81-464: Not to be confused with Ford Zephyr or Mercury Zephyr . Lincoln Zephyr is a name used by various different Lincoln vehicles. Lincoln-Zephyr , a 1936–1942 line of mid-size luxury cars Lincoln MKZ , a 2005–2020 mid-size sedan, sold as the Zephyr from 2005 to 2006 Lincoln Z , a 2022–present mid-size sedan built by Changan Ford , originally known as
162-494: A broader torque range. Only saloons and estate cars were made, the estate being a conversion by Abbotts of Farnham . The Zodiac was an upmarket version of the Zephyr 6, but differed considerably from that model by the limousine-type rear doors, sharper roofline (with narrower C-pillar) and tail, unique grille (four headlights instead of two), exclusive bumper bars, plusher seating, and up-market upholstery, dashboard, and interior fittings. A choice of individual or bench front seats
243-492: A complete halt to all car production. The Dagenham sewing machinists walked out when, as part of a regrading exercise, they were informed that their jobs were graded in Category B (less-skilled production jobs), instead of Category C (more-skilled production jobs), and that they would be paid 15% less than the full B rate received by men. The strike ended three weeks after it began, following the intervention of Barbara Castle ,
324-535: A considerable step up when compared to the Mark III big Fords that they replaced. Ford also determined to widen the price gap between the Zephyr and Zodiac versions. In January 1967, less than a year after the car's introduction, Ford announced that production of the Mark IVs was being cut back in response to poor sales. The announcement was accompanied by several pieces of more upbeat news about Cortina sales, and it
405-502: A country where towing boats and caravans was common. Ford New Zealand also introduced optional floor gear shift and bucket seats as an alternative to the standard column shift and bench front seat, and a large number of Zephyrs were built in this form, with other modifications, for New Zealand's traffic police. The Zodiac was also again assembled in New Zealand with both bench and bucket front seats and Zodiacs from about 1967 also had
486-486: A fashionable distinguishing feature of upmarket vehicles at the time: retention unchanged of the saloon's rear light clusters attracted criticism, however, because of the way it narrowed the rear hatch opening at floor level when compared to the arrangements on the cheaper Ford Cortina estates . In November 1966, the manufacturers announced a plan to introduce an "export special" version of the Zephyr Mk IV combining
567-555: A few estate cars were built. In 1956, the Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac were all restyled. The six-cylinder cars' engines were enlarged to 2,553 cc (156 cu in), with power output correspondingly raised to 86 bhp (64 kW). The wheelbase was increased by 3 inches (76 mm) to 107 inches (2,700 mm) and the width increased to 69 inches (1,800 mm). The weight distribution and turning circle were also improved. Top speed increased to 88 mph (142 km/h), and
648-519: A joint-venture to be known as Matford and devoted to the full manufacture of Ford or Matford products. More capital was required. There were consequential exchanges in shareholdings between Dagenham and Dearborn and other shareholders. As an indication of the British and Irish company's sense of independence, in 1938 Henry Ford and Harry Ferguson came to 'a gentlemen's agreement ', whereby Ford would manufacture tractors designed by Ferguson , using
729-406: A new company, Ford Motor Company Limited, with three US directors (Henry Ford, Edsel Ford , Charles E. Sorensen ) and four British directors ( Sir Percy Perry , Roland Kitson , Sir John T Davies and Lord Illingworth ), with a capital of £7 million. This company acquired all Ford's European and Middle Eastern business in exchange for 60% of its capital. The balance of 40% of the capital of
810-452: A publicly quoted company, its shares freely listed on British exchanges, with more than 10,000 stockholders. The Ford Motor Company of Dearborn Michigan then held just 54% of its shares. That year, after eighteen months of rumour and denial, the US company offered to buy out the other shareholders. The offer was accepted, and Ford completed payment for the other 46% of Ford Motor Company Limited at
891-636: A shareholder of Ford's first British agency, but the very first link between them was earlier, in 1903. The two men first met in 1906 in Detroit. From Britain, Perry envisioned Ford making vehicles outside USA and selling them across the British Empire and Europe. He raced the company's cars, organised a chain of exclusive dealers, and superintended the Trafford Park assembly plant. In 1919, Henry Ford chose to run operations from Detroit, but Perry
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#1732772904302972-795: A subsidiary of Ford International Capital LLC, which is a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company . Its business started in 1909 and has its registered office in Laindon , Essex. It adopted the name of Ford of Britain in 1960. Ford of Britain operates two major manufacturing sites in the UK, in Dagenham (diesel engine production) and Halewood (transmissions). It also operates a large research and development facility in Dunton , Essex, which employ around 35,000 people in product development, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and service roles. In 2010, Ford had been
1053-486: A wind-up rear window, and a straight C pillar, rather than a curved one. A handful of Station Wagons were registered in 1958, but sales did not really commence until about halfway through 1959. Also, the Australian-designed and -developed ute version differed significantly in its cab design and rear panels to that of its British counterpart. Mark II manufacture continued until 1962, when production switched to
1134-497: A £2 million investment programme was announced to rebuild, re-equip and modernise the assembly plant. As a result, the plant was to become the largest and most modern factory of its kind in Ireland. In the same year, Ford of Europe was formed with Henry Ford and Son Limited. It was an important partnership from the start. Another £2 million was spent on assembly facilities and operations, to ensure that Cork production equalled
1215-566: The Edsel and the Cortina , though the rear of the body was inspired by a design proposal by Frua . Unlike the Zephyr 4, the Zephyr 6 had a full-width grille including the headlight surrounds; overall body length and width were the same for both Zephyr III versions. With the same 2,553 cc (156 cu in) displacement as before, the Mark III model had higher compression ratio, resulting in some 20 hp (15 kW) higher output, as well as
1296-670: The Ford Zodiac and Ford Executive , were the largest passenger cars in the British Ford range from 1950 until their replacement by the Consul and Granada models in 1972. Initially, the four-cylinder version was named Ford Consul , but from 1962, both four- and six-cylinder versions were named Zephyr. The Mark I Ford Consul and Zephyr models were first displayed at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1950. They were
1377-528: The Land Rover Freelander . Halewood was included in the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors in 2008, although Ford retained ownership of its transmission works. Another new factory opened at Basildon in 1964 to make tractors, and, in 1965, a further plant was acquired at Crymlyn Burrows , Swansea , to make chassis components and axles. The Cork factory celebrated the 50-year anniversary in 1967. As part of that landmark event,
1458-614: The Monte Carlo rally , pushing a Jaguar Mark VII into second place in the process. Two years later, a Ford Zephyr Six driven by Vic Preston (Snr) and D P Marwaha won the East African Safari Rally . A saloon tested by The Motor in 1951 had a top speed of 79.8 mph (128.4 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 20.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 23.7 miles per imperial gallon (11.9 L/100 km; 19.7 mpg ‑US )
1539-614: The Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity . The deal brokered immediately increased their rate of pay to 8% below that of men, rising to the full category B rate the following year. Ford produced a range of commercial vehicles, starting with the Model TT in 1917. From 1933 to 1939 these were badged Fordson ; this changed to Fordson Thames until 1957, after which it became plain Thames . From 1965 they reverted to Ford. After
1620-591: The Transit and Escort , and the replacement Consul/Granada would be a genuine pan-European effort. Although the Ford Zephyr never saw American production, a very limited number were imported into the U.S., and the name itself has appeared on other American Ford-related cars. The first use of the Zephyr name was in 1936 with the Lincoln Zephyr a smaller companion to the full-sized Lincoln sedan sold at
1701-706: The "Ferguson System". Production commenced in the USA in June 1939, and the product was outstandingly successful, but Henry Ford was unable to persuade Ford in Britain to manufacture the Ford-Ferguson, though they did sell the US-made tractors. In 1945 Ferguson arranged British production with Standard Motor Company . Harry Ferguson sued US Ford for illegal use of his patents, asking for compensation of £90 million; this
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#17327729043021782-476: The "Lowline" had a more rectangular panel. The performance of the Zephyr and the Zodiac series II models likely was restricted by the rudimentary exhaust system, both the manifold assembly and the exhaust itself. The well-known Raymond Mays complete engine conversion boosted the performance figures to a top speed of 101 mph and 0–60 to 10.0s, with a standing quarter mile of 17.6s, as recorded by The Autocar in
1863-405: The 1960s. Automatic transmission (the Zodiac's four-speed manual box with overdrive being also available as a 'no cost' option ) along with power steering and a sunroof were standard equipment. Other standard features included fully reclining front seats, walnut fascia, full instrumentation, carpeting throughout, reversing lights, fog lamps, front inertial-reel safety belts, and a radio. The Executive
1944-479: The 3.0-L engine of the Zodiac with other specifications largely following those of the existing Zephyr. This 3.0-L Zephyr was not offered by Ford on the domestic (UK) market. This 3.0-litre model was quickly adopted by Ford New Zealand , which had originally launched the Mk IV Zephyr assembled locally from CKD kits with the 2.5-litre V6 (no Zephyr 4 this time) and received complaints it was underpowered for
2025-564: The British magazine The Motor in 1956 had a top speed of 87.9 mph (141.5 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 17.1 seconds. A fuel consumption of 21.5 miles per imperial gallon (13.1 L/100 km; 17.9 mpg ‑US ) was recorded. The test car cost £968 including taxes. In April 1962, Ford replaced the Consul/Zephyr/ Zodiac range with a dramatically restyled model, although it shared some of its mechanical components, as well as
2106-413: The Consul, the Zephyr came with a three-speed gearbox, controlled by a column-mounted lever (three-on-the-tree). The front suspension design employed what later came to be known as MacPherson struts while a more conventional configuration for the rear suspension used a live axle with half-elliptical springs. The car could reach just over 80 mph (130 km/h) and 23 mpg. The Ford Zephyr Six
2187-626: The Dagenham factory started production in October 1931 rolled from the assembly line on 27 August 1946, a cream Ford Prefect 10 hp saloon . Henry Ford resigned in 1945 in favour of grandson Henry Ford II, and died in April 1947. Perry, founder-chairman of Ford Motor Company Limited and each of the Ford Group's European subsidiaries, retired in 1948. In 1950, Ford's controlling interests in
2268-480: The European businesses were sold to Ford Dearborn. In 1953, following the death of its Detroit founder, Briggs Motor Bodies, whose parent provided bodies to Ford America, was purchased, giving the company more control of its supplies and so acquiring plants at Doncaster , Southampton , Croydon and Romford . By 1953, Ford of Britain directly employed 40,000 people. Until 1960, Ford Motor Company Limited remained
2349-700: The Mark III Zephyr 4, Zephyr 6, and Zodiac went on sale. The Consul name was dropped, with the car's place in the Ford UK line-up being filled by the first four-cylinder Ford Zephyr. While the Mark II Zephyr and Zodiacs had shared the same body (the Consul had shorter front guards and bulkhead), the new Zodiac and Zephyrs launched in 1962 shared few body panels. With the Mark III, Ford finally sorted out problems that had beset previous models (Mark I axles and Mark II gearboxes were particular weaknesses) and
2430-514: The Mark III proved to be popular and the most durable of the range. The model sold at a rate equal to or better than the Mark II, both in the UK and overseas, but was in production for a shorter time. During the last months of production, an upmarket Executive version was added to the Mark III range. The Mk III range was discontinued in January 1966, and the completely new Zephyr/Zodiac Mark IV range
2511-807: The Model A was too expensive to tax and run in Britain; very few were sold: only five in the first three months. A smaller car was urgently needed, and this came in 1932 with the 933 cc Model Y , a car much more suited to the market, becoming in 1935 Britain's first £100 car (accounting for inflation £8768 ). This was Ford's first car specifically designed for sale outside North America. Between 1932 and 1937, over 157,000 were made at Dagenham and Cork, and at its peak it captured 41% of its market sector. In 1938, Ford's Cork factory hit an important milestone, producing its 25,000th vehicle since becoming an assembly plant in 1932. In all, 73,000 cars, trucks and tractors had been built at Cork up to that time. The original 1928 plan
Lincoln Zephyr - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-443: The UK were never officially imported into New Zealand. South African Zephyrs and Zodiacs all received the 3.0-litre "Export" engine beginning with the 1968 model year. This also included replacing the earlier Zephyr Super with the new Zephyr de luxe, which received the dummy grille as on European cars. The Zodiac Mark IV and "Executive" had four headlights and an uprated 2,994 cc (183 cu in) V6 engine. Claimed output
2673-746: The UK's biggest-selling car and commercial vehicle brand for 34 and 45 consecutive years respectively. The first Ford cars, three Model As , were imported into the UK in 1903, and the first dealership opened in Southampton in November 1910. In 1909 the Ford Motor Company (England) Limited was established under the chairmanship of Percival Perry , opening an office at 55 Shaftesbury Avenue , London, in 1909. An assembly plant in an old tram factory in Trafford Park , Manchester,
2754-492: The Zephyr [REDACTED] 1936–1942 Lincoln-Zephyr [REDACTED] 2005–2006 Lincoln Zephyr [REDACTED] 2022–present Lincoln Z See also [ edit ] Lincoln-Zephyr V12 engine , a 1936–1948 series of engines [REDACTED] Index of articles associated with the same name This set index article includes a list of related items that share the same name (or similar names). If an internal link incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change
2835-463: The Zephyr 4 and 6, as well as the Zodiac, locally from CKD kits, offering only the bench front seat option finished in vinyl. Automatic transmission, introduced late in the life of the Mk II, was again available, but were a rare factory option, as most buyers chose manual. As well as the Zephyr 6, Ford NZ built a six-cylinder Zephyr Special (which replaced the 4) with a lower equipment level and deletion of
2916-535: The also locally built Vauxhall Wyvern and Velox, and later the Australian Holden. When newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II visited New Zealand as part of a Commonwealth tour in the early 1950s, she was pictured watching Zephyrs being built at the local Ford plant. The Consul and Zephyr were also assembled at the Cork plant in Ireland from 1951 to 1956. In 1953, a Ford Zephyr Six driven by Maurice Gatsonides won
2997-413: The assembly of Mark IIIs from imported complete knock-down (CKD) kits. It had originally been planned by Ford Australia to facelift the Mark II as its main competitor to the rival Holden, but due to the exorbitant price being asked for by Ford UK for its now redundant production jigs for the Mark II, Ford Australia chose to instead locally manufacture the newly released North American Ford Falcon, which
3078-438: The basic chassis design, with the Mark II models. Rather than continue the Consul name, Ford UK decided to call its replacement Zephyr 4, the 4 indicating that it still used the four-cylinder 1,703 cc (104 cu in) engine from Consul 375. A four-speed manual gearbox, now with synchromesh on all ratios, was standard, with overdrive or automatic transmission available as options. Front disc brakes were standard. During
3159-474: The car, at least in its Zephyr form, was not particularly luxurious. Individual front seats were available at extra cost, but the standard front bench seat was described by one commentator who ran the car on a long-term test as being intended for people no taller than 5 ft 8 in (1.72 m) who have the right leg 3 inches (8 cm) shorter than the left. An estate version of the Zephyr Mark IV
3240-416: The central vertical grille bar, boot lid trim strip, and other exterior brightwork, which was sold to fleet operators such as the government. The big Fords were unusual in having four-speed manual gearboxes when rivals, including Ford's own Falcon, had only three-speed ones. Building the top luxury Zodiac model locally also gave Ford a supply advantage over key rivals such as GM's Vauxhall, whose upmarket Cresta
3321-463: The closure of the Trafford Park factory, most of the larger commercials were built at Langley. The truck operation was sold to the Iveco group of Italy in 1986, and became Iveco Ford (48% owned by Ford). The Langley plant closed in 1997. At midday on Wednesday, 26 July 2013, Ford ended more than 100 years of vehicle manufacturing in the UK, with end of assembling Transit vans , by moving production of
Lincoln Zephyr - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-527: The end of January 1961. Ford of Britain, properly Ford Motor Company Limited, then became a wholly-owned Ford subsidiary. In 1962, Ford opened a factory at Halewood , Liverpool , to make the Anglia. This ceased to be a Ford plant (although remained under Ford ownership) when the last Escort came off the production line in 2000, and was then converted to make the Jaguar X-Type in 2001, and latterly
3483-584: The first mass-produced British cars to use the MacPherson strut independent front suspension, which is widely used today. Production began with the Consul on 1 January 1951. The Mark I model ran until 1956. From April 1956, the Mark II Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac went on sale and were known as the Three Graces. The Mark II range was popular, and finished its run in 1962, when from April that year
3564-412: The fitting as a standard feature of power assisted steering. Cost constraints precluded adding power assisted steering for the Zephyr, but during its production run the steering ratio was lowered which reduced the strength needed to change direction by increasing the number of turns between locks from 5.5 to an even higher 6.4. Another production modification for the 4-cylinder Zephyr involved redesigning
3645-426: The front and drum at the rear. A Mk III saloon tested by The Motor in 1962 had a top speed of 100.7 mph (162.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 13.4 seconds. A touring fuel consumption of 22.6 miles per imperial gallon (12.5 L/100 km; 18.8 mpg ‑US ) was recorded. The test car cost £1070 including taxes on the UK market. Ford New Zealand initially built
3726-417: The fuel consumption was also improved at 28 mpg ‑imp (10 L/100 km; 23 mpg ‑US ). The Zodiac and Zephyr were also offered in two body styles, the "Highline" and "Lowline", depending on the year of manufacture — the difference being 1.75 in (44 mm) being cut from the height of the roof panel. The "Highline" variant featured a hemispherical instrument cluster, whereas
3807-549: The hands of satisfied owners. The improved Fordson tractor is not yet in production but it is hoped to deliver the first tractors completely manufactured at our Cork works within the next month." Construction started at Dagenham in 1929, and, in October 1931, Britain's and Europe's largest car plant opened, producing the Ford Model AA truck and Model A car. This was at the height of the Great Depression , and
3888-513: The highest European standards of quality. By 1977, the total area of the plant was well over 450,000 square feet. The rationalisation plan put in place meant that, in 1972, the Cork plant became a two-car plant that was producing the two best selling cars in Ireland: the Escort and Cortina. Between them, these two models were accounting for 75% of Ford sales in Ireland at the time. The Irish company
3969-633: The issue dated 8 November 1957. As well as a three-speed manual gearbox, an overdrive was optional, and from 1956 (1959 in Australia), a Borg Warner DG automatic transmission was available. At first, drum brakes were fitted all round (with a larger lining area of 147 sq in or 950 cm ), but front discs became optional in 1960 and standard from mid-1961 (in Australia, only four-wheel drum brakes were available; some dealers fitted servo-assistance from 1961). A two-door convertible version
4050-507: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lincoln_Zephyr&oldid=1132641959 " Category : Set index articles on cars Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description with empty Wikidata description All set index articles Ford Zephyr The Ford Zephyr is an executive car manufactured by Ford of Britain from 1950 until 1972. The Zephyr and its luxury variants,
4131-719: The market. In 1914, Britain's first moving assembly line for car production started, with 21 cars an hour being built. After the First World War , the Trafford Park plant was extended, and in 1919, 41% of British registered cars were Fords. In 1917, a plant opened in Cork , Ireland, initially for tractor manufacture, but from 1921 cars were built there as well. This factory was the first to be purpose-built by Ford in Europe. The company of Henry Ford and Son Limited—Fordson—was officially incorporated on 17 April 1917, starting its life on
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#17327729043024212-445: The maximum power to 71 bhp (53 kW). A car tested by The Motor in 1955 had a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 20.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 22.2 miles per imperial gallon (12.7 L/100 km; 18.5 mpg ‑US ) was recorded. The test car cost £851 including taxes. No official records exist of Zephyr Zodiac convertibles being produced, but
4293-483: The new Ford Motor Company Limited, 2.8 million shares of £1 each, was now available for public subscription. These shares were heavily over-subscribed. There was considerable investing interest from America, as US investors had had no previous opportunity of investing in a Henry Ford business. The new chairman, Sir Percival Perry, had been, and now was again, central to the development of Ford in Europe. Perry's association with Henry Ford dated from 1905, when Perry became
4374-516: The next generation Transit to the Ford Otosan plant in Turkey . Ford Southampton plant built 28,000 vans, barely a third of its 2007 production. Ford of Europe was created in 1967 by the merging of the businesses of Ford Motor Company Limited and Ford-Werke GmbH . Note – cwt is the abbreviation of hundredweight (112 pounds or 1/20 ton) The Story of Ford – The fifth largest automaker in
4455-448: The production run, the nose styling was changed and the grille lowered. The Zephyr lettering moved from the front edge of the bonnet to below the bonnet opening and the ‘4’ badge below the grille was eliminated. The Zephyr Mark III shared some of its mechanical components, as well as the basic chassis design, with the Mark II, but had a stronger overall body construction. The exterior was designed by Canadian Roy Brown, who had also designed
4536-444: The rear wheels to slide uncontrollably in wet weather, justifying in the process Ford's investment in a new and relatively sophisticated rear suspension arrangement for the Mark IVs. Even after that, a contemporary nevertheless opined that the ride involved a certain amount of 'float', and reported that the nose-heavy handling called for a 'strong driver', a problem which the more expensive Zodiac and Executive versions mitigated through
4617-694: The site of an old Cork racecourse. Its first registered office was at 36 South Mall , Cork. Although the Manchester plant was served by the Manchester Ship Canal , Ford decided that access to a deep water port was required, and in 1923 a new site was chosen by the River Thames at Dagenham , east of London. In December 1928 Ford (since 1924 entirely owned by Henry Ford, his wife and their son Edsel) announced in London that it had formed
4698-483: The time, and demand always exceeded availability; not uncommonly, buyers waited two to three years for their new big Ford. The Mark II Zodiac was slightly altered to distinguish it from the lesser variants, having more elaborate tail-end styling and at the front, a different grille. The auxiliary lamps and wing mirrors were deleted from the Zodiac range, but it retained two-tone paint, whitewall tyres, chrome wheel-trim embellishers, and gold-plated badges. A car tested by
4779-574: The time, followed in the late 1970s with the Mercury Zephyr , an upscale version of the Ford Fairmont . The Lincoln Zephyr name was resurrected for a new model in 2006, but was changed to Lincoln MKZ the following year. The first of the Zephyr range was a lengthened version of the four-cylinder 1,508 cc (92 cu in) Consul, with a 2,262 cc (138 cu in) six-cylinder engine producing 68 bhp (51 kW). Like
4860-402: The valve gear in order to eliminate the need on the early Mk IVs for frequent tappet adjustments. The size of the bonnet was emphasized by square-cut styling of the wings. A practical use was found for some of the extra space in front of the driver; the spare wheel was stored, ahead of the engine, under the bonnet, freeing up space at the other end of the car for more luggage. Although large,
4941-467: The walnut dashboard from the U.K. market Executive. An automatic transmission was optional with both the Zephyr and Zodiac. The local Mark IV line did not include the Zephyr Deluxe version available in the UK, was not as popular as the Mark III, and was outsold by the now much wider, locally built Australian Falcon range. Production ended in 1972, and the Consul and Granada replacements introduced in
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#17327729043025022-524: Was 140 bhp 'net' at 4,750 rpm, with 181.5 lb⋅ft (246.1 N⋅m) of torque at 3,000 rpm. The Zodiac featured an alternator instead of a dynamo on the Zephyr, an adjustable steering column, a spare wheel in the engine compartment, a heater and Aeroflow ventilation, electric window washers, two-speed wipers, a cigar lighter, rev counter (tachometer), clock, ammeter , and reversing lights as standard. The Zephyr/Zodiac Mark IVs with their complex independent rear suspension design represented
5103-409: Was aided by servo-assisted disc brakes on all wheels. Criticism of the handling of early examples in the UK led to the fitting as standard of radial-ply tyres on the larger-engined version in place of the more conventional (in the UK at that time) cross-ply tyres with which all versions were fitted at the 1966 launch, and the retrofitting of radial-ply tyres to early examples addressed the tendency of
5184-527: Was also exporting around 4,000 cars (mostly Escorts) to Britain. The Cork plant closed in 1984. The Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 was a landmark labour-relations dispute in the United Kingdom. The strike began on 7 June 1968, when women sewing machinists at Dagenham plant walked out and were later followed by the machinists at Halewood Body & Assembly plant . The women were responsible for car seat covers, and their strike eventually led to
5265-525: Was announced just in time for the London Motor Show in October 1966, though deliveries commenced only in January 1967. As with the earlier Zephyrs, volumes did not justify tooling up for estate production at the Dagenham plant , and the cars were instead built by E.D. Abbott Ltd of Farnham , based on part finished saloons received from Ford. The Mark IV Zephyr estates (like their more expensive Zodiac siblings) came with black vinyl-covered roof,
5346-411: Was available trimmed in leather or cloth. The front doors and bonnet panels were shared with the Zephyr 6. The Executive version had extra luxury fittings again. The 2553 cc, single-carburettor, six-cylinder engine was improved internally to increase the power output to 109 bhp and a new four-speed all synchromesh transmission with column change was fitted. The brakes, servo assisted, use discs at
5427-544: Was available with four-door saloon, estate, and two-door convertible bodies. The convertible version was made by Carbodies and had a power-operated hood; the estate car was by Abbotts of Farnham and was sold as the Farnham. In addition to the main British Ford factory in Dagenham, the Consul and Zephyr were assembled at Ford New Zealand's Seaview factory in Lower Hutt from knock-down kits. The large Fords competed with
5508-543: Was both larger and had more internal space, and came up with the idea of placing the spare wheel ahead of the radiator on an angle. The result was a vehicle of similar dimensions to the North American Ford Fairlane . The Mk IV range was launched, not at an October motor show, but in early 1966 with new V-format engines, the 4 having a 1,996 cc (122 cu in) V4 and the 2,495 cc (152 cu in) V6 unit. The independent suspension
5589-493: Was determined to run all European business himself. Perry resigned in May 1919. His American managers having failed him, Henry Ford offered Perry the chairmanship of this new Ford Motor Company Limited in 1928. At the first meeting of shareholders in London on 6 March 1929, Perry reported "during the first three months of our first year we and our associated companies in Europe have delivered upwards of 50,000 Model 'A' vehicles into
5670-430: Was distinguishable from other models by exterior trim and name badges on the front and rear. An automatic transmission-equipped Ford Executive was tested by Britain's Autocar in 1967. It had a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 13.1 seconds. An overall fuel consumption of 17.2 miles per imperial gallon (16.4 L/100 km; 14.3 mpg ‑US )
5751-450: Was for Canada, having the benefit of Imperial Preference tariffs , to manufacture components for Ford assembly plants in the British Empire. Dagenham was to do, and did, the same for assembly plants in Europe, but in 1932, mired in the financial depression, both France and Germany announced their intention to impose heavy new tariffs on imported components. In France, urgent arrangements were made with Mathis for their plant to be leased by
5832-400: Was not assembled locally after 1960, and once available only as a fully imported model, was much harder to obtain than the locally assembled Velox. In 1961, Ford began a complete redesign on the Zephyr, under the title of "Project Panda". As the car used the new V-series engines, the then traditional long bonnet concept created a problem until design engineer Harley Copp required that the car
5913-438: Was offered with power-operated hood. Because of the structural weaknesses inherent in the construction of convertibles, few are known to survive. A convertible with overdrive tested by The Motor in 1961 had a top speed of 88.3 mph (142.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 17.0 seconds. A fuel consumption of 24.5 miles per imperial gallon (11.5 L/100 km; 20.4 mpg ‑US )
5994-453: Was opened in 1911, employing 60 people to make the Model T , and the company was re-registered as Henry Ford & Son, Ltd. This was the first Ford factory outside North America. At first, the cars were assembled from imported chassis and mechanical parts, with bodies sourced locally. Six thousand cars were produced in 1913, and the Model T became the country's biggest selling car, with 30% of
6075-652: Was recorded. By these performance criteria, the Ford betrayed its weight, but nevertheless usefully bettered the similarly sized 3.3-L-engined Vauxhall Viscount . The Ford's recommended retail price of £1,567 exceeded the £1,483 sticker price on the Viscount. Ford of Britain Ford Motor Company Limited , trading as Ford of Britain , is a British wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Technologies Limited (formerly called Blue Oval Holdings), itself
6156-527: Was recorded. The test car cost £1193 including taxes. In Australia, the Mark II Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac were built at Ford Australia 's factory in Geelong . Sedan, coupe utility [more commonly abbreviated to "Ute"], and both four-cylinder Consul and six-cylinder Zephyr station wagon versions were produced. No Zodiac version station wagons were offered. The Australian-developed Mark II Station Wagon differed from its British Estate Car counterpart in having
6237-498: Was recorded. The test car cost £842 including taxes, but was fitted with optional leather trim, heater, and radio. The Zephyr Zodiac (or Zodiac Mark I) was an upmarket version of the Zephyr launched at the London Motor Show in autumn 1953. It had two-tone paintwork, leather trim, a heater, windscreen washers, whitewall tyres, and spot lights. The engine had a higher compression ratio – 7.5:1 instead of 6.8:1 – increasing
6318-458: Was released in April 1966. This car's design anticipated the later Consul/Granada range with V-type engines and independent rear suspension, but the development of the model was rushed, which was reflected in its durability. It was one of the first medium-priced cars to feature rear disc brakes. The Zephyr was the last car to be independently designed by Ford of Britain ; closer integration with Ford-Werke of Cologne had already started with both
6399-907: Was settled out of court in 1952. Charles E. Sorensen 's autobiography—he was a director of this company—described Ferguson so unfavourably that his UK publishers were obliged to scrap all copies and pay costs; Sorensen made a public apology. During the Second World War , the Dagenham plant turned out 360,000 vehicles, and a new factory in Trafford Park , Manchester, made 34,000 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. After World War II, civilian production resumed. Dagenham made 115,000 vehicles in 1946, and factories in Walthamstow in Essex (later London) and Langley in Buckinghamshire (later Berkshire ) were acquired. The millionth vehicle made since
6480-608: Was significantly cheaper to manufacturer than the Zephyr, with the Mark III being relegated to special order only. New Zealand assembly of the Mark II, also from CKD kits, now included the Zodiac. The big Fords from Britain were now offered alongside the Australian-sourced Ford Falcon and also competed with the Vauxhall Victor and Velox, Holden, and Australia's Chrysler Valiant. Supplies were restricted due to strict import licensing rules in place at
6561-516: Was stressed that workers taken off Zephyr/Zodiac production would all be redeployed on the Cortina production lines. An estate version of the Zodiac Mk IV was announced at the same time as the Zephyr equivalent, and built alongside it at Farnham . No "Executive" estate was built. The "Executive" was an upmarket version, and had the highest specification offered by Ford to UK customers in
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