Harry Potter and the Magic of the Ford Anglia 105E

In the second installment of J.K. Rowling's famous saga, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," a small 3.91-meter car with a distinctive inverted rear window appears. This was the Ford Anglia 105E, a model very popular in the UK during the 1960s, both on the streets and in rallies and circuits.

But let's go back to the beginning of the story. Undoubtedly, the first generation of the Ford Anglia was not born at the best time. It was 1939, and Hitler was dividing Poland with Stalin, starting World War II. Six years later, from the "Thousand-Year Reich," only death, ruin, and misery remained, Stalin sat with the victors, and the Anglia continued its journey until 1949.

The first Anglia was a small two-door car, created and manufactured by Ford's British branch. Based on the British model, an Anglia was manufactured in Australia between 1946 and 1948, but with different bodies. A second generation of the Anglia arrived in 1949, and it also had its Australian variant.

The third generation, named Anglia 100E, debuted in 1953. It had nothing in common with the previous two, except that it remained a small car: now it featured a modern pontoon-type body (with integrated fenders), inspired by its bigger brother, the Ford Consul, and with the chassis integrated into it.

And then came 1959. Yes, the same year a group called "The Quarrymen" (four lads named John, Paul, George... and Ken) played at the "Casbah Coffee Club," the British automotive scene was shaken by two new arrivals: the Morris Mini Minor and the fourth edition of the Ford Anglia (dubbed 105E).

Successor to the Ford Anglia 100E, the Anglia 105E featured a completely innovative body designed by American Elwood P. Engel: the unique inverted rear window attracted much attention and also divided opinions. For its creator, the aim of this design was to improve the rear space of the vehicle, but it was also argued that it helped keep the window clean, especially in the rain. In any case, it was clear that this aesthetic element set it apart from other models in its segment. As for the rest of the design, the Anglia was like a small reproduction of American models of the time, with a front dominated by a large grille, chrome "eyebrows" over the headlights, and a rear with space-age fins.

Initially, there were only two versions available, the Standard and Deluxe sedans. Both were two-door models, although, to satisfy buyers who wanted a four-door sedan, Ford also launched the Prefect 107E, a combination of the Ford Anglia / Prefect 100E body with the Anglia 105E mechanics.

But let's return to "our" Anglia 105E and its two variants. The Standard was a simple and functional model, with minimal chrome details and lacking "luxuries" such as a glove box lid, passenger sun visor, temperature gauge, or floor mats. On the other hand, the Deluxe, in addition to having rear window openings, accentuated the American style with optional two-tone paint and a large amount of chrome on the exterior: on the front grille, which spanned the entire front, on the side stripe, and on the rear lights. The interior was also better equipped, but heating remained an option...

A common point among all these Anglias: their 997 cc engine with 37.5 hp, with overhead valves capable of reaching a top speed of 120 km/h, while maintaining excellent fuel consumption figures. This new 105E engine had particularly square proportions for the time. When we talk about "oversquare," it refers to the fact that the bore, 80.96 mm, is greater than the stroke, 48.4 mm. This configuration allowed for interesting modifications: many ended up installed in Formula 3 single-seaters.

The range of three sedans remained practically unchanged until June 1961. The Ford Prefect 107E disappeared from the catalog, and the Ford Thames vans were added to the new Anglia range. In September of the same year, the Ford Anglia Estate was introduced, a station wagon that was an immediate success.

In 1962, following the announcement of the Ford Cortina Mk 1, the Ford Anglia Super was introduced. It featured the Cortina's 1,198 cc engine with 48 hp (thus reaching a top speed of 132 km/h), but it also stood out for its standard two-tone paint, a distinctive side stripe, additional chrome trim, and a more luxurious interior that finally included heating. Although these horsepower figures may seem low by today's standards, the power-to-weight ratio was very favorable, and the result was quite "fun." And so it attracted many drivers and tuners, both for rallying and circuit racing.

In 1966, two special editions based on the Deluxe and Super models were launched. These cars were available in Venetian Gold or Blue Mink metallic paint finishes with black interior trims. About 250 models were sold in each color.

All these versions of the Anglia continued in production with relatively minor modifications until November 1967, before the launch of the Ford Escort Mk 1 in January the following year.

The Ford Anglia was a great success in Britain, and the brand's executives thought this success could be exported. So they decided to produce it at Ford's plant in Antwerp, Belgium, from 1961, under the name Anglia Sportsman (and the code 106E): this variant had the spare wheel at the rear of the car, something similar to the "continental kit" style typical of the United States at the time. It was also exported to the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy: Ford Italy redesigned the Anglia by changing most of the body panels and tilting the rear window in the opposite direction: thus the Ford Anglia Torino was born. But, outside its cradle, the Anglia was seen almost as a British eccentricity.

While in its original market, Great Britain, it is far from unknown, in the rest of Europe it was not a well-known model, except to connoisseurs.

But that was before Harry Potter... J.K. Rowling chose the Ford Anglia in her second novel of the saga because it was the car of a close friend. And in 2002, when "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" premiered in cinemas, the car's popularity skyrocketed.

The version used in the film is a blue Anglia 105E Deluxe, owned by none other than Arthur Weasley, the father of the hero's best friend, Ron Weasley. A spell allows it to fly, being invisible to non-magical people (known as "Muggles"), or to have enormous capacity for occupants and luggage.

When Harry Potter and Ron Weasley miss the Hogwarts Express, the Ford Anglia takes them on a fantastic race against time that ends with an emergency landing on the "Whomping Willow." To achieve this scene, six Anglias had to be used. And only two remained intact. One of them was even stolen from the South West Studio's parking lot in 2005. After an anonymous call, it was found barely six months later, in Cornwall, in the courtyard of a 14th-century castle, in perfect condition. The other unit was acquired in 2015 by Liam Payne, a member of the group One Direction.

We mentioned that its popularity increased after appearing on screen. And so did the price: today, it can be found starting at 7,000 euros, but in good condition, it already exceeds 10,000 euros. In fact, the main problem will be finding one in good condition. Even if 1,083,960 units were built in England or Belgium, few have survived in good condition. It must be said that the Anglia, like many cars of the time, is very affected by rust, accentuated by the British climate, where most of the units come from. And many lost their engine, robust and very attractive to tuners, which ended up in different racing cars.