Thursday 17th December 1953

Production commenced of the Ford 100E Prefect, with a new 4 cylinder, 1172 cc sidevalve engine, capable of 70mph. At first the Prefect was priced at £561, with a heater extra, at £11 5s, while a factory fitted Ecko radio added a further £28 to the total. When the 105E Anglia was launched in 1959 the 100E became the Popular, a no-nonsense, low-budget machine intended to lure customers away from the sub-£500 Mini.