There’s an old adage in the racing world that says taking weight out is the same as putting horsepower in. And being racers, there are always folks who will take that to an extreme, which is why many turned to cars built overseas as a way to get the “less weight” part. Ford of England built a lovely little machine called the Anglia, which was a handsome car in its own right, but as it was designed for England’s frugal post-war world, it got the “less weight” part right but was still not much of a performer. But by the 1960s, racers had discovered these neat little cars and stuffed them full of American V8, neatly solving the “more power” problem as well. Since then, Anglias have been a mainstay of the drag race scene, as well as a favorite of street rodders who appreciate the wonderful good looks and outrageous performance potential wrapped up in such a tidy package.

This muscular little chunk of English Ford is a real-deal 1948 Anglia E03, not one of the many fiberglass replicas running around. It was built many years ago, but was freshened in the 1990s and then placed in storage until recently. As a result, it shows just over 1300 miles on the build and the overall attention to detail is pretty impressive. The body is all steel except for the rear fenders, which, for obvious reasons, were re-created in fiberglass. The rest is just the way it was built just after the war with no liberties taken in the details. There’s still a correct 3-opening grille up front, wonderful fender-mounted marker lights and headlights, and the vented hood with Anglia script. For a small car, it packs a lot of visual interest, from the sweeping line that curves off the fenders and into the doors, to the tidy trunk that adds a bit of practicality without altering the clean shape. The bodywork is in good order, with doors that close well, good shut lines, and a hood that doesn’t fight with you. There are no obvious signs of rust repair, and the car has been professionally built with expertly done tinwork in the wheel tubs and floors. The bright red paint is devoid of gimmicks or graphics, giving it a timeless look that will never go out of style, although a professional wet sand and buff would really wake it up and take it to the next level. The roof was filled with a steel insert from a station wagon or van and the bumpers were painted body color. It really is a handsome car from any angle.

Tan tweed reflects its build date, but it remains in first-rate condition and shows zero wear or evidence of use. That shouldn’t be a surprise with just 1366 miles, but what is surprising is how comprehensively finished it is. You just don’t see many hot rods, particularly cars with a drag-racing bent, finished to this level. The bucket seats are firm and comfortable, there are matching tan tweed door panels and carpets, and even things like the steering column were appropriately finished. A late-model GM tilt steering column and leather-wrapped wheel add a little upscale elegance to the Anglia, and the smoothed and refinished dash includes a full array of functional VDO instruments. The roll cage is neatly integrated and not at all intrusive in the passenger compartment, although the transmission tunnel does use up a bit of footwell space, so don’t wear your work boots to drive it. A Hurst Quarter Stick shifter manages a TH350 3-speed automatic transmission, making this a surprisingly civilized cruiser on the open road. The rear compartment is fully upholstered as well, with neat “Anglia” script embossed on the rear bulkhead and a fresh chrome fire extinguisher strapped to the cage, racer-style. Even the headliner is taut, clean, and well-executed. The trunk is reasonably-sized, but most of it is full of Harwood fuel cell (no relation), but it’s not like you’re taking this car across the country on a family vacation, right?

With so little car to move around, you don’t need a radical powerplant to generate some pretty radical performance. This Anglia frightens passengers with a 400 cubic inch Chevrolet small block V8, which is a pretty neat fit in the compact engine bay. There’s a cam inside, so it’s got a bit of a rumble to the exhaust, and those are fuelie heads to help build horsepower. Up top there’s a fresh Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor on an aluminum intake manifold that was ground and polished before paint to make it smooth and seamless (we’re guessing it’s an Edelbrock piece). In fact, the whole engine was painted to match the bodywork, then dressed up with a few chrome pieces to make it worth a look under the hood. There’s a giant radiator up front, complete with a color-matched fan shroud and long-tube headers feed a custom-made dual exhaust system. It starts easily every time, idles well, and doesn’t act as fussy in any way at all. It’s happy to idle in traffic, but as I said, with so little car to move around, this torquey V8 makes for some very entertaining performance.

The car is too small to fit on our lift, so I can’t easily show you the chassis, but it’s a beautifully built tube frame that was smoothed and painted to match the bodywork. Up front there are tubular stainless A-arms with coil-over shocks, while out back a familiar 4-link holds a narrowed and reinforced Ford 9-inch rear end. Obviously power steering is superfluous, but it does have rack-and-pinion steering that’s just as good in this lightweight package. It’s also equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes as a nod to the rather substantial performance potential this car represents, and with 3.73 gears, it’s probably not a bad idea to have all that rubber back there. It shows only minor signs of use since it was completed and thanks to a comprehensive recent service, it’s ready to enjoy with no worries. It tracks straight on the highway despite the diminutive wheelbase and giant tires out back, and you’ll probably find that it looks way more radical than it acts. Beautiful polished Weld wheels are a traditional drag race look, and they’re fitted with a big-n-little combination of 6.00-15 front and 375/60/15 rear Mickey Thompson tires.

For the folks who were there in the ‘60s, this car is sure to bring back a lot of great memories, and today, there aren’t many better ways to draw a crowd than a tiny car with giant tires. It sounds nasty when it’s sitting at idle, and on the street, I bet not many folks would want to give this proper English Ford a run. This is 20 pounds of horsepower in a 10-pound bag, so if this kind of lunacy appeals to you, give us a call, we’ve got your car.