Description

1948 Ford Prefect E93A

Restored to show-winning condition in 2015 and only 2,200 miles since; superb condition throughout

Specially made for the British market, the E93A, or Ford Prefect, was the first Ford to be designed outside the USA and was introduced in 1938 following on from the 7Y.

A more upmarket version of its Ford siblings, the Popular and the Anglia, its American influence was clear to see. Built at Dagenham, it was to remain in production in one form or another until 1961 and was only available in Britain as a four-door saloon, although export markets also had the option of a two-door saloon, an open tourer, a ‘Ute’ pickup and a van. Robust and mechanically simple, it had a tough 1,172cc side valve engine mated to a 3-speed gearbox in a basic A-frame chassis with the familiar Ford transverse front spring.

From 1949 a new E493A version was available, now with headlamps integrated into the wings (in place of the old wing-top pods). Capable of over 60mph and 30mpg, the E93A saloon cost only £145 (excluding taxes) which made it the cheapest four-door on the British market and it provided countless families with reliable transport for years, being finally replaced by the more modern monocoque-built 100E in 1953.

First registered in London in December 1948, this Prefect had moved to Essex by 1977 as shown by an old green logbook. From 2001 – 2017 the car was owned by a Mr J Pole of Malvern who spent most of those years restoring it to the wonderful condition you see today. The full extent of the work carried out is too detailed to list in full here but is amply documented in many invoices and photos on file.

The body got new front wings and running boards before being professionally repainted to a high standard by Tony Williams Bodyshop of Malvern in 2015. The beige cloth interior was also professionally retrimmed. Brakes/steering/suspension were all rebuilt with many new parts.

The engine was fully rebuilt with new pistons, con rods, bearings, crank, timing chain etc, the head being converted to run on unleaded fuel. It also got a new clutch, new tyres and a stainless steel exhaust.

Since the restoration was completed in 2015, it has only covered around 2,200 miles and has had the oil changed four times over this period, as detailed in a usage log that comes with the car. This shows that it has also attended several Ford Sidevalve Owners Club events, various local shows (winning First Prize at the Morris Rally at Witley Court in May 2018) and was used in the filming of ‘The Reverend and Mrs Simpson’ in December 2019.

The history file also contains photos of the car before and during the restoration, plenty of invoices, an original Instruction Book, Parts Catalogue and Lubrication Chart, a period sales brochure, contemporary road tests plus much technical literature about the model.

As you can see in the photos, UML 206 remains in lovely condition throughout and has been starting promptly and running well as we have moved it around on site. You would be hard pressed to find a better example anywhere and it could no doubt scoop more trophies on the show circuit, should the new owner feel so inclined.

For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com