MEET THE OWNER – RUSSELL MACFARLANE AND HIS FORD CONSUL CLASSIC

It is always a pleasure to blog about the cars of our old friend Russell Macfarlane, and his latest acquisition appears to belong to ‘The Twilight of the Teddy Boy’: winkle-picker shoes, drainpipe trousers and Vince Taylor and the Playboys records. It is, of course, a Ford Consul Classic 315, and Russell’s example is the very rare two-door saloon. In his words:

I didn't appreciate just how rare it was when I agreed to buy it! I've always had 105Es before, years ago and the Consul Classic is like a giant more refined Anglia!! Actually think it *may* be the first one I've actually seen in the flesh, as I cannot really recall seeing a two-door Classic at a show!

Back in 1956, management at Ford GB identified the need for a ‘D-Class’ model – a car that would bridge the gap between the Prefect 100E and the Consul Mk. II and be “suitable for the golf club”. Colin Neale devised a saloon with Sunset Boulevard looks for an East Cheam budget, with overtones of the 1958 Lincoln, the 1960 Galaxie and the 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser’s reverse angle ‘Breezway’ rear screen. Power was from a 1,340cc engine, with a choice of steering column or floor-mounted lever for the four-speed transmission.  
Ford GB originally planned to launch the Classic in 1959, the year they unveiled the Anglia 105E. As it transpired, the demand for the ‘New Anglia’ was so great that the Classic’s introduction was delayed until May 1961, which gave Ford dealers a challenge. That distinctive styling belonged to the previous decade, and later that year, the Vauxhall Victor FB, a major Classic rival, looked far less flamboyant than its predecessor.

However, your friendly local Ford dealer could point out that in De Luxe guise, the Classic had a cigarette lighter, two-speed wipers, windscreen washers and two-tone paintwork, as well as  front disc brakes, four headlamps – a ‘first’ for a medium-sized British saloon – and a vast 21 cu ft boot. Plus, the De Luxe had the distinction of five stars in the grille, letting other road users know that here was a company car above the norm. One early owner was a James Paul McCartney, a 20-year-old bass player in a Liverpool beat combo, who ordered a four-door in Goodwood Green.

The Motor thought that Ford GB “have gauged very accurately what a large section of the public are seeking” with the Classic, but it did not achieve sales expectations. 1962 saw the introduction of a 1.5-litre engine, but this was also the year of the Consul-Cortina, which, although marketed as a cheaper model, was too much of a Classic in-house rival. Ford sold the early Cortinas only in 1.2-litre guise, but the 1.5-litre Super version of January 1963 further impacted Classic sales. 

The ‘Consul Corsair’ replaced the Classic saloons in October 1963; production of the Classic Capri lasted until 1964. Russell looks forward to the challenge of restoring his two-door saloon - a car with industrial levels of mid-Atlantic charm which would be at home at any golf club. Or, as Ford put it: “the Classic's long low look is the new look of international motoring, the outward expression of the most advanced design on today's roads.”

With thanks to Russell Macfarlane for his time.

With thanks to Russell Macfarlane for his permission to use the images in this blog.