Ford Anglia route changes down to first. Production, hindered by the diversion of Ford's factory to military production during the Second World War, ceased in 1948 after 55,807 had been built. Initial sales in Britain actually began in early 1940. Production was suspended in early 1942, and resumed in mid-1945. The E04A was also built in Australia from 1940 to 1945 and was produced in tourer and roadster body styles. The former had a rear seat and the latter was a two-seater convertible. The Australian-built Anglia A54A used the chassis and front panels of the English E04A and was offered in 4-door
Ford Thunderbird (first generation) sport compact car. Ford Thunderbird (first generation) The first generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a two-seat convertible produced by Ford for the 1955 to 1957 model year, the first 2-seat Ford since 1938. It was developed in response to the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show, which showed the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette in turn was developed in response to the popularity of European sports cars among Americans. Dubbed a "personal car" by Ford, it built upon the heritage of the bespoke roadsters of the 1930s yet was constructed largely of existing components, marking the first