The Ford Vedette was a large car manufactured by Ford SAF at its Poissy plant from 1948 to 1954. It was the only French car of its time with a V8 engine, and it began life as an American project for a smaller Ford.
Ford Vedette at a glance
| Maker | Ford SAF, Poissy, France |
|---|---|
| Production | 1948–1954 |
| Introduced | 1948 Paris motor show |
| Designed | in Detroit, resembling contemporary Mercurys |
| Engine | 2,158 cc Aquillon side-valve flathead V8 |
| Significance | the only French car of the period with a V8 |
| Bodies | fastback saloon, later saloon, Sunliner, coupe and cabriolet |
| Origin | an abandoned “light Ford” project by Edsel Ford |
| End | 1954, when Ford sold the Poissy plant to Simca |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford Vedette
A light Ford that went to France
The Vedette was originally conceived by Edsel Ford and the designer Eugene T. “Bob” Gregorie as a light Ford, smaller than the 1942 Ford. Edsel Ford died in 1943, and after the war Ford felt the light car would pull sales from the full-size Ford; Henry Ford II also thought Gregorie’s planned 1949 Ford, which shared the light car’s character lines, was too large for its market. The planned Ford and Mercury lines were pushed up to Mercury and Lincoln, a contest was held to design a smaller new Ford, and the light car was transferred to Ford France to recover its cost.
An American design with a French V8
The Vedette was introduced at the 1948 Paris motor show. It was designed entirely in Detroit and resembled contemporary Mercury models, and it used the Poissy-made 2,158 cc Aquillon side-valve V8 of Ford’s flathead family, the same engine as in pre-war Matford cars. That made it the only French car of its time with a V8 engine.
Quality problems and the end
Because the Poissy factory could not resume complete car production immediately after the war and had no stamping equipment, many vital components had to be made by subcontractors, which reportedly hurt quality and limited the car’s popularity. Over six years the Vedette was offered in several body styles: the original four-door fastback with rear suicide doors, a later four-door saloon, a Sunliner two-door landaulet based on the saloon with a roof that rolled down over the whole cabin, a two-door coupe and, based on it, the Cabriolet Décapotable. Production ended in 1954 when Ford sold the Poissy plant to Simca.
Design and features
- French V8: the 2,158 cc flathead unit made at Poissy.
- Detroit design: styled in America to resemble the Mercury.
- Several bodies: fastback, saloon, Sunliner, coupe and cabriolet.
- Short life: six years before Ford left France.
Ford Vedette versions
- Fastback saloon (1948): the original body with rear suicide doors.
- Four-door saloon: the later conventional body.
- Sunliner landaulet: with a roof that rolled down over the cabin.
- Coupe and Cabriolet Décapotable: the two-door versions.
The Vedette was the base of the commercial Abeille and was built alongside the French Fords that followed. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- Ford Vedette, English Wikipedia: origins, engine, bodies, end of production
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