Ford Prefect Price Guide

The Ford Prefect of 1938 to 1961 was the four-door companion to the two-door Anglia. It was slightly more practical and more generously specified but shared the same sidevalve engine and basic chassis. Douglas Adams named Arthur Dent’s companion Ford Prefect after the car in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, on the assumption that the name would help him blend in as a dominant life form.

The Car

The Prefect used the same 1,172cc sidevalve four-cylinder as the Anglia and Popular, delivering 36bhp in a four-door body that added rear passenger convenience without any increase in performance. The 100E Prefect of 1953–1959 shared its body with the Anglia 100E. The earlier E93A/E493A Prefects used the upright pre-war body style. The Prefect was discontinued in 1961 when the Anglia 105E’s new overhead-valve engine made the sidevalve obsolete.

Buying

The Prefect’s four-door body adds practicality over the Anglia at similar prices. The Ford Sidevalve Owners Club supports all variants.