Ford Essex V6 engine (UK)

The Ford Essex V6 is a 60 degree V6 engine that Ford Motor Company built in the United Kingdom between 1966 and 1988 at its Dagenham engine plant in Essex, which gave the engine its name; some were built in South Africa until 2000. It was derived directly from the Essex V4, and the 3.0 litre Essex V6 has exactly the same bore and stroke as the 2.0 litre V4. The pair were designed mainly to replace the ageing inline four and six cylinder Zephyr engines. The V6 was made in 2.5, 3.0, 3.1 and 3.4 litre sizes, the 3.0 litre being the most common, and it was fitted to a wide range of vehicles from Ford Transit vans to coupes like the Ford Capri and sports cars from TVR and Marcos. The cast iron engine is heavy at about 170 kg, because its block was designed to serve diesel as well as petrol use, although the diesel version never reached production. The Ford Cologne V6 was built in Germany at the same time and eventually replaced it.