1966 Ford Zephyr

In 1961 Ford followed the successful 1959 105E Anglia with the disastrous mid-sized Consul Classic. It used the Z-window that had been successful on the Anglia, but the rest of the car was a pastiche of late 1950s American ideas that already looked dated. Unimpressed by the garish Vauxhall Victor and Cresta, UK buyers gave the Consul Classic the thumbs down, and it was only built from 1961-63.

However, Ford had taken the Consul name away from the bigger Zephyr series, so the 4-cylinder car was now called the Zephyr 4, when the Mk III was launched in 1962. The new car was even bigger than the Mk II, a full six-seater with a big boot – more than 15-feet long. The design was based on a 1960 concept by Pietro Frua, reinterpreted by Canadian Roy Brown, (who designed the Edsel) and who added a number of American Ford Falcon cues.

But it wasn’t a complete disaster, the Zephyr 4 and Zephyr 6 featured a wide “T-Bird” C-pillar, but the top-of-the-line Zodiac actually retained Frua’s sharper and more elegant 6-light greenhouse. Both had Frua’s angled rear fins, though Frua’s fussy front end with its angled headlights was ditched. The Zephyr 4 had a single vertically barred grille with separate headlights on each end. The Zephyr 6 featured a divided grille, like a Pontiac, and single headlights within the surround. The Zodiac received a much more American 4-headlight treatment, in a full-width horizontal mesh grille.

The 4-cylinder OHV engine was still 1703cc, but now developed 65bhp with a top speed of 81mph. The Mk II’s problematic 3-speed gear had been replaced by a 4-speed synchromesh column shift and an overdrive was optional, as was an automatic transmission. The Zephyr 4 frame remained the same as the Mk II, but the Zephyr 6 and Zodiac units were reinforced and rear axles were strengthened. Power front disc brakes were standard.

The Zephyr 6 offered a welcome central armrest to keep the drive in place, and two-speed wipers were now electric, though a heater was still optional. The Zodiac offered a 109bhp version of the 2553cc, OHV 6-cylinder it shared with the Zephyr 6 and the Zodiac’s top speed was an even 100 mph. The 1965-66 Zodiac Executive was fitted with radio, spotlights, leather trim and optional front bucket seats.

Ford did not offer a Mk III convertible, but Abbotts of Farnham built 725 Estates, with the thin C-pillar from the Zodiac saloon and a sharply angled fibreglass rear lift gate.

The Frua Zephyrs are best remembered as the patrol cars from the television series Z-Cars, and the model was used by the Lancashire constabulary. The Police Package Zephyr 6 received Zodiac tuning and additional wiring for special equipment. A few of the estates were employed as for Motorway patrol, but were discovered to weave at high speed, until a large chunk of concrete was placed in the boot.

The Zephyr Mk III was never expected to have a long run, as Ford was concentrating on its own the Mk IV, due in 1967. In all 106,810 Zephyr 4s were sold, 107,380 Zephyr 6s and a surprising 77,709 Zodiacs, which were the most expensive at £1,070, including tax.

The boxy, Falcon-influenced Mk IV was introduced in 1967, with a long hood and short trunk like the Mustang. The spare was actually carried ahead of the engine, under the hood at an angle. But the V-4 and V-6 engines had teething troubles, and the independent rear suspension was problematic from the start.

Time has been quite kind to Frua’s Mk III design, much less so to its unitary structure and lack of rust-proofing. The majority have long since rusted away.