Ford adopted the name 'Consul' in 1951 for its 4-cylinder version of the big Z-cars. These cars replaced the lumbering Pilot and brought the big car experience down to many ordinary families. Dearborn oversaw the project to build new large cars in Britain, with the Consul being the entry level model. Ford's George W Walker oversaw the new monocoque bodyshell which was shared with the new Ford Zephyr which was longer. A new 1,508cc inline ohv 4-cylinder engine gave the Consul 47bhp; the Pilot only had 85bhp on a double-size engine. Ford only produced the Consul as a 4-door saloon, but ED Abbotts of Farnham could supply a 5-door estate and Carbodies of Coventry offered a 2-door convertible.
Ford Consul 1954 EOTA - badge on bootlid
Ford Consul MkI (EOTA) - ornament
Ford Consul 1954 EOTA. Ford engineered a new 1,508cc ohv 4-cylinder 47bhp engine for the Consul, mated to a 3-speed column gearchange
Ford Consul 1952, this shared the same George Walker designed body as the 4 inch longer Zephyr
Ford Consul 1954 EOTA Carbodies Convertible. The Consul retailed at £470 in 1954, or £570 for the convertible.
Ford Consul 1954 EOTA. Designed by George W Walker in Detroit.
Ford Consul 1954 EOTA. This was the first British Ford with a monocoque body
Ford Consul 1955 EOTA Convertible. The open body was a conversion by Carbodies of Coventry
Ford Consul 1955 EOTA Convertible
Ford Consul 1955 EOTA. Although the Consul was seen as the entry level model to Fords '5-star cars', by 1955 many features found on the more expensive Zephyrs could be added as extras; two-tone colours was an option.
Ford Consul convertible (EOTA). Carbodies converted Consul and Zephyr bodies in Coventry and passed them back to Ford for final assembly.
Ford Consul convertible (EOTA) - interior
Ford Consul EOTA
Ford Consul 1955 EOTA Convertible. The open body was a conversion by Carbodies of Coventry built an x-frame chassis under the body.
