Matford

Matford

Company type	Joint venture
Industry	Automotive
Founded	October 1, 1934 (1934-10-01)
Founder	Mathis, Ford Motor Company
Defunct	1940 (1940)
Headquarters	Strasbourg , France
Area served	France
Key people	Maurice Dollfus
Products	Automobiles, military trucks

Matford was a French car manufacturer established in 1934 as a collaborative enterprise between the domestic company Mathis and the American corporation Ford Motor Company. The brand name was derived by merging elements of both partners' names. The company discontinued its activities in 1940.

Overview

During the early 1930s, Ford Motor Company aimed to broaden its manufacturing presence in Europe, while Mathis S.A. encountered financial challenges despite possessing a sizable factory located in Strasbourg, which had become part of France following the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.

Ford preferred utilizing the Strasbourg facility over its plant at Asnières-sur-Seine, prompting the establishment of Matford S.A. on 1 October 1934, with ownership divided as 60% Ford and 40% Mathis. The initial offerings consisted of models assembled locally that were based on American and British Ford designs.

Although the plan was to produce vehicles under both Matford and Mathis marques, Mathis halted production in October 1934, coinciding with Matford’s inception. Under the leadership of Maurice Dollfus, who joined Ford in 1930, substantial investments were made to upgrade the Strasbourg factory in 1935, reflecting ambitions for a durable collaboration.

In 1935, Matford introduced cars powered by V8 engines similar to the American Ford Model 48, equipped with 3,622 cc powerplants. By 1936, the Matford Alsace was available with either a 2,225 cc or 3,622 cc V8 engine and included options such as a cabriolet body style. The 1937 range was marketed under the designations Matford 13CV and 21CV, corresponding to fiscal horsepower classifications. These models featured V-shaped windshields, and in 1938 a timber-framed station wagon was added to the lineup. Rather than manufacturing steel bodies internally, Matford sourced them from coachbuilder Chausson.

Passenger car manufacturing ceased in 1940 as production shifted toward military trucks for the French armed forces. Some automobiles continued to be produced during German occupation until at least 1942. Due to Strasbourg’s proximity to Germany, equipment from Matford’s plant was relocated to Ford’s facility in Cologne; concurrently, Ford inaugurated a new factory at Poissy near Paris in 1940.

The alliance between Ford and Mathis was dissolved; Ford reorganized its French operations under Ford Société Anonyme Française, marketing vehicles under the Ford name. Émile Mathis emigrated to the United States during World War II, leading to Matford’s dissolution.

Matford automobiles gained recognition through successes in competitions such as the Coupe de Dames (1936) and the Monte Carlo Rally (1938).

See also

• Front wheel drive
• Tracfort

Bibliography

• Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Editor G.N. Georgano. London. 2000.