Used Ford Ka

Used Ford Ka

In 1903, the same year Henry Ford founded Ford Motor Company in the United States, two Ford Model A cars were shipped from Detroit to Britain – the very first Ford cars to arrive on our shores. Even Henry Ford could not have imagined what the next hundred years would bring for his company, or just how far reaching its impact would be on the social, cultural and economic framework of Britain.

The first Ford Agent

The two cars were shown at the Cordingley Automobile show in Islington London, and inspire Aubrey Blakiston to set up a sales agency in Long Acre, London. The agency took on a young "motor expert" named Percival Perry who subsequently took over the agency. All Ford cars had to be imported from America and paid for in advance. With money scarce, Perry successfully advertised for more capital and the new company "Perry, Thornton & Schreiber" acquired the Central Motor Company and moved to larger premises in Westminster Bridge Road, London.

Marketing initiative

In 1905, the traditional Hackney horse-drawn cab was joined by three Model Bs in a bid to boost sales. The Model T had its world debut at the 1908 Olympia Motor Exhibition and boosted sales of Ford vehicles in Britain. With results like these, Perry persuaded Henry Ford to open a London Branch of the Ford Motor Company. Premises were acquired in Shaftesbury Avenue, London and 400 cars were sold within the year. Perry soon began building a dealer organisation – very much like the one used today. Percy Hendy of Southampton became the first appointed dealer on November 7, 1910.

Ford of Britain is formed

It soon became apparent that larger premises were needed and Henry Ford decided to establish the first Ford factory outside of North America. In 1911, Perry acquired and converted a disused tram works just south of Manchester at Trafford Park and production began on October 11, 1911. Shaftesbury Avenue became the company showroom and the Ford Motor Company (England) Limited came into being.

Assembly in the north

In 1911, The moving production line had not been perfected by Henry Ford so the Trafford Park workmen completed the products on static workbenches. The revolutionary mass production methods were adopted in 1913 when the plant boasted Britain’s first moving production line. Up to 21 chassis per hour could now be produced by just 60 men. Output doubled in the first year and the Model T was the best-selling car in Britain taking 30 per cent of the market.

War-time production

During the First World War, Trafford Park also produced light tanks and one-ton commercial vehicles alongside the Model Ts. Double shifts increased the Model T output to 100 per day to accommodate the ever-increasing demand.

Post-war demand soars

The Trafford Park site was extended as demand soared after the war and into the early 1920s but it was obvious that a modern factory designed for operations on a vast scale was desperately needed. Searching the country, the Ford management finally decided on a 500-acre site on the banks of the River Thames near the small village of Dagenham in Essex.

Funky looks and great handling make this car one of Ford's better niche models. Despite being developed on the cheap by using very old cross-flow engines and a shortened Fiesta floorpan, the car is clever and cute.

Used values are reasonable considering it's fairly cheap in the first place.

What to look for
Kas are tought but ignore any examples that have missed the 10,000 mile service. Watch out for rust on the lower front wing. It stands proud of the door, which suffers from stone chipping. Smooth sided panels are vulnerable to parking dents.

Used prices
There may be a high demand for used Ford Kas but their values are kept reasonable due to there being many on the market. Expect to find a two-year old exmple for just £4k. SportKas keep value better but only due to rarity.

Ka is the offbeat but totally practical supermini that changed the way Ford thought about designing and packaging cars. It also altered some buyers’ perceptions about Ford; style-conscious mid-market motorists who shunned the Fiesta and Escort found that Ka was kool. Precise curves meeting at defined points created the 'New Edge' design signature. This, together with a strongly raked screen and bold dodgem bumpers, constitutes a look that has fed through to every Ford unveiled since 1996 – from Focus through to the current Mondeo and the new Fiesta. Now, over five years on, Ford’s transformation is complete, meaning it can mix it with Volkswagen as a volume manufacturer with designer credibility.

A rather shapely interior design does a good job of disguising the fact that the materials are cheap and cheerful. Steering and gearchange are both light, easy and responsive. Switchgear is simple to use.

Six standard models have featured in the line-up since launch: Ka, Style, Ka 2, Ka Collection, Ka 3 and LuxuryKa. Base model Ka is spartan, offering no-frills fun, but top-of-the-range Ka 3 and LuxuryKa get air conditioning, remote central locking and alloy wheels as standard. The range was boosted by about a dozen colour co-ordinated and specification-enhanced editions – the recent Black model kitted-out with leather upholstery, air con and alloy wheels is most sought-after.

Ka may not look as radical as it once did (and some of the funkier colours are very Nineties), but it’s one of the best all-round superminis. Competitively priced and cheap to run, it has an enduring appeal that stretches across age groups and genders. There’s a huge choice of cars at all sorts of prices. Many are ex-rental or courtesy cars boasting one owner (but 1000 different drivers). Don't settle for a rough one unless the price is ridiculously low.