The numbers of 1950s cars at shows is dwindling. Classic Car Weekly's Nick Larkin shows you how to buck the trend with some affordable buys from the decade of rock ‘n’ roll.
Right you ‘orrible little readers. You’re back in the 1950s now so there’s no room for dithering, inaccuracy or acting the giddy goat. Are you of a nervous disposition? Tough!
Our subject today is motor cars, proper ones from a great era, and the purchase thereof. You weak-kneed layabouts of 2016 have been neglecting precious survivors in favour of vile, plastic filled rubbish from the 1980s and 90s, some even made in faraway foreign places such as France.
Treason! So we are going to teach you today about 1950s cars that most of you can afford with your strange modern money. It has been a major task to choose just ten so we’ve stuck to reasonably affordable models that are relatively easy to get hold of and maintain for under £10,000. Most importantly, they’re useable classics that won’t cost the earth to enjoy.
We have issued strict instructions to go for models introduced in the 1950s so have left out such glorious choices as the Wolseley 6/80 and the otherwise highly recommended Morris Minor which first sniffed the air in the 1940s.
Anything to whittle the number down to ten. The Mini, Anglia 105E, Triumph Herald and even the beloved BMC Farina are more associated with the 1960s, and what we are looking for here is cars loaded with 1950s stewed brisket and prunes on Sunday charm.
Solidly built, over-engineered and made with strong components, with the even the sidelight lenses having Made in England proudly emblazoned upon them. Big bouncy seats, polished wood and gleaming chrome on proper thick radiator grilles and bumpers, and, along with beautifully made badges.
Lovely simple mechanics and the delicious smell of hot engine mixed with warm leather or Vynide, and wonderful period dashboards and fittings. Original pre-suffix numberplates (they had better be!).
People tended to buy cars to keep long term in the ‘50s, not as something to dispose of two years later. So get off that settee, turn off the wireless, quick march and buy one of these cars. And get your hair cut while you’re at it!
AUSTIN A30/A35 (1951-1958)
A car absolutely certain to raise the same smile and as many ‘ooh’s’ as would the sight of a particularly fluffy kitten. It’s undeniably cute, with little chubby curves and a proud ‘flying A’ mascot on the tiny bonnet, which, this being such a friendly looking car, you could never imagine anyunfortunate pedestrian being impaled upon. Neither would an A30/5 ever pollute the air or leak oil, or at least you’d think so to look at them
Sorry reader(s) from Llandrindrod Wells or Macduff, but ‘Austin of England’ badges are also carried. Aww, look, teeny doors, especially when there are four, as opposed to two, little wheeltrims with Austin on.
Under all this is a surprisingly useable car, with rugged and reliable components. This especially applies to the A35 introduced in 1956, which has a 948cc version of the BMC A-series engine instead of the early car’s803cc, a stronger gearbox and a larger rear window.
Though not as fine handling as a Morris Minor, and certainly not Mini ‘chuckable,’ the A35 is predictable within its limits.
It’s also surprisingly spacious inside, if a tad narrow, with acceptable room for rear seat passengers. All this, and van and Countryman estate versions available too, along with excellent A30-A35 Owners Club support!
FORD 100E/107E (1953-1962)
Some cars have their own appeal that is a combination of many minor factors, no more so that the Ford 100E and the near identical, apart from one big difference, 107E.
It’s partly the styling, which is neat yet so period, with lovely details. And something about the size, which even to those of us who love big, bulbous vehicles just seems exactly right. Not too large or small, just perfect, maybe in the same way as BMC’s phenomenally successful 1100/1300 a decade later, originally have an Anglia (two door, basic) and Prefect (four door, bit less basic) both with 1172cc sidevalves. Basically a 1950s car with a 1930s engine, a three-gearbox and character galore. How about an early Anglia with three bar grille and kidney shaped instrument cluster. Basic heaven!
These cars were built at the rate of 100,000 a year and survived in fair numbers, although you’d be lucky to find an Escort or Squire estate today.
IN 1959 came the 100E Popular and also the model we recommend here, the 107E Prefect, looking identical to its predecessor but with the 997cc overhead valve engine and gearbox from the new Ford Anglia 105E. This makes a lot of difference, especially today, though all models are surprisingly useable around town.
FORD MK2 ZEPHYR (1956-1962)
Now it might be necessary to wave your £10,000 in cash temptingly in front of a vendor to get a good Zephyr for that money nowadays, but well worth it for this six-cylinder delight. Or you could go for a pristine example of sister car the four-cylinder Consul and have enough left over for a good lunch at Fortes.
Time has numbed the memory of the huge step forward the Mk1 versions of these cars had on the British market, with three box bodies, sleek styling and MacPherson struts. Compare them to an Austin Somerset and the word ‘revolution’ would come to mind,
In 1956 came the Mk2 range with was even more sleek and longer body, bigger engines and bigger engines, meaning the even the Consul could near 80mph,
But the six-cylinder Zephyr and even more luxurious Zodiac (to be honest above our price range and as for the convertible, er don’t even think about it) could nearly hit 90.
The cars were extremely well designed and their mechanics were super-reliable, a major achievement for Ford of Britain, and used proper thick metal. Zephyrs are no problem on any motorway and handling isn’t bad either, the ride being superb. Never dismiss these cars are barges for much ageing teddy boys. They are far more than that.
ROVER P5 3-Litre (1958-1967)
The Rover P5 in all its forms is among our all-time favourite classics, but we often wonder why so many people forget the lovely earlier cars in favour of the 1967 onwards P5B with its Yankee reject gas guzzling V8 engine. By 1958 the dear old P4 was looking a little aged, even the staid standards of the Rover Motor Company and its stripey suit man in the city average customer.
The P5 was even bigger and managed to be yet more imposing, and every inch a Rover. Every component was to the highest quality, and engineered for reliability at 90mph.
Inside was a wood and leather world, with sumptuous seats, a vast steering wheel with Rover central mascot, a work of art in itself, plush thick carpet and deep cloth headlining. Nothing comes close.
The well-proven Rover P4 engine was fitted in 2995cc form and if you get a manual car (recommended) there’s the ultimate in joyous Rover gear whine and the chance of topping 20mpg. Earliest cars had drum brakes but you could, and surely must nowadays get an example with servo assisted front brakes, Power steering didn’t arrive until 1960.
What a car, Imagine sitting in the back in 1958 reading The Times while proposing to your driver that those ‘ban the bombers’ should be clapped in irons and thrashed!
WOLSELEY 15/50 (1956-1958)
Here is surely one of the best classic compromises of all time, and great in its own right. Here is a car we often recommend to anyone wanting a proper classic of deep 1950s appeal but easy to maintain. We also love its sister car, the MG ZA/ZB Magnette but you’d be struggling to find a goodie for £10,000 nowadays and we think the Wolseley very much has its own appeal. In fact the visually almost identical Wolseley 4/44 (Let’s include this on the list too!) arrived first in 1952, featuring a 1250cc MG XPAG engine, a tad small maybe to power quite a heavy machine,
The 15/50 replaced this in 1956, but under the skin was a 1489cc BMC B-series engine, which would power countless models into the 1970s, and a floor rather than a column.
The overall package is superb, with beautiful Gerald Palmer-designed bodywork and an interior, down to the dashboard and seats similar to far bigger, thirstier and much more expensive Wolseleys. Mechanical spares are easy peasy, and here is a mid-size easy to manoeuvre model. Come to think of it is this car too good to be a compromise. Now we are confused and going to have one of our turns. Bring on the 1950s electric shock treatment!
MORRIS OXFORD SERIES II (1954-59)
The words ‘Morris Oxford’ seem to sum up cosy 1950s motoring even though cars bearing that name were made in other decades, not least the sidevalve MO Oxford built up to 1954.
We really love the Series II Oxford, which took over from 1954- 1956, and we can also include the slightly more chrome laden Series III (56-59) on our list, and the earlier Cowley, a basic Series II Oxford in 1200cc form.
Lovely roly-poly and are there not a couple of styling cues with a certain later BMC model some may remember as the Mini? Not surprising as one Mr A Issigonis was design genius of both cars.
Inside it’s a bit Mini-like too, with instruments in the middle of the dash. Of particular joy are the lovely squashy seats which you would just love to bounce up and down on for hours like a big kid in 1950s school uniform.
Rack and pinion steering and torsion bar suspension gave the car surprisingly good handling and visibility was really good too.
Today an Oxford is a joy to drive, won’t really show you up on A-roads, the gearchange isn’t bad, the brakes not startlingly wonderful but still okay if you feel like some exercise, why not stop for a seat bounce?
VAUXHALL VICTOR F-SERIES (1957-1961)
Mention Americans to those of us who lived through the 1950s and you’ll be harangued with tales of brash ‘Yanks’ who have everything bigger than us, and nicked our best ‘dames’ during the war.
We loved aspects of their culture however, and if we ridiculed US chrome laden monster cars but we still wanted some of their features in smaller digestible form, like Wimpy did hamburgers.
No purer example of this was there than the Vauxhall F-series Victor, some of the styling actually being carried out by GM in Detroit, which decided that a wrap around windscreen should be incorporated. The result did resemble a scaled-down Chevy but under the jazzy exterior were some sturdy proper British Vauxhall mechanics.
The 1508cc four-cylinder engine was new, and would soon gain an excellent reputation for toughness and reliability, as did the all-synchromesh three-speed gearbox. An anti-roll bar and Vauxhall manufactured hydraulic dampers helped make this a surpringly happy handling car.
Very much unhappy though was the car’s ability to rust, that Las Vegas styling hiding a near subterranean city of rust traps which soon burst out into salt-laden British roads. The car’s more chrome laden Super model has the almost shoot the creator mad idea of having the exhaust appear through the rear bumper, hardly a rustproofing brainwave, but loveable today.
SUNBEAM ALPINE(1959-1968)
It may look sporty as ‘eck but underneath the skin is basically a Hillman Husky/van derived platform. No Italian exotica can beat that and due to the inherent quality of Rootes products we are still talking about a very nice car. Most importantly, it’s the only 1950s vehicle of sports car appearance that falls within our price range. The ‘Frogeye’ Austin Healey Sprite, the obvious choice, having spiralled well above it in price.
The Alpine looks great, has independent front suspension, front discs, lever arm dampers and on its launch in 1959 a 1494cc engine from the Sunbeam Rapier. Plus proper big rear fins. Not the calmed down type of later models, which would also have larger engines.
The car is more than a match for the MGB, introduced three years and is a joy to drive, though the handling, never that bad, was later enhanced by a meatier anti-roll bar.
Alpines are extremely comfortable, well appointed and with a comprehensive display of instruments. It’s a wonder they weren’t marketed in the 1950s ‘as the sports car even a woman could drive,’ Under strict supervision of course.
Just like today 1950s motorist had the choice of losing their fillings bouncing along on some vast chassied all leaf sprung unrefined manly sports car or zipping merrily in a happy refined Alpine. A difficult choice?
HILLMAN MINX/SINGER GAZELLE SERIES I-VI (1956-1967)
Anything from 1950s Rootes is loaded with charm, style and as the company’s literature stated was ‘a better buy because it’s better built.’
So badge engineering was alive and well in Rootesville as when the new Hillman Minx was launched in 1956 you could also have a rather more plush mini limousine-likeSinger Gazelle, Rootes having just taken over that manufacturer. The earliest Gazelles had Singer engines, allegedly to use these up, but soon all were joined in 1390 and later 1494cc Series III harmony.
Rootes believed in regular styling updates, which is why the Series I-III versions represent the best bet at getting true 1950s charm. Each generation had differerent grilles, the late cars spouting larger tail fins, and there were several interior changes too.
Materials used were of good quality and often wonderfully period. Convertibles and estates were also available but rare today. The cars are all great to drive today but the bigger engine and brakes do put the Series IIIs at the front of the queue.
The are American cues in the styling, but the cars have so much British Rootsiness about them along with unbridled quality and charm. Drive one and you’ll almost forget you are in a mid-market product. And that’s just the Minx, never mind the cosseting Gazelle.
STANDARD 8/10/PENNANT (1953-1960)
Just to put you younger whippersnappers right, the marquee name ‘Standard’ meant the to an obviously high standard rather than basic spec. Standard Triumph had considerable success with its range of small four door cars in the 1950s and many felt they beat all rivals. Today these cars are largely forgotten, thus affordable. The deeply basic early 8 model came minus a boot lid, access being. via the rear seat. The 803cc Eight was joined by the 948cc Ten, which came with its own bootlid.
The cars gradually became less basic, overdrive becoming an option on some models. A Companion estate (what an apt name for such a friendly vehicle!) van and pick-up joined the range, outlasting car production which finished in 1960. The most honourable mention has to go to the Pennant of 1956, which has two tone paint, longer wings and a Paradise of a 1950s interior, which according to Standard had ‘self breathing Vynide upholstery. Heavy breathing, obviously. What a lovely thing, and useable too! The Standard Motor Club has been commenting on the lack of all these cars at events. Now, you know how to help put things right!