Ford Vedette

Ford Vedette Sedan 1950

Ford Vedette ABXC Chambord 1958

TheFord Vedettewis a lairge caur manufactured biFord France SAin thair factory inPoissyfrae 1948 tae 1954. Introduced at the 1948Mondial de l'AutomobileinParis,it wis designed entirely in Detroit (resemblin contemporaryMercurymodels), but featurt the Poissy-made 2158 ccAquillonsidevalveV8ingine o Ford'sFlatheadingine faimily,the same as in pre-warMatfordcaurs.On the ither haund, the Vedette wis the first caur tae featur the newindependent front suspensionconcept developt biEarle S. MacPherson,kent the day asMacPherson struts.

Uneasy beginnings

Due tae the fact that the Poissy factory coud no resume complete automobile production immediately efter thewar,mony vital components haed still tae be made bi various subcontractors, which reportedly haed an adverse effect on the quality o the caur an contributit tae its leemitit popularity.Ower the sax years in production, the Vedette wis available in several body styles, rangin frae the oreeginal 4-doorfastback(wi rear "suicide doors") throu the later 4-doorsaloon,aSunliner4-doorlandauletbased on the saloon (wi a roll-doun roof ower the entire cabin), a 2-doorCoupéan, based on it, theCabriolet Décapotable(a 2-doorconvertible).

Enter Mr. Lehideux

Unner the direction o the new company preses, Mr. François Lehideux, Ford France refresht the caur for 1950, an again in 1952, when the caur finally received a ane-piece windscreen, new interior an bumpers, better brakes, lairger trunk - an a cigarette lichter. The 1952 Mondial de l'Automobile an' a' saw a luxury version o the Vedette, theFord Vendôme,fittit wi the bigger 3923 ccMistralV8ingine, previously uised in Ford France trucks. An' a' debutin in 1952 wis the 5-door, 5-seatAbeille(French for "bee")estatewi a twa-piecetailgate,advertised as baith practical (wi apayloado 500 kg) an comfortable.

Enter Mr. Pigozzi

Facin unsatisfactory sales results, as weel as disruptive strikes at the Poissy plant at the turn o the decade, Ford haed been tryin tae dispose o the factory syne shortly efter the end o the war. An opportunity arose in 1954, when Henri-Theodore Pigozzi, the foonder o the increasingly successfu French automakkerSimca,wis leukin for a new plant tae expand its operations. Ford France wis merged intae Simca wi baith the Poissy plant an the richts tae aw models manufactured thare - includin a newly-designed new Vedette. The new caur haed debuted awready in Fraunce unner the name oSimca Vedette,but wis sauld as the Ford Vedette in some mercats (includin Swaden, the Netherlands an Germany) at least till 1956.

Freemit airtins

• Club Vedette France(in French)
• Mademoiselle Ford @ Best Cars Web Site(in Portuguese)