The Ford Anglia E494A Australia and its British counterpart the Ford Anglia A494A had the same chasis and wheelbase. Ford Australia imported the Ford Anglia E494A chassis and engine and assembled them in Australia. Ford Australia had an assembly plant in the port city of Geelong, in Victoria, Australia. Both cars were initially based on the Ford Anglia E04A. With the same body shell, the main difference was a more modern looking front-end design with a twin sloped radiator grille.
Rationale
Prior to the Second World War, car production in Australia was in the form of assembling imported kits. During the war, production was switched to a military footing. However, following the end of the war, consumer demand for new cars increased. Due to the low manufacturing base, once again Australia began importing ‘knock-down’ kits from the UK and assembling them in Australia. This was more cost effective than importing new cars. Prime Minister Ben Chifley amongst others was unhappy at the lack of wholly produced Australian cars and his government, legislated for and encouraged the building of an Australian car manufacturing base which culminated in the production of the first truly mass produced Australian car, the Holden 48-215.
Design
Ford Anglia A494A offered different versions to its British sibling. Australian versions came in four-door saloon, two-door tourer, roadster utility, and coupe utility.
Chassis
Ladder-Frame
Engine
- 933cc (0.9-litre) side-valve inline-four engine.
- Brake Horsepower: 23 bhp
- Torque: 49 Newton Metres / 36.14 Foot-Pound
- Top Speed: 57 mph (80.5 km/h)
- 0-50mph (0 – 80 km/h) in 38.3 seconds
- Fuel Consumption: 36 miles per UK imperial gallon (9.3 litres/100 km). It should be noted that, a UK imperial gallon is around 4.546 litres whereas a US gallon, is around 3.785 litres, a significant difference of just over 20%.
Brakes
Mechanical Brakes
Gearbox
3 Speed Manual
Suspension
Transverse leaf-spring
Production Locations
Geelong, Victoria, Australia from 1949 to 1953.
Production Run
108,878 units
Still on the Road
Data Unavailable
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