Vehicle Description
1958 Ford Prefect
In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy an alien from Betelgeuse
visits the earth and calls himself "Ford Prefect" I get the
impression that this is a joke which has been lost as the story has
aged. Is there a double meaning for Ford Prefect which
viewers/listeners/readers at the time would have found funny. The
Ford Prefect was just about one of the most basic, scientific,
least futuristic cars on the road at that time. They were cross
sprung for economy, that meant just two leaf springs per car
instead of the normal four, the wipers ran from a vacuum tank on
the manifold which meant they slowed down or stopped the faster you
went, (handy for overtaking), and the engines were side-valve, (not
uncommon but certainly old). Despite all this they were
lovable.
For consignment a piece of Brit classic in the form of a 1958 Ford
Prefect. Looking decidedly Brit utilitarian, and not often seen or
even heard of in the US, this car is gracing our halls here at
Classic Auto Mall. Just a Prefect perfect situation to pick up
something certainly no one else will have!
Exterior
Take the box shape and put another box on top of it that is
slightly smaller, round off the corners, add in some chrome, paint
it black and you'll have the Ford Prefect. The definition of
utilitarian and cute could also be included, this car has the late
1950's look and is all in excellent condition. No rust, nice
chrome, good paint, and snappy British design through and through
and all bathed in black. Straight steel abounds and creates this
neato car, and it is adorned with some nice chrome trimmings
including window surrounds, headlight bezels bumpers and a trim
spear. Black steel wheels have a highlighting hub cap, and dual
rear-view mirrors are attached to the front fenders. I say!
Interior
Popping open any of the 4 doors and we can feast our eyes on more
simplicity, with lower panels in a coral vinyl and uppers in white.
Some shiny handles can be seen along with a leather pull which
hangs from the center. Black painted metal is the sills and bottoms
completing the "frame". Inside floating in a sea of rubber flooring
in excellent clean condition front buckets complete with coral
vinyl uppers and lowers, as well as bolsters, with some white
panels on their fronts. The back bench carries through with the
same pattern, and all sets are hermetically sealed with plastic
coverings. A right hand driver, the dash is in black painted metal
and sports a metal aluminum strip through its midsection. 2 round
gauges adorn this dash in front of the original gray steering
wheel, and in the very center is an orange warning light. The
ignition, and various pulls and knobs are within the metal strip. A
white vinyl textured headliner is above, and all is tip top for the
interior mahte!
Drivetrain
A forward tilt of the bonnet and we see a very well-preserved
engine bay, along with a neat little 71.5ci 4 popper. It is fed
petrol by a 1-barrel carburetor and has a 3-speed manual
transmission on back. The rear axle has a 4.429 final drive. All
buttoned up and ready for some back road kilometers and smiles
while doing it.
Undercarriage
I say 'ol chap, the underbelly is very well kept, with solid floor
pans, rust free rockers, and recently resprayed body hangers.
Independent coil springs are in front, and leaf springs for the
rear. A vast improvement from the early models which used a single
leaf spring for the front and back. Drum brakes and a single pipe
exhaust are also noted.
Drive-Ability
A fun car which fires right up and has a neat feel when driving it.
I felt like I was in a Mini Cooper, but this is different and in a
good way. All was working just beautifully, and to make a note, a
NOS radio will be included along with a car cover, brake parts,
(hoses, shoes etc.), miscellaneous engine parts, wiper arms and the
radio.
Certainly a fun car that screams top of the mornin to ya and you'll
be guaranteed to be the only one on your block let alone the state
that has one, with a smile on your face. Classic Brit right here
kids!
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
