Matford
Encyclopedia
Matford was a car and truck manufacturer in France
from 1934 to 1940.
In the 1930s, the Ford Motor Company
was quickly expanding its European production. Before 1934,a front wheel drive version of Ford Model Y
had been produced with an 8 hp engine under the marque Tracford
. In 1934, Mathis
had financial problems while Ford wanted to increase production and the Mathis plant in Strasbourg seemed to be more suitable than the one in Courbevoie
where Tracford
had been produced. A joint venture of Ford and Mathis was created under the name of Matford S.A. which copied at the beginning the style of contemporary American and British Ford models. The plan had been to produce the Matford models alongside those from Mathis but the last Mathis was actually made in October 1934. Nevertheless, there were high hopes for the Matford collaboration which, in 1934, was expected to last for fifty years.
In 1935 a range of V-8 engined Matfords was put on the market which were very similar to the American Ford Model 48
s with their V-8 3622cc engines. A unique French design appeared in 1936 with the Alsace with a choice of a 2.2 or 3.6 litre V-8 engine and a cabriolet was also launched. The 1937 models featured a V-shaped windscreen and in 1938 an estate car joined. Matford ceased car production in 1940 (in Poissy) with the build up of truck orders for the French army, though an unknown number were made during the German occupation, at least till 1942. Because of its proximity to the German border, the Stasbourg factory was moved while a new plant
opened at Poissy
near Paris in 1940 and the links with Mathis were severed.
The firm was reorganised in 1940 under the name Ford Société Anonyme Française
and this company used the Ford trademark instead of Matford.
Matford cars achieved success at the Coupe de Dames (1936) and at Monte Carlo (1938).
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 1934 to 1940.
In the 1930s, the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
was quickly expanding its European production. Before 1934,a front wheel drive version of Ford Model Y
Ford Model Y
The Model Y is the first Ford specifically designed for markets outside the United States of America, replacing the Model A in Europe. The car was powered by a 933 cc, 8 hp Ford Sidevalve engine, and was in production in England from 1932 until September 1937, in France from 1932 to 1934...
had been produced with an 8 hp engine under the marque Tracford
Tracford
Tracford was a short lived French automobile manufacturing venture that lasted from 1933 to 1935.In 1933, Louis Carle, a director of Ford , founded Automobiles Tracford...
. In 1934, Mathis
Mathis
Mathis was a firm in Alsace that produced cars between 1910 and 1950, founded by Émile Mathis born Strasbourg , died Geneva.-Hermès-Simplex:...
had financial problems while Ford wanted to increase production and the Mathis plant in Strasbourg seemed to be more suitable than the one in Courbevoie
Courbevoie
Courbevoie is a commune located very close to the centre of Paris, France. The centre of Courbevoie is situated 2 kilometres from the outer limits of Paris and 8.2 km...
where Tracford
Tracford
Tracford was a short lived French automobile manufacturing venture that lasted from 1933 to 1935.In 1933, Louis Carle, a director of Ford , founded Automobiles Tracford...
had been produced. A joint venture of Ford and Mathis was created under the name of Matford S.A. which copied at the beginning the style of contemporary American and British Ford models. The plan had been to produce the Matford models alongside those from Mathis but the last Mathis was actually made in October 1934. Nevertheless, there were high hopes for the Matford collaboration which, in 1934, was expected to last for fifty years.
In 1935 a range of V-8 engined Matfords was put on the market which were very similar to the American Ford Model 48
Ford Model 48
The Model 48 was an update on Ford's V8-powered Model 40A, the company's main product. Introduced in 1935, the Model 48 was given a cosmetic refresh annually, begetting the 1937 Ford before being thoroughly redesigned for 1941...
s with their V-8 3622cc engines. A unique French design appeared in 1936 with the Alsace with a choice of a 2.2 or 3.6 litre V-8 engine and a cabriolet was also launched. The 1937 models featured a V-shaped windscreen and in 1938 an estate car joined. Matford ceased car production in 1940 (in Poissy) with the build up of truck orders for the French army, though an unknown number were made during the German occupation, at least till 1942. Because of its proximity to the German border, the Stasbourg factory was moved while a new plant
PSA Poissy Plant
The PSA Poissy plant is a French car plant belonging to PSA Peugeot Citroën located in Poissy, Yvelines. It is dedicated to the manufacturer’s Platform 1 cars, which are cars in the subcompact class, with an annual output of approximately 200,000 cars....
opened at Poissy
Poissy
Poissy is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center.In 1561 it was the site of a fruitless Catholic-Huguenot conference, the Colloquy at Poissy...
near Paris in 1940 and the links with Mathis were severed.
The firm was reorganised in 1940 under the name Ford Société Anonyme Française
Ford SAF
Ford SAF was the French subsidiary of the American automaker Ford Motor Company, which existed under various names between 1916 and 1954, when Ford sold the manufacturing business to Simca....
and this company used the Ford trademark instead of Matford.
Matford cars achieved success at the Coupe de Dames (1936) and at Monte Carlo (1938).
See also
- Ford Société Anonyme FrançaiseFord SAFFord SAF was the French subsidiary of the American automaker Ford Motor Company, which existed under various names between 1916 and 1954, when Ford sold the manufacturing business to Simca....
- Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
- Front wheel drive
- Mathis (cars)
- TracfordTracfordTracford was a short lived French automobile manufacturing venture that lasted from 1933 to 1935.In 1933, Louis Carle, a director of Ford , founded Automobiles Tracford...