CAR OF THE MONTH – DAVID BROOKS AND HIS 1961 FORD PREFECT 107E
By Ellie Priestley |
29th May, 2020
Since we last met David’s Ford Prefect 107E, it has been treated to new main bearings and a fresh coat of paint. There have also been ‘little repairs’ to the off-side wheel arch and the bottom corner of the bonnet – and last year the Prefect appeared on the Boston Classic Car Club stand at the 2019 Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show. And now, it is our Car of The Month!
When Dagenham introduced the 105E in late 1959, it did not mean the complete demise of its predecessor. The “All New Anglia” was never available in four-door guise and so it was a logical step to upgrade the existing Prefect 100E as the 107E. The latest version combined the familiar 1953-vintage bodyshell with the 997cc OHV engine, and another welcome development was the 105E’s four-speed gearbox in place of a three-speed box. David believes the larger power plant and the improved transmission makes the Prefect ‘much more pleasurable to drive’.
By this time, Ford no longer offered a “Standard” version of the Prefect, for with a 107E you always enjoyed “De Luxe” motoring. The brochures promised ‘A power of difference – at no extra cost!’. That was not all, as your Prefect offered ‘two-tone PVC door trim in bright colour combinations’, ‘fitted carpets front and rear’ plus ‘additional ashtrays in the rear compartment’. David’s car is also equipped with the optional extra heater, for additional luxury. In 1960, Motor thought the 107E offered ‘remarkably good value for money’ at just £621 12s 6d.
Production ceased in June 1961 after just 38,154 units with the introduction of the larger (and definitely more flamboyant) Consul Classic saloon. Numbers of the 107E were in marked decline by the 1970s and by 1980s they were an unusual sight. David’s Prefect may be the only 1961 example that is still on the road today. He has owned his Ford ‘since 1st December 2017. I bought it from a dealer near Nottingham’.
One aspect of the Brooks 107E that ‘everyone without fail mentions’ is the wipers. Rather incredibly the Anglia 105E was the first British Ford to be fitted with an electric set-up, but the 107E retained the notorious vacuum system. David points out that his car has ‘a vacuum pump built into the underside of the petrol pump which ensures they never actually stop going up hills - but they still go like the clappers when you’re decelerating’.
Naturally, whenever the 107E is taken for a spin, it attracts a great deal of attention – including the near-inevitable ‘my Dad had one’ or ‘my Grandad had one’. Above all, David enjoys every aspect of his Prefect - not least for the fact that ‘I had a 100E Anglia in 1967 when I was 21’. 53 years later, he is still at the wheel of a very similar car – ‘and we’re both still going strong’.
WITH THANKS TO – David Brooks and The Boston Classic Car Club: http://www.bostonclassiccarclub.org.uk/
Why choose Lancaster Insurance?
Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.
We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.
Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:
- Historic rally cover
- Static show cover
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