# Ford Consul
The **Ford Consul** was a four-cylinder medium saloon built by [Ford of Britain](https://www.edgepedia.org/ford-of-britain) from 1951 to 1962, the entry-level model of the Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac range and the first all-new car Ford offered in the United Kingdom after the Second World War.[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) It was shown at the 1950 Earls Court Motor Show alongside the six-cylinder Zephyr and went into production in 1951.[2](https://www.gbclassiccars.co.uk/ford_consulmk1.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launch | Shown at the 1950 Earls Court Motor Show; production from 1951, with the Zephyr forming the "Five Star" range[2](https://www.gbclassiccars.co.uk/ford_consulmk1.html) • [1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) |
| Engine | 1,508 cc overhead-valve inline four, 47 hp at 4,400 rpm[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) |
| Performance | Top speed 72 mph, 0–60 mph in 28 seconds[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) |
| Technical firsts | First UK Ford with unitary construction, overhead-valve engine, hydraulic brakes, hydraulic clutch, 12-volt electrics and independent front suspension; first British production car with MacPherson strut front suspension[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) • [3](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/tech/cc-tech-the-origins-of-the-macpherson-strut-suspension/) |
| Body styles | Four-door saloon; two-door convertible by Carbodies of Coventry from 1953; estate by Abbott of Farnham[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) |
| Production | 231,481 MkI Consuls built before the MkII range arrived in 1956[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) |
| MkII | Introduced February 1956 with a 1,703 cc engine of 59 bhp; Motor magazine recorded 79.3 mph and 0–60 mph in 23.2 seconds[4](https://classicandcompetitioncar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CCC156.pdf) |
| Price new | £809 for a 1955 convertible; the MkI saloon undercut the Austin A50 Cambridge at nearly £667[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) • [5](https://www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk/news/2024/november/12/the-austin-a50-cambridge-at-70/) |
## Mk I, 1951–1956
The Consul marked a technical reset for Ford of Britain. It replaced the aged sidevalve V8 Pilot with an oversquare 1,508 cc overhead-valve four, whose bore and stroke were shared with the new 2,262 cc six used in the Zephyr for commonality of internal parts.[6](https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/buyers-guide-ford-consul-zephyr-and-zodiac) The monocoque body had no separate chassis, and the [MacPherson strut](https://www.edgepedia.org/macpherson-strut) front suspension appeared on a British car for the first time; engineer Earle S. MacPherson, who had developed an early version for a [General Motors](https://www.edgepedia.org/general-motors) small-car project, patented the definitive design at Ford and it first saw production in the Consul and Zephyr.[7](https://fivestars.co.uk/club-history-2/) • [3](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/tech/cc-tech-the-origins-of-the-macpherson-strut-suspension/) Other modern features included a bench front seat and column gear change.[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/)
The car was not called Mk I at the time; the designation only came into use when the Mk II arrived in February 1956.[7](https://fivestars.co.uk/club-history-2/) Beyond the saloon, Carbodies of Coventry built a two-door convertible from 1953, and Abbott of Farnham, a Surrey coachbuilder, converted saloons into estate cars from about £150, work that kept the firm busy into the early 1960s.[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) • [8](https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/heritage-sites/heritage-detail/abbots-of-farnham) A utility or "ute" variant was produced in small numbers for export.[7](https://fivestars.co.uk/club-history-2/)
At nearly £667, the Mk I saloon undercut its mid-1950s rivals: the Austin A50 Cambridge, the Hillman Minx De Luxe at £681, and the E-Series Vauxhall Wyvern at £702.[5](https://www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk/news/2024/november/12/the-austin-a50-cambridge-at-70/) The Motor judged in March 1953 that "the Consul represents quite remarkable value".[1](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/) Contemporary comparison with the Morris Oxford was less flattering on equipment: the Consul's standard of finish was somewhat inferior to the BMC products, its three-speed gearbox was only just acceptable, and its windscreen wipers had a tendency to stop when needed most.[9](https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/morrisoxford.htm)
## Mk II, 1956–1962
The Mk II range, introduced in February 1956, was a completely new design sharing one bodyshell across the Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac, with the Consul as the basic four-cylinder version.[4](https://classicandcompetitioncar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CCC156.pdf) Its 1,703 cc straight four produced 59 bhp, and Motor magazine's 1956 test recorded a top speed of 79.3 mph and 0–60 mph in 23.2 seconds.[4](https://classicandcompetitioncar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CCC156.pdf) [Convertible](https://www.edgepedia.org/convertible) and estate versions continued, and the range served widely as police patrol cars in Britain and abroad.[10](https://glostransporthistory.visit-gloucestershire.co.uk/Police.htm)
Consul production ceased in 1962. The name itself survived as a prefix on Ford of Britain's medium-sized models of the early 1960s: the Consul Classic saloon with its reverse-rake rear window, the Consul Capri two-door coupé launched in September 1961, the Consul Cortina introduced in 1962, and the later Consul Corsair. In the large-car range the Consul's place was taken by the four-cylinder Zephyr 4.[11](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/features/ford-zephyr-zodiac-mk-iii-5529442.html) • [12](https://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/collections/featured-collections/motorcars/ford-consul-capri)
## Legacy
The Mk I Consul's engineering set patterns that outlasted the car. Its MacPherson strut front suspension became the standard arrangement for mass-production cars worldwide, and its engine family fed later Ford models; the 1,498 cc development of the Consul Classic engine even provided the basis for the [Lotus Cortina](https://www.edgepedia.org/lotus-cortina)'s twin-cam unit.[3](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/tech/cc-tech-the-origins-of-the-macpherson-strut-suspension/) • [13](https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/buyers-guide-lotus-cortina-mk1) Surviving Mk I and Mk II Consuls are supported by an active owners' club and specialist parts supply, though extensive rust and bodged repairs make careful inspection essential for buyers.[6](https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/buyers-guide-ford-consul-zephyr-and-zodiac)
## References
1. [Ford Consul Convertible MkI, National Motor Museum Trust](https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/collections/vehicles/ford-consul-convertible-mki/)
2. [Ford Consul Mk I spec, GB Classic Cars](https://www.gbclassiccars.co.uk/ford_consulmk1.html)
3. [The Origins of the MacPherson Strut Suspension, Curbside Classic](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/tech/cc-tech-the-origins-of-the-macpherson-strut-suspension/)
4. [Classic and Competition Car 106](https://classicandcompetitioncar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CCC156.pdf)
5. [The Austin A50 Cambridge at 70, Lancaster Insurance](https://www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk/news/2024/november/12/the-austin-a50-cambridge-at-70/)
6. [Ford Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac buyer's guide, Classic & Sports Car](https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/buyers-guide-ford-consul-zephyr-and-zodiac)
7. [Club History, Five Stars (Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac owners club)](https://fivestars.co.uk/club-history-2/)
8. [Abbotts of Farnham, National Transport Trust](https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/heritage-sites/heritage-detail/abbots-of-farnham)
9. [Pre-Farina Morris Oxfords and other elderly motorcars, Old Classic Car](https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/morrisoxford.htm)
10. [Model Police Car Collection, Gloucestershire Transport History](https://glostransporthistory.visit-gloucestershire.co.uk/Police.htm)
11. [Ford Zephyr/Zodiac Mk III, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/features/ford-zephyr-zodiac-mk-iii-5529442.html)
12. [1962 Ford Consul Capri, Lakeland Motor Museum](https://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/collections/featured-collections/motorcars/ford-consul-capri)
13. [Lotus Cortina Mk1 buyer's guide, Classic & Sports Car](https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/buyers-guide-lotus-cortina-mk1)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › British automobile models › Family and small cars*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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