I came across this Vintage 1957/58? Zephyr Mark II (206E) on my travels.
In good condition, most likely driven often as this photo was taken at the supermarket.
In 1956, the Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac were all restyled. The six-cylinder cars' engines were enlarged to 2,553 cc (156 cu in), with power output correspondingly raised to 86 bhp. The wheelbase was increased by 3 inches (76 mm) to 107 inches (2,700 mm) and the width increased to 69 inches (1,800 mm). Top speed increased to 88 mph (142 km/h), and the fuel consumption was also improved at 28 mpg, (10 L/100 km; 23 mpg‑US).
Figures like those do show how car design has improved over the years since, particularly engine power and efficiency.
Ford also sold those models here in the UK, but I think they were slightly smaller, lighter versions probably built in Britain to suit right-hand drive and the UK's Vehicle Construction and Use Regulations of the time. I saw one only a few days ago - a Consul I think - and it seemed fairly slim-line.
They were given a nod to 1950s Americana, with shallow tail-fins, hefty bumpers, rear wheel hatches and bits of chrome-plated trim; but the more extreme car styling fashions never crossed the Atlantic.
One detail you never see now is the opening quarter-light in the front doors. Very many 1950s-60s car makes and models had those. Another is the protruding door-handle. Those are all recessed now.
@ArishMell There was no difference in size between markets. What did happen - and this didn't occur to me until I'd grown up and grown older - was that the Consuls (four cylinders, 1,703cc) were built on a shorter wheelbase and with a shorter overall length compared to the Zephyrs and Zodiacs. The difference was to accommodate the longer engine, the extra length being let in in front of the 'A' pillar. The front door to front wheel distance is where' you'll see it.
This was no doubt a ruse to save steel in postwar Britain, at the penalty of having to stamp out different panels for the different-length cars. For subsequent big Fords from 1962 onwards, the four-and six-cylinder cars were identical in wheelbase.
Thanks for posting! It's nice to see these because they were everywhere when I was a kid. Ford had that part of the market in the bag in the UK - the Zephyr/Zodiac outsold the rival Vauxhall Velox/Cresta by two to one and left BMC trailing far behind. This is almost certainly a post-1958 car - low roofline and chrome headlight surrounds. Australian production included a 'ute' version with two doors and a flat loadbed, never seen in the UK.
