1970 Ford Zephyr

FORD ZEPHYR 4 ZEPHYR 6 ZODIAC & EXECUTIVE MK. IV.

The Ford Zephyr 4, Zephyr 6, Zodiac and Executive Mk. IV was a range of five/six seater four-door saloons or five-door estates, with a front engine driving the rear wheels. The Mk. IVs were the last of the US style big cars from Dagenham.

In January 1966, the Mk. IV replaced the Mk. III and one of the major talking points was the styling that was reminiscent of the 1966 Ford Fairlane. There were also new engines - a 2-Litre V4 for the Zephyr 4 and a 2.5 litre V6 for the Zephyr 6. The Zodiac was powered by the 3-Litre "Essex" V6 and all versions could be ordered with either a column or floor mounted gear lever. The steering was via recirculating ball and, unlike the Mk. III, the Mk. IVs had servo-assisted disc brakes fore & aft, all-independent suspension (a first for Ford GB) with front MacPherson struts and rear trailing arms with MacPherson hydraulic shock absorbers.

In October of that year, Ford introduced the Executive, which was the Zodiac equipped with a sliding roof, leather or fabric upholstery, power steering, reclining front seats, driving lamps and a radio. Unlike the less expensive Mk. IVs, the Executive was not available as an estate car.

In September 1967 PAS became an optional extra on the Zephyr 6 and standard on the Zodiac. The Mk. IV's suspension was modified and radial tyres fitted in the Wake of press complaints while the new Zephyr 4 and Zephyr 6 De Luxe offered a floor gear lever as standard and a modified frontal treatment. November 1971 saw a limited run of 1,000 Zephyr 6 Specials before the entire Mk. IV line-up was replaced by the Granada in March 1972.

The Ford Zephyr 4 was powered by a 1,996cc V4 OHV engine and the Zephyr 6 by a 2,495cc V6 OHV unit. The Zodiac and the Executive had a 2,994cc V6 OHV unit. On the Zephyr 4, Zephyr 6 and Zodiac, the standard transmission was a four-speed all-synchromesh manual, with the options of Laycock overdrive (V6 models only) or three-speed Ford C4 automatic. The Executive was available with automatic or manual/overdrive gearboxes.

The Mk. IV is an undeniably striking looking car, but the early models was not renowned for the precision of their handling or steering, while PAS-free cars can feel extremely heavy at low speeds. Nor was the steering column gear change universally popular. The six-cylinder engines are well-suited to automatic transmission and the Executive in particular is a highly luxurious cruiser. Estates are far rarer than saloons.

Would-be owners should examine the boot floor, around the suspension struts, the sills and door bottoms for signs of corrosion while the rear brake callipers are known to seize. Engine parts and some body panels are available but the restoration of a hide trimmed interior will prove expensive.

Rivals to the Ford Zephyr 4 included the Austin/Morris 1800 while the Ford Zephyr 6 competed with the Vauxhall Cresta PC "Standard" and the Ford Zodiac with the Vauxhall Cresta PC De Luxe. The Ford Executive competed with the Austin 3-Litre, Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R and the Vauxhall Viscount.