The Ford Prefect was introduced in 1938, built by the Ford plant in Dagenham, Essex. The original Ford Prefect was a slight reworking of the previous year's Ford 7W, the first Ford car designed outside of Detroit, Michigan. It was designed specifically for the British market.
The Prefect continued to be made with little change from the 1930s design until 1952. In 1953 a much redesigned Ford Prefect was introduced, which continued in production until 1959. It was similar to the Ford Anglia and the Ford Popular.
In addition to the U.K., Ford Prefects were also sold in Australia and Canada. The Canadian model was arranged for left-hand drivers.