In postwar France, where fuel and taxes punished big engines, Ford's Vedette stood alone — it was the only French car of its era built around a V8.
Lead trim: Vedette 2.2 Aquilon sidevalve V8
Ford VedetteVEDETTE · 1948–1954
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FactIn postwar France, where fuel and taxes punished big engines, Ford's Vedette stood alone — it was the only French car of its era built around a V8.
The Ford Vedette was a large car manufactured by Ford SAF at Poissy from 1948 to 1954, originally conceived by Edsel Ford and designer Eugene T. "Bob" Gregorie as a "light" Ford smaller than the 1942 Ford; after Edsel's death in 1943 and Ford corporate's worry that it would pull sales from the full-size Ford, that car was transferred to Ford France. Introduced at the 1948 Salon de l'automobile in Paris and designed entirely in Detroit (resembling contemporary Mercury models), it featured the Poissy-made 2158 cc Aquillon sidevalve V8 of Ford's Flathead engine family, the same as in pre-war Matford cars, and was the only French car of its time with a V8. Because Poissy could not resume complete automobile production after the war and had no stamping equipment, many vital components came from subcontractors, which reportedly hurt quality and popularity. It came as an original four-door fastback (with rear suicide doors), a later four-door saloon, a Sunliner two-door landaulet with a roll-down roof, a two-door coupé and a Cabriolet Décapotable; it was refreshed for 1950 and again in 1952, when it finally received a one-piece windscreen, new interior and bumpers, better brakes, a lengthened rear overhang and trunk and a cigarette lighter. The five-door, five-seat Abeille ("bee") estate with a two-piece tailgate, exhibited in October 1951 as a "farmer's car" and launched in June 1952, was a no-frills Vedette with a 500 kg payload and a rear overhang 220 mm shorter; the luxury Vendôme is catalogued as its own generation. In 1954 Ford France, with the Poissy plant and the rights to all its models including a new Vedette, was merged into Simca, which sold it as the Simca Vedette (badged a Ford in some export markets until at least 1956). Wheelbase 2,690 mm (105.9 in), length 4,500 mm (177.2 in) until 1952 and 4,670 mm (183.9 in) from 1952, width 1,720 mm (67.7 in), height 1,570 mm (61.8 in), curb weight 1,180 kg (2,601 lb), 3-speed manual. The page gives no power figure.
Collectors Spotted in the Ford Vedette Lineage
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Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vedette 2.2 Aquilon sidevalve V8 | 1948–1954 | 2.2 L V8 | 59 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
The posh Vendôme version of the Vedette got its extra shove from a 3.9-litre Mistral V8 — an engine first designed for Ford France trucks, not its cars.
In postwar France, where fuel and taxes punished big engines, Ford's Vedette stood alone — it was the only French car of its era built around a V8.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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