ANGLIA 105E
52 August 2019LATE
SHIFTS
Connor McNally’s beautifully restored 105E mixes
eager performance with a flawless finish. And it’s taken
many long hours and late nights to get this far...
Words Daniel Bevis Photos Jordan Butterst takes a lot of effort to look this effortless.
To the untrained eye, this might appear to
simply be a nicely looked after and largely
original 105E, but still waters run deep with this
one. The world’s changed since this car rolled
off the production line back in 1962, with its
997cc engine and stratospheric ride-height, and
the architect of its transformation, Connor
McNally, has been keen to sympathetically
restore and upgrade without appearing to
radically rework. The finished effect is
something that looks factory-fresh, but behind
the scenes, there’s been a whole lot going on...
“This all started back in April 2016,” he
recalls. “I spotted this mint-looking Anglia for
sale and I loved the two-tone paint and redinterior, so after a chat with my Dad we agreed
to go and look at it. We checked it out and it
needed a few bits, but the body was solid and it
was right colour combo so I was happy enough
and we did a deal.”
The car hadn’t been on the road for a
while, so Connor got it trailered back to his
Dad’s house, as he didn’t have a garage of his
own, and there it remained for a few months.
It wasn’t, if we’re honest, the most thrilling
start to an automotive journey, as Connor
really wasn’t gelling with the unexciting
997cc motor; his Dad was all in favour of
selling it as-was for a quick flip, but he had
other ideas. The potential was there, it just
needed to be unearthed.I