Superspeed Ford Anglia 1650

Superspeed Conversions Ltd was a specialist racing company set up in the late '50s by two brothers, Mike and John Young in the East End of London. In the late '50s and through the '60s, Ford Motor Company did not have their own Works race team and outsourced this activity to three professional race car preparers. These teams were Alan Mann Racing, Broadspeed and Superspeed. During the Sixties, Superspeed operated from a garage behind the local Ford dealership at Ilford, East London and specialised in preparing and racing Ford Anglias for race drivers Mike and John Young, as well as Chris Craft and Nick Brittan.

They prepared 1000, 1300 and 1650cc engined cars to race in the various saloon championships at the time. In 1965, their cars were almost unbeatable everywhere and even at Goodwood, including the Easter meeting, where its 1300cc version won its class at an average speed of 86.75mph. With this particular lot is a copy of an article from the 30th April 1966 Motor magazine describing the above meeting and the race car preparation of Superspeed: Superspeed Ford Anglia 1650 Super description (known as "the Rooster") In 1965 to celebrate their outstanding success with the 1650cc racers, Superspeed made six road going cars based on the race cars but less highly tuned. They were supplied by Ford Motor Company as Ford Anglia 1200 Supers in Monaco Red with Black trim and then stripped down and rebuilt with a tuned engine, Lotus Cortina close ratio gearbox, suspension and front brakes together with many more individual tweaks. Further extras fitted to the car are Bullet Wing Mirrors together with an upgraded dash board layout which is confirmed by period racer Barry Lee as being supplied by Ford Motor Company as their 'works rally dash'.

This is the only known example of the 6 road cars made still in existence. It was purchased new in 1965 by a Mr Brian Robert King who arranged for his own registration number which is still with the car to this day. Mr King sold it some three years later to a young civil engineer referred to as Alan who took it to the offices of the Car and Car Conversions Magazine for them to road test it. (the magazine where the road test of this actual car was reported on in their July 1968 edition is with the lot). About two years later this the car was sold to a Mr Edward Reed who owned the car until it was discovered in his garden some 35 years later at which point a very high quality restoration started which has taken almost five years to complete. Luckily when the car was discovered it had not been robbed of its unique parts. The vehicle is now in superb working condition throughout and drives extremely well, just as it did in period, and represents a unique oportunity to enhance any serious Ford collection.