Ford-Vairogs

From 1937 to 1940, the Ford Motor Company entertained in Riga in Latvia a production facility under the name Ford Vairogs. The favorable economic development of Latvia in the 1930s encouraged Ford to build its own plant in Latvia, despite the smallness of the country.

The following models were produced:

  • Ford Junior ( 1937 ), a variant of the English Ford Ten ( 1172 cc, 32 hp ( 23 kW ), 100 km / h
  • Ford Taunus (from 1939), the newly introduced model in Germany Ford Taunus ( 1172 cc, 34 hp ( 25 kW), 104 km / h
  • Ford V8 Standard ( from 1938), the American Type 92 ( 2229 cc, 60 hp ( 44 kW), 120 km / h
  • Ford V8 De Luxe (from 1938), the American Type 91 ( 3621 cc, 85 hp (63 kW), 135 km / h

There were light trucks and buses.

Mechanics and body of the vehicles were transported to Latvia and assembled on site from the UK ( Junior), Germany (Taunus ) or the United States ( V8). The share of local production was low; the actually foreseen development of local subcontracting could not be realized.

The outbreak of the Second World War and the first Soviet occupation of Latvia ( 1940-1941 ) led to an early end of that company. A total of about 300 cars, 1000 trucks and 200 buses have been built from 1937 to 1940.

Ford 7W Riga Autobus Factory
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