Ford Comète

The Ford Comete was a by the Ford Société Anonyme France ( Ford SAF) in the automobile factory in Poissy Paris from 1951 to 1954 produced top-class automobiles.

The new president of Ford SAF, François Lehideux, was looking for a more elegant model as the Ford Vedette. Jean Daninos suggested to produce an elegant model based on the production model, as it was the case with Simca already succeeded. The body of the aimed at the market of luxury models Comètes was made by Facel Métallon in a small series in the works Dreux, Amboise and Colombes, produced the later famous luxury vehicles under the name Facel -Vega. The original engine was a page- controlled 2.2-liter V8 engine, which was Vedette of Ford France and Ford in use. However, while the Vedette was equipped with an electromagnetic Cotal gearbox, came when Comete a fully synchronized, manual Pont-à- Mousson four- speed gearbox.

The original model had a single, horizontal bar above the grille with a chrome plate or a sphere in the center, the contemporary Studebaker vehicles not dissimilar. In addition, the whitewall tires were mounted on steel rims with chrome hubcaps. In September 1951, the model was gracious in making Biarritz on the southern French Atlantic coast to the interested public presented .. Although the sight, the equipment and the quality of workmanship admiration aroused, disappointed the little machine that made the heavy Comete act powerless and unreliable.

1953 new model Comete Monte Carlo was equipped with a 3.9 -liter V8 engine. This machine came from the Ford truck made ​​105 hp (78 kW) and had an enormous torque. She had already provided their service in the Ford Vendôme. The equipment has been greatly improved, but the new machine did not flatter yourself just by itself in a clientele; she was not only known as a truck - motor, but her big engine capacity meant for its holder so that the values ​​calculated from displacement and output 22 " tax - CV" made ​​him very expensive. The new version of the model was fitted with wire spoke wheels, hubcaps wrong and an oval grille, was to dispense with the crossbar in favor of a breitmaschigen grid. The French called the Grill " coupe- frites " ( french fries knife ).

During the manufacturing period of the Ford Comete France in 1954 was sold to Simca. Thus, the Comete was offered in the last years of the model as Simca Comete.