1958 Ford Anglia 1.1 flathead 4
Summary:
Rolling embodiment of Murphy's Law
Faults:
Frequent overheating and vapor lock due to the hot Florida climate; two-blade cooling fan was grossly inadequate.
Brakes failed and my dad ran into the back of a city bus; only minor damage to the car and none to the bus.
Hard to start in the morning; Solex carb replaced.
Clutch slave cylinder failed.
Front wheel shimmy at only 30 mph.
General Comments:
This was my father's car, which I remember riding in my youth.
Grossly underpowered for American driving conditions -- even in city traffic.
It could not climb gentle inclines except in 1st or 2nd gear at no more than 25-30 mph.
It was incapable of exceeding 45-50 mph, and always sounded like it was revving its little heart out.
Worst car my father ever owned.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 15th October, 2013
16th Oct 2013, 09:04
My father's previous car was a 1954 Plymouth convertible; compared to the Anglia, it was far better in every way, and he should have kept driving it instead. I suppose he was taken in by a crooked car salesman.
For just a few hundred dollars more, he could have bought a new Rambler American or six cylinder Studebaker Lark; either of these cars would have been far better choices.
Eventually, the Anglia died one night in 1967 due to its chronic overheating problem, and it was replaced with a 1966 Rambler American with 199 CID six and 3-speed manual tranny.
16th Oct 2013, 02:31
I didn't know these were even listed in the US; can't imagine why anyone would have bought one there, considering you had so many magnificent, luxurious, powerful and reliable American tanks available for about the same price. That said, many people bought Beetles around that time, which I'd imagine were just as bad to drive as an Anglebox.
Even in the UK Anglia's were never the standard for any of the above criteria, but in a colder climate, I'm sure there wouldn't be any overheating issues.