Zephyr Mk1 Convertible
With more and more small "family –type"
imported cars making their appearance in urban areas, our test staff decided to
take a close look at one such import, Fords luxury family car from Great
Britain, the Zephyr. The Zephyr is the largest and most powerful of Fords
British products, the Anglia, Prefect, Consul, Zephyr and the ultra deluxe
Zephyr model, the Zodiac. IN appearance, the Zephyr looks like a scaled down
49-51 Ford with a grille that might come directly out of the costly British
Aston-Martin sports car. The designers have wisely reduced wheel size to 13
inch for balance in appearance and our test car, a cream-coloured convertible which
was loaned to us through the courtesy of Dick Scatchard of Import Motor Sales
in Long Beach California, had the addition of a continental kit spare tyre
assembly.
From the front, the Aston Martin type grille is
impressive and the chrome content has been nicely balanced with painted trim.
The front bumper has deliberately been placed high, giving the front end the
appearance of being complete with belly pan – and giving the car much – needed
protection from the too-high bumper location of many domestic products. The
hood ornament is referred to at the British factory as the "dying
duck", because of it’s down spread wings. But the designers are quick to
point out, in answer, that the "wings," which attach solidly to the
hood at their extremities, form air passageways which deflect road dust, dirt,
insects and even rain, up and over the windshield. And it works. Although the
cream-coloured Zephyr rapidly acquired a coat of grim during the road test
proceedings, the windshield stayed remarkably clean.
The windshield is high, high enough to protect drivers
of normal proportions, up to 6’5", before the head protrudes, a common
weakness in many of the "small" cars. Front wind wings are
stationary, as is the custom convertibles made in England. The side windows roll
up, and the rear quarter windows in our test convertible were erected by hand.
The fit was snug when erected, and they do follow the flush bodylines when
lowered. The top is made of a washable plastic material, is electrically
operated and can be raised to full convertible or true Coupe de Ville
positions. The fit is tight around the sides, at the widows and at the juncture
of top and windshield. It can be raised easily by one person and the average
time for raising the top completely, including removal of the boot, ran two
minutes for the test staff.
The inside of the convertible was done in matching
cream colour simulated leather with cream door panels, dashboard and even
ashtrays, to match. The leather was trimmed with green, the same shade as the
convertible plastic top. Front seats are adjustable back and forth, but perhaps
too much forth and not enough back. It is doubtful that any driver would want
to sit close enough to the wheel to justify the amount of travel forward and
the six footers on the test crew felt that another several inches of leg room
would be needed for complete safety and comfort. The instruments are grouped in
one steel pressing directly ahead of the driver and visible through the
spring-spoked steering wheel. The speedometer reads to 90 mph; a fairly
accurate estimate of the cars top speed in conventional form. Panel is complete
with gas gauge and temperature gauge plus warning lights for oil pressure and
battery discharge. Method of starting the car is to turn the key on the left of
the instrument cluster, press the starter button on the right of that same
cluster and step on the overhead- suspended throttle.
A wide-mouthed dashboard shelf runs the full width of
the cockpit and is handy for maps, and other paraphernalia found in the glove
compartment of most cars. Unfortunately, most Americans prefer to have a
compartment they can close and lock and no provision has been made for this,
here. Turn signal controls are located on a button in the centre of the horn
ring and a cane-type parking brake pulls out of the dash, directly to the right
of the steering column. Hood lock release is still located to the extreme right
of the dash panel; undoubtedly the same location as in the right hand drive
models of the Zephyr.
The shift is placed on the column. The clutch, as well
as the brake, is of the "hanging" type pedal, as introduced on Ford
cars here last year, and the clutch is hydraulic. Shift pattern is conventional
American with three speeds forward and one in reverse. Shift throw is short and
snap-shift technique is quite simple in this smaller Ford. IN initial
"snap," the Zephyr moves out with the best of them, gets to 30 mph in
under 5 seconds and to 60 in 21 seconds. This compares favourably with most
1954 low-priced American cars. The best shift points, for maximum acceleration,
worked out at 26 mph from first to second, 52 mph from second to third.
Even during the strenuous road test activities on the
Ford Zephyr model, the gasoline mileage worked out to a handsome average of
22.4 miles per gallon. This figure included stop-and-go city driving, highway
cruising and burning-rubber acceleration tests and top speed runs. We made six
top speed runs, three with and three against prevailing winds. Average of the
top speed runs for this stock-engined convertible was 77 mph, with one run
netting us a top speed of 81mph. During the high-speed runs, the car held true
to the road, ran straight and firm against the roadbed. The only variation in
direction came when the wind fishtailed and blew, momentarily, broadside. It
was enough, the Zephyr yawed to the left and the test driver tugged hard on the
wheel to get the car back in line. It should be mentioned, in all fairness,
that the staff station wagon on the way home, "wandered" under the
same circumstances.
The Zephyr ride is good; a compromise between the soft
springing of American products and the very hard ride of the foreign sports
cars. Unlike most short wheel based cars, the Zephyr offers up no pitch and
roll motion. The convertible, because of its additional weight, hugs the ground
even more securely than the sedan.
The steering, with 2 and 2/3 turn’s lock to lock, is
quick and sure and the Zephyr can be handled like a sports car, in and around
traffic, through gradual or deep bends and turns. There is a noticeable amount
of tire squeal but the tires hold firm and the rear end of the car broke out
only once, when the wheel was turned hard over at 45 mph on a sand and rock
roadbed. By allowing the steering wheel complete freedom, the car returned to a
straight line immediately. The turning circle of the car is a few inches over
40 feet, quite large for such a small wheelbase car. Brakes are excellent with
little pressure required for "panic" stops.
Because the car looks like a scaled-down Ford, it
attracts a great deal of attention. Many drivers want to know exactly what kind
of a car it is, how much it costs and where they can "see" one in
detail. When it takes off from the stoplights ahead of the automatic
transmission models, they become even more impressed.
The Zephyr, summed up, is a breeze. It’s a breeze to
drive, to park, to handle, in the mountains or on the desert. Gasoline mileage
is excellent for the performance and the styling will stay current for several
years to come. One test staffer is purchasing the sedan model Zephyr as a
second car for his family. Can we say more?