The Mathis Emy 4 was a middle-class car from the Alsatian manufacturer Mathis, shown at the Paris Salon in October 1932 and sold until 1936. It replaced the Mathis Type QM and was the model on which Émile Mathis concentrated during the economic depression of the early 1930s. Built in four successive versions, it outlived the merger of Mathis with Ford and was sold for a time under the Matford name.
Mathis Emy 4 at a glance
| Maker | Mathis, Strasbourg (Matford from 1935) |
|---|---|
| Production | 1932–1936 |
| Class | mid-range, 8 CV |
| Replaced | Mathis Type QM |
| Launched | Paris Salon, October 1932 |
| Engine | 1445 cc side-valve four, 32 ch SAE |
| Wheelbase | 2735 mm (F), 2800 mm (S), 2420 mm (Légère) |
| Gearbox | three-speed at launch, synchronized four-speed from 1933 |
| Suspension | rigid axles with leaf springs (F), independent front (S), all-independent (Quadruflex) |
| Bodies | saloon, aerodynamic saloon and cabriolet; spider and coupé on the S |
| Rivals | Peugeot 301, Citroën Rosalie 8 CV, Renault Monaquatre |
| Successor | none; the Mathis name was absorbed into Ford SAF |
The Emy 4 has its own article only in French Wikipedia; the English and French articles on the Mathis company supply the background. No free photograph of an Emy 4 was found, so the page uses none.
History of the Mathis Emy 4
A car for the Depression
The economic crisis of 1930–1933 hit France hard and struck the Mathis company with it. Émile Mathis put most of his effort into one new model, the 8 CV Emy-4, which was presented at the Paris Salon in October 1932 and went on sale just before the firm was reorganized. It replaced the Mathis Type QM, whose manufacture ended in 1932, and had to face increasingly fierce competition from the Peugeot 301, the Citroën Rosalie 8 CV and the Renault Monaquatre.
Four versions in four years
The first version, the Emy-4 F, came as a saloon, a saloon with aerodynamic bodywork and a cabriolet. Its separate ladder chassis and long 2735 mm wheelbase underlined that it was not meant as a sporting car. The engine was Mathis’s 1445 cc side-valve four of 32 ch SAE, driving through a single dry-plate clutch and a three-speed gearbox; both axles were rigid, on longitudinal leaf springs, a layout already considered old-fashioned at the front.
At the end of 1933 the Emy-4 F was replaced by the Emy-4 S, a more sporting car on a still longer 2.80 m wheelbase and offered as a spider and a coupé as well. It could be had with the 1445 cc engine or a 1525 cc four of 39 ch, and some sources mention a 1.8-litre unit. The front axle was now independent, and buyers chose between three types of synchronized gearbox, with or without freewheel, in three or four speeds.
In 1934 came the Emy-4 Quadruflex with independent suspension on all four wheels and the 1.4- and 1.5-litre engines of the S; the chassis changed but kept the same wheelbase. At the very end of the same year the last version, the Légère, appeared on a shorter 2420 mm chassis with the familiar 1.5-litre engine.
The end of the Mathis name
In early 1935 the range consisted of the Emy-4 S and the Légère, both with a gearbox reduced to three speeds. From the middle of 1935 the cars were marketed under the Matford name, the company created by the merger of Mathis with Ford SAF, and production of the Emy-4 stopped in 1936. It had no successor: Mathis was absorbed into Ford SAF in 1935 and struck off the register in 1940.
Design and features
- One model for hard times: the Emy-4 was the car on which Émile Mathis concentrated during the Depression.
- Modernized step by step: rigid axles gave way to independent front suspension in 1933 and to all-independent suspension in 1934.
- Choice of bodies: saloons, a cabriolet, and spider and coupé versions on the S.
- Matford badge: cars built from mid-1935 carried the name of the Mathis–Ford joint venture.
Mathis Emy 4 versions
- Emy-4 F (1932–1933): 1445 cc, 32 ch, 2735 mm wheelbase, rigid axles, three-speed gearbox.
- Emy-4 S (late 1933): 2.80 m wheelbase, independent front suspension, 1445 cc or 1525 cc engine, spider and coupé bodies.
- Emy-4 Quadruflex (1934): independent suspension on all four wheels, 1.4- and 1.5-litre engines.
- Emy-4 Légère (late 1934): short 2420 mm chassis with the 1.5-litre engine.
The Emy 4 belongs to the history of the Mathis marque, whose cars were built in Strasbourg from 1905 until the company was absorbed into Ford SAF.
Sources
- Mathis Emy 4, French Wikipedia: versions, engines, dimensions, production
- Mathis, French Wikipedia: company history, Emyquatre, Matford
- Mathis, English Wikipedia: company history, Emyquatre