RAREST OF THE RARE?

A look at a 1937 Model 7Y Shooting Brake, and much more..

While it may look like an "Anglia," it is actually older, and rarer than the Anglia sedan. This particular sedan, was found in London, back in the early nineties, in a backyard. My good buddy, Rex Warwick, used to install TV antennas for a living, and one day, he happened to spot what looked like a Thames panel. It was covered with tarps, and only the nose could be seen from the roof. Once he completed his job, he walked over to the house and asked about the Thames in the backyard. Was he ever surprised to hear that it was not a Thames panel, but rather a Shooting Brake, based on a Ford Eight sedan. With a little wheeling and dealing, the car was purchased, and later that same year, shipped to California. We really don't know that much about this car, other than what we can see in person. Unfortunately, the chassis VIN is unreadable, and we really don't know exactly when the car was built. License reads "BMO 817."

From this angle, we can see that the car was "coachbuilt," from the rear of the doors back, with aluminum sheets. The original Ford rear wheel arch and fenders, were left inact, and this car retains the original 90-inch wheelbase. What is unusual about this one, is that it was built on a sedan chassis/body, unlike the other survivers, which were built on a Thames chassis, body cowl. Having the sedan longer doors, makes this car, that much better. With the Thames setup, the doors would be 10-inches shorter, and more difficult to get into the rear seat.

Looking at the roof from the inside of the car, we find that the frame work was done in ash, while the roof, and side panels were done in aluminum. Apparently, the spare tire attached to the roof, from the inside. That piece of wood running from the rear, to the front, down the center, has the remains of a large bolt-pattern that looks like it would support a tire and wheel - strange.

A close-up look at the rear of the car shows the wood work that was used to frame the rear hatch and tailgate. Top aluminum roof panel, was covered with vinyl. and tacked to a strip that ran around the top edge. As you might see from this photo, we are missing the lower hatch wood piece, that runs from left-to-right. The tailgate lowers down, and is retained with limited metal straps. Bumper is traditional 7Y/7W stype, that looks similar to the 1936 domestic Fords, but only smaller.

The interior uses stock Ford seats up front, but the rear is different, as are the two wheel well covers. Typical to "Utilities" of the period, the rear seat pulls up and out, making the rear area open for storage.

The dash is metal, like a Thames panel, but without the raised center-section. The glove box is uncovered, and as you can see, is right-hand drive. The car was originally painted Essex Dark Blue, with dark blue upholstery with red door panels.

On it's way to California! This photo was taken at Rex and Kay's housing in Tilehurst, England. The car was trucked to Southhampton, where it was loaded upboard a ship, and sailed to California, a four-week trip.

MORE "EnFo" WOODIES!

	This Thames 1/2-ton based Shooting Brake is rather unique in that, there are only two doors, and a back hatch/tail gate. No other side doors are present. Its extra high ceiling makes for massive cargo area, and ease of getting back into the rear of the vehicle without crawling over the seats.
	This beautiful 1948 Prefect Shooting Brake, belongs to Brian Shields and is from Australia, which has been coach-built from the cowl back. Only the rear fenders or wings remain from the original Prefect. Notice the side door(s) are narrower that the forward doors.
	Reg Ward found this little jewel in an old magazine dating back before the war (Autocar Oct. 22, 1937). Based the Ford Ten (7W), this particular Woodie was handled by the Ford Dagenham (factory) motors for the sum of £199.

Reg Ward sent us these great shots of a post-war Ford Prefect/10 Shooting Brake, which appear to have been taken at the Dagenham factory after the war. Notice the plastic side windows, fold-down rear seat(s), tail gate with spare tire attached and brake light attached to the top header. Center photo shows this woodie loaded to the max with six full-size guys (so, where's the surf boards)? And do they even have surf at Dagenham?

A modern day photo of an original E93A Shooting Brake located in Scotland. Photo J. R. Pennell (Ford Sidevalve Owners Club Newsletter).

	A period photo taken at the Walden Motor Company LTD., Dublin, just after the war. Photo (Ford Sidevalve Owners Club Newsletter).
	Modern day photo of a 1947 E494A Anglia Woodie. Photo by Nigel Hodson, (Ford Sidevalve Owners Club Newsletter).

I know this is a terrible photo but at least you can get an idea of the kind of conversions that were popular in England after the war. This coachbuilt sedan may have been a Ford Ten at one time, with the longer 94-inch wheelbase. The front end sheet metal has been changed with later model parts from a '49 and later Anglia (two-hole grille and beaded front fenders). The back-half is really strange, with Austin A-40 pickup rear fender attached to the new wood back-portion. Spare tire has been mounted on the roof.... Photo was taken in 1952, and was owned by the family of Malcolm Brice of Collingtree, Northants, England.

This very rare shot of a 1944 Ford Prefect Shooting Brake, which features a "Fulvu" pillarless windshield design. Notice the "blackout" headlights. (Ford Sidevalve Owners Club Newsletter).

	Another Ford Prefect-based woodie conversion. Very similar to the one shown above in black and white. Plastic windows on the rear, extra-tall roof line are shown.
	This Thames 1/2-ton van-based conversion, showed the typical shortened rear door(s). Notice how the coachbuilder continued the body lines, using wood trim, to match the Ford factory lines on the door. This truck looks rather stout for a shooting brake conversion.

	This is a Ford Popular-based Shooting Brake, owned by Shayne Powers, that comes from New Zealand. Notice how only the front cowl section, and rear fenders from the Popular were used, and everything else was coachbuilt.
	Brian Sheilds E-mailed this rare ad which shows a Ford Ten "BrakeVan" for only £195.