The Ford Consul model met the need for a modern fleet of vehicles in the 1950's

By the end of the 1940s, Ford recognised the need for a more modern fleet of vehicles that would meet the demands of consumers, especially among families in post-war Europe.

In early 1951, the company launched the Consul and Zephyr, with the Model Y being phased out after two decades.

Soon after, the Anglia 100E and Prefect were launched, and the latter became a huge success and a mass seller in Ireland in particular.

However, with the Prefect’s origins dating back to 1938, a case can be made for the Consul being the vehicle of the 1950s, since it was produced between 1951 and 1962 in its original incarnation.

It was also symbolic of the decade as it became the first successful family saloon car on the European market, before being replaced by an even bigger success story — the Ford Cortina.

The Consul made its debut at the 1950 London Motor Show in 1950 and most of them had four doors to appeal to the family market.

Early models even had a parcel shelf on which an optional radio could be placed.

Rather ignominiously, American rock’n’roller Eddie Cochran lost his life in a Ford Consul taxi during a UK tour in 1960, when he was 21.

Read more: Former employees of Ford on Cork’s Marina share their memories

The cab blew a tyre and the driver lost control and hit a lamppost. Cochran, who was in the centre of the back seat, threw himself over his fiancée, songwriter Sharon Sheeley, to shield her and was thrown out of the car when the door flew open.

Vincent O’Mahony, a pensioner from Milltown in County Kerry, has been the proud owner of a 1963 Ford Consul Cortina 1500 for several years — and acquiring it was something of a trip down memory lane.

“I used to have a Consul 1300 in the early 1960s,” says Vincent, “I’ve always been a Ford man. They are so reliable and comfortable to drive.”

The 1500 version of the Consul, as well as being more powerful, has distinctive chrome strips down the side, as well as plush carpeting and leather seats.

“The car is so comfortable, it’s like sitting in your living room when you drive it,” says Vincent, who also owns a 1964 105E Ford Anglia.

His Consul Cortina is in tip-top condition and has just 39,000 miles on the clock — Vincent says it can cruise at 55mph with ease.

“I hadn’t driven it for over a month till yesterday,” he adds, “and it started at the first attempt.”