Saw one of these in the READERS section of an old RnC....Googled it. Oh my, these are pretty damn cool! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...pé_1950.jpg/800px-Ford_Vedette_Coupé_1950.jpg A MINI-MERC if I ever did see one. Some had fold back roofs!
looks like a bunch of different cars put together to me.. i see..some chevy lines, buick lines, 53 plymouth cranbrook type grill. some merc lines too..not a bad lookin' car acctually
Hey, They were actually designed in the U.S. during the war. Ford had thought about a "small" car, but product Management saw no market for a "small " Ford in post war america. Plans and development was shipped to Ford of France. S****ey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
I only it knew it was a French marketed Ford. Thanks for the info. One of these little Fords makes my "top 1,000 cars to desecrate" list for sure!
There was an old g***er version of this car that sold a few years ago. The real deal I believe. I'll see if I can find a picture of it.
ay yes,...here they are.. I almost bought this one because I had a spare y-block with a Hilborn Injection at the time this was for sale.
Another picture of a Comete. They were sold by Ford of France at the same time as Vedettes, I think '51-'54, and they both initially used the V8-60 derived engine. Later Cometes ("Monte Carlo" models) used 85's. Cometes have been favorites of mine for many years. Unfortunately they are quite rare, and are chronic rust buckets, so a nice one is big bucks.
Hey, I've always loved that the Vedette was the 2/3 version of the '49-'51 Mercury complete with the dropped swage line at the center of the door skin. This design detail came at the hand of E.T.(Bob) Gregorie Ford Motor Company designer from the 30s-'48. Prior to entering automotive design, Gregorie designed yachts and speedboats. The Ford Comete, as built by Facel-Metallon/Facel Vega, with the 95 hp flattie & four speed box musta been fun! The famous Valley Customs sectioned shoebox has always had a kinda Ford Comete vibe to me! Picture a '49-'51 Shoebox built with a kinda French Comete sorta look...smooth organic French shapes on a Shoe's wheelbase, not that Bob Koto or Ellwood Engle got it wrong to begin with, but alittle different look. Now that would be a kustom! S****ey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
For all you French Flathead afficianados. Who built the last of those engines??? Well Ford of France and Simca were related, and then Simca took over whe Ford left the picture, leaving the license to build the flathead engine. then Simca became part of Chrysler Europe. The flat head still being produced by Simca, therefore, the last flathead V8 were produced by Chrysler, and doubtlessly improved upon by the Chrysler engineers.
Hey, Chrysler didn't buy into Simca until 1958.Were they still building flatheads that late? The Simca Ariane, sucessor to the Vedette, was four banger powered, no? S****ey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
Hey, The picture that Larry posted of "Eva" got me thinkin'...... Jean Daninos, head of the company that built Facel Vegas & The Vedette ch***ised Comete was rumored to be something of a misogynist. Daninos refused to install door locks to the curbside doors of his early vehicles reasoning that any man who would open a door for a woman was less than a man. Upon his death, again rumor, his widow had his drawings and personal effects burned. S****ey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
Jean Daninos took credit for the styling of the Comete, but it's been reported that he had some ***istance from Pininfarina.
There was a french editor on Hot Rod, in the 80ties. He had, i think, a Vedette custom, that he brought with him to LA. But i cant remember his name. Lars
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