The Motor's 1948 road test clocked this Prefect at just 61 mph flat out — but still called it the cheapest four-door car on the British market.
Lead trim: Prefect E493A 1,172 cc sidevalve four
Ford Prefect E493AE493A · 1949–1953
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Ford Prefect E493A yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Motor's 1948 road test clocked this Prefect at just 61 mph flat out — but still called it the cheapest four-door car on the British market.
Post-war the Prefect design changed little until replaced in 1952: the headlamps moved into the wings and trafficators (internally lit semaphores springing from the door pillars) were fitted, though left off the Australian-built Ute; only four-door saloons were available on the home market, the two-door sector being left to the Anglia though some were made for export. Brakes remained mechanically operated (Girling rod system, 10 in drums) on transverse leaf springs front and rear, with the same 1,172 cc side-valve four and 3-speed manual; wheelbase 94 in (2,388 mm), length 151 in, width 61 in, height 63.5 in. A Prefect tested by The Motor in 1948 (with the optional leather upholstery, £412 including taxes) had a top speed of 61 mph (98 km/h), 0–50 mph in 22.8 seconds and 33.2 mpg, and they commented that it was the cheapest four-door car on the British market; 192,229 were made. The Australian A493A of 1949–1953 (four-door saloon and coupé utility) differed in having a solid roof, an extended boot and a swage line on the front doors. Some Prefects were also sold in the US, New Zealand, Argentina and Canada (left-hand drive), license-built in Latvia by Ford-Vairogs as the Junior, and assembled in Cork, Ireland until 1962, at Port Elizabeth in South Africa and, as the 100E, from CKD kits in Singapore.
Collectors Spotted in the Ford Prefect Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Ford Prefect yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prefect E493A 1,172 cc sidevalve four | 1949–1953 | 1.2 L | 36 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
A heater was a bolt-on dealer extra for most Prefect buyers — but Deluxe versions built in New Zealand got one fitted at the factory, plus plush carpet to match.
The 100E's wipers ran on engine vacuum, not electricity — floor it up a hill in the rain and they'd slow down or stop completely, right when you needed them most.
The Motor's 1948 road test clocked this Prefect at just 61 mph flat out — but still called it the cheapest four-door car on the British market.
The Prefect's windscreen wipers ran off engine vacuum, so climbing a steep hill in the rain, they'd slow to a dead stop, only kicking back into life once you crested the top.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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