Maurice Dollfus was appointed to head up Ford of France in 1930. Four years later he negotiated an agreement with Mathis which led to the creation of the

Matford Matford was a French automotive manufacturer established as a joint venture in 1934 by local firm Mathis and US-based Ford Motor Company. The name ''Matford'' derived from both companies' names. The company ceased activities in 1940. Overview ...

joint project in 1934 in order to enable Ford to grow its French business at a time of increased protectionism and at an acceptable cost. When the

partnership fell apart it was Dollfus who created Ford’s new plant at Poissy which was ready to produce cars in 1940 and which allowed the company an impressive annual production capacity (that would never be reached while Ford owned the plant) of 100,000 cars. Like many industrialists Dollfus was arrested in September 1944, suspected of collaboration in the fevered period of retribution that directly followed the

Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

, and he was transferred to

Drancy Drancy () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris in the Seine-Saint-Denis department in northern France. It is located 10.8 km (6.7 mi) from the center of Paris. History Toponymy The name Drancy comes from Medieval Lati ...

(where he met

Sacha Guitry Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (; 21 February 188524 July 1957) was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French actor, Lucien Guitry, and follow ...

). However he was quickly released and in 1945 received from the Americans an award reserved for companies that had contributed to the allied victory. After 1945 he continued to lead Ford in France, obtaining from the Americans a ready developed new model that became the future

Ford Vedette The Ford Vedette is a large car formerly manufactured by Ford SAF in their Poissy plant from 1948-1954. Originally conceived by Edsel Ford and Ford designer Eugene T. "Bob" Gregorie as a “light” Ford model, smaller than the 1942 Ford. Howeve ...

. However, aged 66 he quit Ford in January 1950 after presiding over the difficult gestation period of the Vedette, during which the company was troubled by serious industrial strife as well as the huge challenges that faced all auto-makers in France during the later 1940s. Dollfus was succeeded at Ford by

François Lehideux François Lehideux (30 January 1904 – 21 June 1998) was a French industrialist and member of the Vichy government. Car industry In 1929 Lehideux married the daughter of Fernand Renault, and soon became a leading figure in the Renault car compa ...

, who was both a former

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

plant manager and a former minister under the

Vichy regime Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...

External links

Matford constructeur automobile français 1934-1941

Collection de l'Aventure Automobile à Poissy (CAAPY)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lefacheux Pierre Ford people French businesspeople Year of birth missing Year of death missing