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Although the name came and went several times, Consul was always the title given by Ford to the less luxurious version of its flagship saloon. It first appeared in 1951 on a basic four-cylinder version of the new unitary-construction Zephyr, whose bulbous dodgem-car styling echoed the first full-width American Fords of a couple of years earlier. These cars broke new technical ground in their use of MacPherson-strut front suspension. As well as having a rather gutless four-cylinder engine and a stubbier bonnet, the Consul featured rubber mats, no heater (inevitably) and a general lack of brightwork that suited the austere ration-book mood of the times.
The name was continued on the more glamorous Mk2 models of the mid '50s but disappeared with the introduction of the Mk3 Zephyr/Zodiac in 1962 when the humble four-cylinder version became known simply as the Zephyr 4. It re-emerged in 1972 on a downmarket V4-powered version of the new Granada. That V4 was a truly awful engine, but there was also a 3.0-litre V6 Consul GT - the very model you see in the opening credits of 'The Sweeney'. And that was probably the best Consul ever.
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