1. Ford 300E van.
The Thames 300E van shared much of its design with - but pre-dated - the Ford 100E-based Squire and Escort models, both of which were estates but shared the same basic profile as the van. Under the skin, much was common to the 100E saloon, including the 1,172cc sidevalve engine lurking beneath the bonnet. High-tech it may not have been, but as a dependable slogger, the sidevalve unit was deemed good enough at the time by the Ford designers.
|
| (Please click the thumbnail to view full-size image.) |
|
|
|
The 5cwt 300E van came to the market in 1954, replacing the pre-war designed E494C and sold until 1961. The uprated 7cwt version arrived in 1955, as did the estate versions.
|
2. A pale-coloured 300E.
Next, a light-coloured 300E with a mum and young child sat in the passenger side of the van. Wing mirrors have been fitted to this example, a wise move as visibility out of any van is always a compromise when compared to their estate-car and saloon cousins. In the background, and only just visible, are a good number of people, many of whom appear to be enjoying a swim.
|
|
|
|
Return to Page 13 in the classic & vintage car photo gallery.
|
|
More photos of the 100E saloon can be found here, while the replacement for the 300E - the Anglia 105E-based 307E - can be seen on this page.
|
|
Tuning Ford sidevalves was a popular(..) pastime in the '50s and '60s. Photos of a much-tuned 300E, fitted with a rare overhead inlet valve conversion, can be found on the Willment Powermaster page within the tuning section at OCC. Some years back I went to view a 7cwt van that had been stored, in un-restored "barn fresh" condition, for many a year - the story of that "find" can be read here.
|
