Ford Escort Popular v Vauxhall Viva E Coupe

The year is 1975, inflation is rampant, and the aftermath of the OPEC Fuel Crisis is felt at every petrol station. But Ford and Vauxhall have the answer to these motoring challenges – the Escort Mk. II Popular and the Viva E Coupe.

The Escort debuted first in the summer of 1975, bearing the revived Popular name, last seen in 1962. Unlike its 100E ancestor, the equipment list included a heater and windscreen washers as standard, but in all other respects, it was very much in the same poverty specification tradition. For example, the brochure emphasised “two coat hooks” as a cabin feature; the hubcaps conveyed an air of 1950s austerity, the tyres were cross-ply and the headlamps “semi-sealed beam”.

Some drivers felt relieved Dagenham did not charge extra for the windscreen, but the entry-level Escort was dependable transport for just £1,299 and in November 1975, What Car noted:

Here, at long last, we have a competitively priced family saloon car in the shape of the Popular. It may be rather Spartanly finished and noisy, but for people who want a car which will return good mph and yet hold four people and their luggage, the Popular is a must.

Sales of the Popular did not go unnoticed by Vauxhall, for they lacked an equivalent model in their HC range. They also faced the problem of surplus bodyshells as Magnum Coupe was about to cease production in preparation for the launch of the Cavalier. The solution was to employ them as the ‘Limited Edition’ Viva E Coupe, powered by the 1,256cc engine. As a mark of how rapidly Luton worked on its development, the latest HC debuted in September 1975. The advertisements promised “A complete car at a popular price”, in a not terribly subtle dig at Ford, while the colour finish was Monaco White, augmented by black-framed windows.

At £1,399, the E was closer in cost to the marginally more opulent Escort Popular Plus. However, the Coupe was still £134 cheaper than a ‘standard’ Viva, and Luton achieved its competitive price tag by cutting company and dealership profit margins. It also featured cloth upholstery, a carpeted floor, reclining front seats and power-assisted front disc brakes - all of which the Ford lacked. The Coupe may have been a special edition model, but it prompted Vauxhall to build an E version of the saloon that remained available until the end of the HC in 1979.

Neither the Ford nor the Vauxhall survived in significant numbers in their original states; their respective manufacturers saw them as simple consumer goods. In their later years, the Popular and the E attracted the attention of customisers. But they are both important models, shining a light on an often forgotten aspect of motoring history. As well as a hailing from a time when an “interior bonnet release” constituted a sales feature.