Since you seem to like small Fords Rob, how about this old "Ford Popular" (It's actually UK built)
The first shot was with a 10 mm, so I had to clone out my feet
Pretty neat car, but I think yours looks more comfortable
Hi pegelli, not so much a matter of
liking them small, as feeling obliged to stretch the pennies as far as they will go. Like with many folks of a delicate age, there's this guilt thing about consuming the kids' inheritance... However, living in Spain there is the added problem of narrow streets - many one-ways in places for that reason - and I found my very first Fiesta here difficult enough to take round several junctions in our local small town. In the event, I gave up very early on and now park on the outskirts and walk. Probably better for me, but that again is beset with problems: the kerbs are far too high, and many are scratched from the bumpers and towbars of the cars they have effed. But there is little choice. In fact, I'd contemplated the Sport version of this Fiesta but it comes with lowered suspension and low profile tyres, both of which are hopeless here. You really can't win: park parallel to the kerb and you get bumped fore and aft; go nose in into those sorts of slots that require that and the kerbs get you. I used to have my wife guide the nose in to the edge of the kerb - you simply have no idea where modern cars start or finish. Even the supermarket underground parking is dodgy: they use a projecting steel bar to protect their wall...
In fact, on the matter of tyres, the Escort had 50s, and one night we hit a puddle that was in the road and received a hell of a bump. The next day I had a look in daylight and the alloys looked fine as did the tyres. A couple of weeks later we were driving through France en route to Scotland and pulled in at a motorway rest stop to stretch our legs. As we sat on a bench, I looked across at the car and thought something looked odd. I got up and had a look: both the tyres on the starboard side had grown eggs on the sidewalls. Clearly, the high French motorway speeds (130kph) were enough to show up the hidden damage from the bump of the weeks before. Guess that stop saved our lives. This current car also has 50s, but that's not as bad as the rubber bands on the Sport.
On the matter of Ford Populars: the very first proper car I had was a '59 Popular - it was the one that looked 'American' and not like the one in your shot; a baby Consul, then. 1172cc side-valve and three gears with no synchromesh on first. I remember it well. Solid steel, too.
Rob C