MK2 Consul~Zephyr~Zodiac Owners club

MK2     CONSUL   ,  ZEPHYR   &      ZODIAC …

 

A BRIEF HISTORY

Ford decided to change the design of their present  Mk1 family model in early 1954 and with the planning department in full swing a prototype Zodiac took to the roads in the darkness of a cold December night in 1954 .Two other Mk2’s made up the trio by January 1955 ,another Zodiac and a Consul. Soon after running in, they set off on a ferry to Holland and travelled across northern Europe to a rigorous testing track in the – 40C temperatures of Germany .Here they were put through their paces on mountain roads and long ,open autobahn’s .Several other MK2’s were also sent for testing to all parts of Great Britain as well as Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising .

   With development work completed by late 1955 ,a production date was set for the following January 26^th . Zephyr’s and Zodiac’s first ,then Consul’s by early February .The first milestone of the Mk2 range was reached on Tuesday , February the 21^st 1956 , when Ford of Dagenham announced the ‘’3 Graces ‘’. New model numbers were issued to identify the car’s .The Consul was given the 204E number due to it’s 4 cylinder 1703cc engine and the  Zephyr and Zodiac were known as the 206E as they had the larger 2553cc  6 cylinder engine .Ford hired Harringay Arena for the VIP launch .It was overflowing with Ford executives and officials from   Great Britain and overseas . The styling by Colin Neale’s team was widely acknowledged as having a transatlantic influence and  was a triumph with the motoring press and public alike . Another positive for the newly launched cars was the retail price of Ford’s 3 new ladies.The Consul was available at £781,the Zephyr cost £872  and  the Zodiac retailed at £969 .Ford  continued to please the car buying public with  the addition of many new colours such as Carlisle Blue ,Wells Fawn ,Warwick Green and Ivory and Black . A few months later to satisfy the growing trend for a more stylish automobile .Ford introduced the 3 Graces in convertible form and unsurprisingly ,they went down a storm .Despite the re-tooling and cost of raw materials, all the cars were offered at excellent value for money prices which was backed up by consistently top end sales figures and exceptional reviews by the motoring press .       

ED Abbotts of Farnham took many Consul’s ,  Zephyr’s and Zodiacs through their factory doors and made them into estate models .The boot capacity with the seats down was an impressive 66cu ft. Ford reported  on many occasions that supplying the high demand for all types of the cars was an issue several times during the car’s 6 year run .

    With the new car’s came the options of new refinements .Borg Warner Model DG automatic gearboxes were available at  £187 extra. The later manual car buyers were offered the option of  overdrive . Leather seats on some models  and higher levels of trim were also introduced .Some optional extras and some as standard . Another very sought after refinement was the highly tuned engine  improvements by Raymond Mays .He offered an alloy tuned cylinder head ,twin SU carburettors and twin tails pipes for the 6 cylinder's ,for £135 .These converted cars are highly sought after today and prices reflect their stature in the MK2 history .

   The cars in all their guises went to receive glowing reports from the motoring press of the late fifties .They were put through their paces on race tracks and extensive gruelling trips , with the Good Year tyre company running a Zephyr for over 410,000 miles with only 2 engine changes .The original engine gave the owners an incredible 158,000 miles . The car was taken at an average of 50mph for the 20 month trial and it’s last 3 month doing 24hrs on the M1 with it’s boot well overloaded .

    In 1958 with the marque very well established in the British and worldwide motoring psyche .They were used by the Police and even Her Majesty the Queen had Zephyr estate .Ford made some changes to the basic shape and appearance of the cars .The roof line was  lowered   by   1½"  so the car looked sleeker and more appealing .A new more efficient braking system was also offered and supplied .Some of the painted items were now offered as chrome items such as headlamp bezels .The rear of some of the models was restyled with highly polished additions and  more chrome goodies .Interior refinements such as different seat materials and fabrics  and dashboard features all went to keep the cars fresh and up to date .This was the era of the so called ‘’ Low Line ‘’ Mk2 . The later model Consul’s were also given a freshen up  with the addition of the De Luxe and subsequently the 375 .Both cars were given embellishments so they would appeal to the car buyer who didn’t really want the extra speed and fuel consumption of the 6 cylinder engine but appreciated the styling refinements of the Zodiac model at a lower cost . The convertibles also benefited from optional extras depending on the model with the power hood being offered at an economical £75.

  Ford went on to enjoy great success with the Mk2 in all it’s many form’s , be it the saloon , estate models made by  ED Abbotts of Farnham , the highly prized convertibles or the antipodean favourite , the Ute . It produced in excess of 680,000 of the cars and they were sold all over the world .The 1956  New York Motor Show was the scene of a lot of  arguing when 2   Ford of America salesman couldn’t agree who was the first to sell a Mk2 . The both cars were sold within 15 minutes of the doors opening . Show manager Gerald martin declared it a dead heat ,much to the salesmen’s disappointment .

  Despite global problems such as the Suez crisis and petrol supply issues  Ford continued to give the motoring public an excellent car up until another model change in late 1962 when the MK3 came on sale . In April 1962 the production of the 3 Graces came to an end . Ford Australia couldn’t agree terms with the parent company and the Mk2 ceased down under also .The Australians turning their attention for a reliable utility vehicle to the 2.3 litre Falcon .

      Ford’s  MK2  Consul’s   , Zephyr’s  and Zodiac’s  are a fine example of economy and styling  that  will never be equalled .With it’s proven reliability , performance and  exceptional  appearance   it is easy to see why the MK2 is so highly  regarded today .