1948 Ford Anglia Coupe 

The Anglia is a small family car which was designed and manufactured by Ford UK.  It is related to the Ford Prefect and the later Ford Popular.  The Anglia name was applied to various models between 1939 and 1967, although production was halted 1942-1946 during the war.  A total of 1,594,486 Anglias were produced and at least until 1953, retained that distinctive narrow grille and “bugeyes”. 

For consignment, a street rod take on a little British car, this one will surely have onlookers wondering “what is that?”.  This is a fully custom build with a long list of performance additions and modern accoutrements that would not even be imaginable in 1948, and especially in jolly old England.  The body and trunk lid are steel, and the front clip is fiberglass.  

Note: This vehicle is sold with a Pennsylvania reconstructed branding on the title

Exterior
This small car makes a big statement with its burnt orange paint and colorful graphics.  The columnal grille openings are flanked by wide front fenders with round headlights perched on top.  Our car has a gaping hole in the hood which allows the air scoop to protrude in true street rod fashion.  Portholes on the side allow engine heat to escape and hood pins near the windshield keep the fiberglass hood in place.  A distinctive rear bulge is present and tiny taillights sit low on the rear fenders.  The radical raked stance is made possible by enormous rear tires mounted on 15-inch aluminum Centerline wheels.  The side graphic cleverly follows the body lines of the car and has a bold squiggly line overlaid.  The whimsical size, color and graphics belie this car's serious intent and substantial equipment, as we'll learn.  The paint is nice with the exception of numerous scratches, paint chips, rock chips, and minor bubbling. 

Interior
Orange and tan door cards greet us with a billet door actuator and electric window switch.  The bucket seats mirror the pattern and the tweed cloth.  There's a rear seat more suitable for cargo than people and two speakers appear on the rear deck.  A roll cage is fitted inside and goes well with the racing lap harness.  A LeCarra steering wheel connects to a tilting steering column, painted orange, and leads to a large AutoMeter tachometer.  Above that, two small gauges feed info about temperature and volts while the speedometer is in the center of the ornately molded orange dash.  A fuel gauge and oil pressure gauge also occupy the dash.  A B&M Street Stick shifter is floor mounted and housed in a chrome casing and a Pioneer AM/FM/Cassette radio is tucked under the driver's seat.  Tan low pile carpet covers the floor and tan tweed serves as the headliner and also wraps the top of the roll cage.  The trunk houses the fuel cell and is dressed in more tan carpet. 

Drivetrain
An American invasion of this Brit takes place under the hood where we find a 400ci V8.  It's topped with a Holley 4-barrel carburetor sitting on top of an Edelbrock tunnel ram intake.  The carb is fed by an electric fuel pump.  Rotate the front piece on front mounted hinges and see lots of polished metal under the hood including the intake, alternator, headers, and valve covers.    A TH350 3-speed automatic sends power back to the narrowed Chrysler 8 3/4 axle where 3.73 gears are housed.  Disc brakes are supplied up front and drums in the back.  

Undercarriage
The narrowed rear is painted orange along with suspension components.  A boxed in frame is found underneath along with a safety loop around the driveshaft.  More polished parts are underneath including the oil pan, transmission pan, and flywheel cover.  Straight dual exhaust terminates at a pair of Supertrapp stainless mufflers.  4 bar suspension with transverse leaf spring occupies the front while a 4 link with coilovers is found in the rear.  

Drive-Ability
Taking a seat in this little Brit does feel a bit like an amusement ride, until you turn the key and hear the eight cylinders fire to life.  It becomes immediately obvious this is not a toy car.  The short wheel base does make it fun to drive however, and it has all the acceleration one would expect.  It can turn in tight circles, even with the big meats on back and the relatively short hood and small interior provide great visibility.  Hip hip, old chap…this is one cheeky little street rod! 

These small European cars were created to navigate the narrow roads of England, Italy, and other countries in Europe.  But they also provide a great platform for street rodding, American style, and combine old school styling with some speed shop ingenuity creating a unique ride for show and go.  If the orange paint doesn't grab you, the big V8 and modern amenities will!  Just be ready to answer lots of questions!

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