and 1500. The Kent engine was a good engine series that would follow Ford for several decades - which was therefore launched first in the Anglia.

Ford Anglia as a hobby car

There are three good reasons to recommend the Anglia as a hobby car. Firstly, it is possible to get a good copy without going into deep debt. Secondly, there are still parts to be obtained. If you acquire an Anglia, you must register in the Norwegian Ford Anglia Register. As well as meeting other Anglia owners you will find a forum to exchange experiences, solve problems and get parts.

Norwegian Ford Anglia Register - website
Norwegian Ford Anglia Register on Facebook

Steinar's Anglia can also be found at the events of the Larvik – Sandefjord Veteran Carriage Club. Here, in addition to old, fine used cars, you will also find truly exclusive jewels. See the photo galleries on the pages!

Larvik – Sandefjord Veteran car club – website
Larvik – Sandefjord Veteran car club on Facebook

Let me also mention the third reason why the Anglia is suitable as a hobby car:

Even by today's standards, they are easy to drive and keep up with traffic. Thrives best on old country roads.

Facts about the car

1961 Ford 105E Anglia Deluxe
In production: 1959 – 1967
Place of manufacture: Dagenham, UK
Length, width, height: 390 x 146 x 140 cm
Wheelbase: 230 cm
Net weight without driver: 737 kg
Engine: 997 ccm four-cylinder OHV "Kent"
39 HP at 5000 rpm
69 Nm at 2700 revolutions
4-speed gearbox
Rear wheel drive
Front suspension: Independent MacPherson
Rear suspension: Rigid rear axle, leaf springs
Brakes: Hydraulic, drums front and rear
Tires: 165/70R13 T, Point S Summerstar 3
0-100: 30 seconds
Top speed: 117 km/h
Source: Vegvesen.no, Automobil-catalog.com

Pictures of Ford Anglia

England — Great - and completely original color combination

105e — Original used car that can be seen along fine Vestfold roads

See

Frisky - an exciting little plastic car

Posted 29/06/2021 by Anders de Lange

frisky sports — Frisky prototype draft 1957

An attempt to create a sporty minicar

When the war in Europe ended in 1945, not many people thought about buying a new car. Most people lacked most things and had to concentrate on their daily needs. There were no opportunities to buy a car, production of new cars was limited. High prices and restrictions on petrol and car use were also common throughout Europe. Therefore, the sale of motorcycles saw an upswing. The same also applied to the brand new Scooters. But riding two-wheelers had its limitations. The weather was problematic, both rain and slippery roads were a constant threat to those traveling on two wheels. It was also not easy to bring the family along, although sidecars on the motorbikes were a good help. No - people probably left with a car dream in their stomachs. Some got hold of used cars, but age and poor maintenance through hard times had worn down the vehicles. Since times in Europe kept getting better, many people wanted a brand new car. The new "Volkswagen" fueled the car dream, but it was too expensive for most people. Many other factories came up with new small cars, from asphalt bubbles to very small family cars.

The first prototypes

Frisky was a small car model that started life with very high ambitions and a special design. The original idea for this car was conceived by racing driver Raymond Flowers. He worked in Egypt in the 1950s. There he also made a simple prototype of a small car. The prototype was equipped with a 250 ccm Villiers motorcycle engine and gull-wing doors as on the Mercedes 300. In connection with the Suez crisis, Flowers left Egypt and made a cooperation agreement with an English factory that would produce the car for him. It resulted in the production of 2 prototypes which were launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1957. The new model was redesigned by Michelotti and arrived just in time for the opening of the exhibition.

Frisky Sports

The Frisky was later presented as the Frisky Sport at Earls Court in 1957. The car was now heavily modified to make it cheaper to produce. Gone was the exciting solution with doors that tilted upwards. It could now be delivered in an open or closed version. In the advertisements, it was launched as a 3-seater (3 people in the front seat), but it was very cramped according to tests in the media. The car had good speed resources (105 km/h) with its small 2 cyl Villiers engine of 325 ccm. Sales were not good because the price was still too high. New owners joined Frisky in 1958. A new model with the designation "Frisky Sprint" was presented at Earls Court in 1958. The model never went into production because it was too expensive to produce. A slightly modified version was produced in Australia as the Lightburn Zeta.

The small car never sold well, although it received very positive reviews in the media. Aftenposten referred to it as the "car sensation Frisky" in 1957. The factory changed owners several times and at the end it was sold as a building kit in limited numbers.

In total, around 1500 units were produced. of this small English car between 1957 and 1964. It was produced with 3 or 4 wheels.

Technical data Frisky Sport

Engine 325 ccm 16 hp.
Top speed 90 km/h.
Length 274 cm.
Width 140 cm.

See

Classic British Cars – Microcars pt 2 – Mike Webster has acquired a Frisky Sport which became one of his childhood wishes after seeing it in a book.

bilhistorie.blogspot.com — **Exciting car history** from Anders de Lange's archives

Berkeley - sports cars and leisure

Posted 20/06/2021 by Anders de Lange

Lots of fun with a small engine

The manufacturer of the car (Berkeley Coachworks) was started in 1946. The owners of the new factory had previously manufactured furniture. During the war, the factory also became involved in the production of parts for aircraft fuselages, primarily wooden frames. When peace came in 1945, aircraft production stopped and an alternative business had to be looked for to continue operating. The solution was to start producing caravans. This was a good solution. Now the factory could utilize both its own expertise and the remaining stock of parts from war production. The first models that came on the market were modern and streamlined, while competitors had models with angular and old-fashioned designs. Modern design and high quality in terms of materials and workmanship were the hallmarks of the first models. By 1950, the factory had a large product range that covered all parts of the market. Berkeley was probably the world's largest manufacturer of caravans at that time. In 1955, they began experimenting with glass fiber reinforced plastic and presented the first model made from this material in 1956. With the new expertise, the road to car production was not long.

Berkeley came on the market with a small sports car in 1956 at a time when several similar cars saw the light of day.

Light constructions and very small engines provided speed and entertainment. The first models were equipped with an engine of only 322 ccm which delivered 15 horses. Later there were models with a slightly larger engine and more horsepower. Although the car was small, it was technically advanced. It was equipped with front-wheel drive and a transverse engine. Fiberglass bodywork with aluminum braces ensured stability. Independent suspension on all wheels and a low center of gravity ensured that this small car really had good driving characteristics. Small and quick - the car was made for competition driving. Several of those who competed wanted more speed. Especially the customers in the USA were eager and they also believed that the small car deserved a bigger engine. It came and gave the car somewhat better top speed and acceleration.

A larger engine opened up new possibilities

The factory launched a new four-seater variant with a slightly larger body. Now it had become a family sports car with 4 seats. But the new model was not a success and only a few cars were sold. Management at Berkeley understood that customers wanted sports cars, not family cars with more seats. The solution was to further develop the sports car that was already in production. A new model with a slightly changed appearance came in 1959. But the most important thing was that it got a bigger engine with more horsepower. The result was a higher top speed (150 km/h) and better acceleration. The idea was now to introduce a completely new model with a larger engine in 1961. The new model was to have the same engine that was used in the Ford Anglia. The construction was completely new with a traditional steel body.

But the market for caravans collapsed in 1960 and the factory was hit hard financially. The result was bankruptcy in 1961 and no more cars were produced.

Data Berkeley sports car 1956

Engine 2 cylinders 327 ccm – 18 hp.
Top speed 115 km/h.
Length: 313 cm.
Width 128 cm.

Berkeley Cars on Wikipedia

See

Exciting car history from Anders de Lange's archives

AC ACECA – a true English sports car

Posted 14/06/2021 by Anders de Lange

Here, a car brand that really gets the heart beating fast for all sports car lovers.

The history of this English car brand goes all the way back to 1904, making AC one of the world's oldest car brands. It all started with the production of a simple van and in 1907 the first passenger cars appeared on the market. In 1919, development continued with the introduction of a new car model with a completely new 6-cylinder engine. This engine became legendary and was in production until 1963 and is the car engine that has been in production the longest, beaten only by Volkswagen's bubble engine. But for AC, the engine became the entrance to motorsport. A series of victories in the 1920s gave the car brand a high status in motorsport circles. But it was a turbulent economic existence with several changes of ownership and limited production until the outbreak of war in 1939.

From 1947, AC's sports cars were again on sale. A milestone was the introduction of the AC ACE in 1953. It was a pure sports car that brought the brand back to its old heights.

AC Aceca

This model also came as a closed 2 seater in 1954, a proper sports coupe. The name was AC Aceca and it was an incredibly beautiful and practical sports car. A large rear door provided excellent access to the luggage compartment. This "hatchback" solution was completely new, it was only Aston Martin with the model DB 2/4 that was previously on the market. The model was a proper sports car, for better or for worse. Good driving characteristics with very hard springs came at the expense of comfort. A downside was that the smallest engines required high revs to get up to speed. This was a real sports car for all the money. Hard seats, high noise levels and a poor heater also did their part to limit interest. The model was produced between 1954 and 1963. It can also be mentioned that it came in a 4-seater version with the designation "Greyhound".

Data AC ACECA

Length 389 cm.
Width 154 cm.
Top speed approx. 160 km/h (varies by engine size).
Engine power 105 hp (varied depending on model).

See

Standard Vanguard

Posted 27/02/2021 by Anders de Lange

A popular family car in the early 1950s.

Standard was in its time one of the truly famous English car brands. The first cars were produced in 1904 in Coventry. At the start, several models with different engine sizes were produced. In 1911, a completely new model appeared. This was a smaller car with high quality. It was a direct competitor to Morris and Singer. and it came in several variants and was in production until 1915. Until the end of World War 1, war material was produced and therefore no new passenger cars appeared until 1919. Sales were good in the period after World War 1, but the market became much tougher in the end of the 1920s. The factory ran into financial difficulties and new management and refinancing were put in place. Standard produced a number of models until 1940. Several of these were sports cars and more sporty family cars. When car production started after the war in 1945, only 3 models were produced. These were models based on models constructed before the war. Only in 1947 was the first new model presented. The car was named Standard Vanguard, which became the factory's most important model after the war and until 1963 when all production ceased.

The Vanguard Family

The Vanguard was a spacious and well-equipped family car and fared well in the competition with the other English family cars. It first came as a pure passenger car, but a station wagon came on the market quite quickly. A van and a pick-up completed the model range. The van in particular became well known around the country because Norsk Bygdekino used this model to transport equipment between the various film screenings around the country. The standard Vanguard received a proper upgrade in 1953 with changes to the bodywork. The round rear part was utilized with a properly extended rear part which gave a more modern look. Standard changed the design a little all the time. In 1958, an updated model was designed by Michelotti and was named Vignale.

Data Standard Vanguard 1948:

Length: 417cm
Width: 175
Height: 162
Top speed: 129 km/h
Engine: 2088 ccm, 65 hp

vanguard iii — 1958 Standard Vanguard III

earls court motor exhibition — Advertising the Standard product line at the 1948 British International Motor Show

See

humber super snipe — Humber Super Snipe III

London Classic Car Show

Posted 25/02/2020 by Terje Bjørnstad

Classic cars are big in England. This year's London Classic Car Show didn't just bring together people who wanted to see . Many were also in buying mode - just ordinary people like you and me.

Among the supercars worth around 10 million kroner, there were also affordable cars. For example, a complete 1968 Mini Cooper project - forest wreck - estimated at NOK 100. Cheap? It was so swamped that it was actually difficult to get close enough to see. A lot of work, but undoubtedly classic. Also classic was a 000 Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 1992×4 with a guaranteed 4 miles on the odometer for NOK 28000. A mildly renovated, 480-door, mustard yellow Range Rover from 000 would fetch an unbelievable NOK 3 million for it.

Car history anniversaries

The exhibition marked several highlights - such as Range Rover turning 50, that it is 50 years since car designer and Formula 1 driver Bruce McLaren died, that it is 40 years since Audi launched the Quattro and that James Bond film number 25 - " No time to die" is out. It is worth seeing for its spectacular Land Rover driving. James Bond is also a tribute to Aston Martin's legendary DB5. The Olympia Hall between Earls Court and Kensington has had many great Aston Martins on display over the years. I am fascinated by DB4 and DB5. These cars had completely superior driving characteristics and performance compared to the GT fleet of the time.

The landowner's favorite

I can hardly remember the last time I saw a 3-door Range Rover, - the cars made for English landowners. The Range Rover mk1 had a kind of aristocratic superiority that no other car of its era had. Remember that this was long before four-wheel drive SUVs became common property. At this year's London Classic Car Show two completely unique 70s Range Rovers were on display. I got to study them up close. Today they seem very primitive - but not without class. Why are they so rare today? There actually was one Englishman which gave me the answer. After all, the first cars were produced by reviled people British Leyland in the middle of their very worst era. The first vintages were probably far from it quality cars, to put it that way.

Electrification of old classics?

Will an old public car be as attractive with an electric motor? Imagine if the boxer engine at the back was replaced with an electric motor and the gas tank at the front replaced by batteries? The operational safety would certainly be absolutely superb, but the public car sound would be gone. Likewise the smell of hot engine and petrol that often fills the nostrils inside the compartment. I won't deny that electric conversion can be useful on certain models, for example bubbles and public transport buses. Far worse was seeing a stripped Triumph Stag get a Type 2 charging cable stuck in where the petrol should have been filled. I am afraid that posterity will refer to this as damage. Interesting, but expensive. Estimate £25 in addition to other restoration work.

Paul Stephens

The name not only belongs to a man obsessed with Porsche, but is also a brand name. The company builds and refurbishes classic Porsches to a high degree of perfection - high up on the price scale. What took my breath away were the 911s with Paul Stephen's own logo on the hood - so not sold as a Porsche 964 or 993 or something like that. It is about separate brands and separate model designations under the department AutoArt. The cars are built from "clean metal" according to their own specifications. They are wonderfully stylish in a kind of functional, harmonious simplicity. Everything is carried out down to the smallest detail. A pleasure for the eyes. These are cars you can buy and keep for the rest of your life.

Remember that you can click on all the images to see them in a larger format.

paul stephens autoart — Paul Stephens Classic Touring Series II interior

paul stephen's porsche — Paul Stephens Classic Touring Series II

Coys

Coys values and sells all types of classic cars through auctions. They had several cars for exhibition that were going under the hammer on Saturday (22.02.2020) as a separate feature in the exhibition. I was not present at the auction, but will post the list of bids as soon as it is published on the auction house's website.

mini project — 1968 Morris Mini Cooper project, estimated at 8000-10000 GBP. The car has had one owner, been stored for 45 years. It is completely complete and original in Tartan Red/Black. A steady welding hand is required here! **See more**

Absolute Classic Cars

The company in Lincolnshire, UK, drives - shall we say - more popular classic cars. One of them attracted a lot of interest at the exhibition. It was the last vintage of the Ford Sierra, last 200 built, Sapphire Cosworth 4×4, shown in the picture below.

List of cars

Sierra Cosworth — 1992 Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4×4 with 28 miles on the odometer. Price £000.

Bob Forstner

Fashionable car dealership with showroom facing Park Lane (below Marble Arch) in London. They sell, among other things, Paganini and Brabus. Prices only on request.

brabus 300sl — 1958 Brabus 300 SL. Light Ivory. 3,0 inline six, 215 HP, 4-speed manual. **See more**

Hilton & Moss

Company that carries out high-end restoration of classic cars. At the exhibition, they showed both fully restored cars and cars undergoing restoration. The public liked the effect with mirrors under the cars. See more

hilton duck moss — 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagoda. As perfect below as above. Not tempted to take this car out on salted winter roads. Besides, it would be a shame to spray on undercarriage compound under here...

PHOTOS

Pictures from the event.