The Enchanted Ford Anglia

• Type: Transportation, Modified Muggle Artefact
• Owners: Arthur Weasley
• Maker: Arthur Weasley (enchanter); Ford Motor Company (original manufacturer)

The Enchanted Ford Anglia is a turquoise Muggle car that was illegally modified by Arthur Weasley. On the exterior, it appeared to be a standard, albeit somewhat aged, vehicle. However, its interior was magically expanded to an enormous degree, allowing it to comfortably transport eight people, six large trunks, two owls, and a rat. This was likely accomplished through the use of an Undetectable Extension Charm. The dashboard was fitted with a small, silver button labelled “Invisibility Booster,” which, when pressed, would render the car invisible to both magical and Muggle observers.

The Ford Anglia possessed several powerful enchantments applied by Arthur Weasley.

• Flight: The car's primary magical feature was its ability to fly, making it a viable, albeit highly illegal, alternative to other forms of magical transportation like Broomsticks or the Floo Network.
• Invisibility: The Invisibility Booster allowed the car to become completely invisible. This function proved to be faulty, failing intermittently during Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's journey to Hogwarts.
• Spatial Expansion: The interior of the car was vastly larger than its exterior, a common feature in magical dwellings and objects like the Weasleys' tent and Hermione Granger's handbag.
• Semi-Sentience: After being abandoned in the Forbidden Forest, the car seemed to develop a will of its own, becoming “wild.” It roamed the Forest independently and was capable of recognizing and responding to threats, most notably when it rescued Harry and Ron from a colony of Acromantulas.

The Ford Anglia was acquired by Arthur Weasley, who, driven by his fascination with Muggle artefacts, enchanted it in secret, hiding his work from his wife, Molly Weasley. He intended to discover how it worked by dismantling it, but enchanted it to fly instead. In the summer of 1992, Fred, George, and Ron Weasley used the car to rescue Harry Potter from his captivity at Number Four, Privet Drive. They flew the car from The Burrow to Little Whinging and back, successfully extracting Harry and his belongings. Later that year, when Dobby the house-elf sealed the magical barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Harry and Ron missed the Hogwarts Express. In a moment of panic, they decided to fly the Ford Anglia to Hogwarts themselves. The journey was perilous as the Invisibility Booster malfunctioned, leading to the car being spotted by numerous Muggles and causing a severe breach of the International Statute of Secrecy. Upon reaching the Hogwarts grounds, they lost control of the car and crashed into the violent Whomping Willow. The car, severely damaged and seemingly enraged, forcibly ejected both boys, their luggage, and Scabbers the rat before speeding off into the Forbidden Forest. The car subsequently became feral, living wildly within the Forest. Months later, when Harry and Ron followed spiders into the Forest at Hagrid's suggestion, they were captured by Aragog and his large family of Acromantulas. Just as they were about to be eaten, the Ford Anglia charged out of the woods, scattering the spiders and allowing Harry, Ron, and Fang to escape. Its fate after this event is unknown in the novels.

The Ford Anglia is a crucial plot device in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It serves as the instrument of Harry's liberation from the Dursleys, underscoring the freedom and wonder of the wizarding world compared to his Muggle life. Its primary role, however, is to transport Harry and Ron to Hogwarts, an act of desperation that leads to significant consequences, including a formal inquiry at the Ministry of Magic for Arthur Weasley and a memorable detention for the boys. Most importantly, the car functions as a deus ex machina, appearing at a critical moment to save the protagonists from certain death. This allows them to escape the Acromantula nest with the vital information from Aragog that the creature in the Chamber of Secrets was not a spider, a clue that helps them eventually solve the mystery.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that she chose a Ford Anglia because a close friend of hers in her youth owned one, and she has fond memories associated with the car. She described it as having a “very car-ish personality.” (J.K. Rowling interview)
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the car used is a 1962 Ford Anglia 105E, with the registration plate 7990 TD. (film)
• While its final appearance in the books is its rescue of Harry and Ron from the spiders, the car makes a brief, non-canon reappearance in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, seen driving through the Forbidden Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts. (film)