This engine has a surprising amount of ‘bite’, and provided the gearbox is used the car is very brisk away from a standstill and nips through traffic in an impressive manner,” according to the road tester. Facelifted in 1957, with a refreshed face, larger rear window, larger tail lights, and chrome bumpers, the car sold well throughout its life. In 2005, three years after Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) was released, the vehicle used in the original footages was stolen from South West Film Studios in Cornwall, presumably by a fanatic fan. In 2006, the car was found near a castle in England. [8] [9]

And while Ron’s car didn’t exactly rescue the Anglia from obscurity, it did bring it to a whole new audience. The car has been stolen by his son Ron on a number of occasions. Once to rescue his friend Harry Potter from the Dursley’s house and once with Harry to return to Hogwarts after the gate to Platform 9¾ is sealed by Dobby. Considering they crash landed the car in the Whomping Willow when returning to Hogwarts, the car is in amazingly good condition.Despite being referred to as a "1959" model, the Anglia 105E was not launched until October of that year and would be considered a 1960 model under most standards, except the UK where it would be known as a 1959 Model. Details on the Weasleys' car peg it as 1963 or earlier. As before, however, they were still vacuum-operated and were notorious for slowing down, or even stopping, at higher speeds or when overtaking. The Anglia may be long gone, but more than 2,000 examples of all shapes survive on the roads today and, thanks in part to Harry Potter, it will never be forgotten. Some unbelievable things have happened in Cornwall over the years - and one of them is that one of the "flying" Ford Anglia cars used in the Harry Potter films was stolen from a local studio before reappearing, months later, on Carn Brea.

Despite holding some reservations about the Anglia’s gear ratios, the magazine praised the transmission as “one of the best yet developed in a car in this class and shifts smoothly, engages precisely and is fast either up or down”. We’d love to see a video of what came next – “a comic sketch wherein a confirmed Volkswagen enthusiast is introduced to the new Anglia and made to realise what a relatively inferior car the VW is when compared to the 1959 Ford”. Another stunt, as improbable as the other was indiscreet, was seen when 14 hefty lads emerged from the Anglia to demonstrate the generous capacity of its body and boot!”

The Flying Ford Anglia is a turquoise automobile bought by Arthur Weasley for the purposes of taking it apart in his shed to see how it worked – at least, that’s the story he told Molly. In fact, in the process of dismantling and reassembling the car, he also bewitched it to be able to fly and installed an Invisibility Booster. He also magically expanded the inner spaces so that an enormous amount of luggage could fit in the boot and an amazing number of people could sit comfortably in its wide seats. It is believed that the vehicle could not have been driven therefore it is suspected that it would have to have been towed or lifted from the scene." In 1959, the Anglia 105E was one of three new British cars that made a significant mark on the motoring world.