The Ford Anglia holds a special place in the history of UK automobiles. First introduced just as England entered World War II in 1939, it received a facelift after the war in 1948 for the ’49 model year, but kept the same 933cc, 8 horsepower (!) four cylinder engine of the previous model. According to contemporary magazine reviews, the Anglia could reach the lofty top speed of 57 miles an hour, and sprinted from 0-50 in a brisk 38.3 seconds. It was reputedly the cheapest car you could buy at the time, barring the three-wheeled abominations popular at the time for their low price and the fact they avoided the British car tax.

The Anglia seen here is slightly more robust, or will be when it’s finished. It’s got an LS3 under the hood bonnet backed by a new 4L60E automatic, feeding a narrowed Oldsmobile rearend with 3.73 gears and a Posi diff. The steel body has been mini-tubbed, and up front a custom Mustang II front suspension with dropped spindles completes the suspension.

The car needs a few things before it’s ready to roll – namely plumbing, an interior, and engine wiring – but it looks like the hard part is done. Even with “just” stock LS3 power, a short wheelbase, featherlight car like this should be very entertaining to drive, and you won’t see too many more like it on the road. With bids rapidly approaching the “buy it now” price of $37,500, it seems like a sure bet that this car will be changing hands soon… But is it a fair price for a project so close to completion? Let us know what you think in the comments below.