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An American from France - Ford Vedette Versailles in the (historic) test

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Created on January 1, 1956

Text:

Heinz Sponsel

Photos:

Archiv

15

Archiv

15

Ford Vedette Versailles (1955) - with color-contrasting roof

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Ford Vedette (1955) - the visual differences between the Trianon, Versailles and Régence variants

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Ford Vedette Versailles (1955) - in all its glory

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Ford Vedette Versailles (1955) - elegant sedan with V8 engine

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Ford Vedette Versailles (1954) - luxurious limousine

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Ford Vedette Trianon (1954) - the basic version already looks great, with the "Versailles" version in the background

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Ford Vedette Trianon (1954) - with "Vistadome" sliding roof

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Ford Vedette Régance (1954) - luxury version in two-tone dress

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Ford Vedette Régance (1955) - in a two-tone look

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Ford Vedette (1955) - Cockpit

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Ford Vedette (1955) - V8 engine

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Ford Vedette (1955) - self-supporting bodywork

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Ford Vedette (1955) - McPherson front suspension

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Simca Vedette (1956) - magnificent luxury-class sedan

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Simca Vedette Marly (1955) - at the Paris Salon in October 1954

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Summary

A sedan with room for six people and a V8 under the hood was not necessarily associated with France in the 1950s. Ford, however, built just such a car with the Vedette. However, the entire business was sold to Simca in 1954, resulting in a top product that offered surprising qualities. This historical test from back then reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the France Amis and shows it in many historical pictures as well as in the sales literature of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

From Ford to Simca
Presentation in the fall of 1954
Over highways and mountain roads
Impressive road holding
Weaknesses in passive safety
Positive conclusion
Technical profile

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Why a test about a car that is very rarely seen on German roads? - you might ask. Well, the idea for this test was not born in Germany, but back in France, when we were able to test the Peugeot 403 for hobby. In France - and also in Switzerland - we noticed the car. We came across it quite often. And what's more, its exterior elegance was captivating. However, we could not imagine that in these two countries, where the competition between companies is so fierce, a car could only succeed because it has a 'pretty face'. It also has to have 'something in it' if it is to stand up to a very critical group of buyers. So we decided on a Ford Versailles test - and not without good reason, as we can say after a 2000 km drive.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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