Franay was a French coachbuilder of renown operating at

Levallois-Perret Levallois-Perret () is a commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department and Île-de-France region of north-central France. It lies some from the centre of Paris in the north-western suburbs of the French capital. It is the most densely populated ...

, a suburb on the prosperous north-western edge of Paris. The company was founded in 1903 by Jean-Baptiste Franay, a carriage upholsterer, following an apprenticeship with Binder. It was later taken over by his son, Marius.Odin, L.C. ''World in Motion 1939 - The whole of the year's automobile production''. Belvedere Publishing, 2015. ASIN: B00ZLN91ZG. 1937 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet (21213097063)

1937 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet (21213097063)

Franay dressed prestigious chassis: Bentley, Delage, Hispano-Suiza and

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

and the Delahaye Type 135. After World War II Franay built the Talbot-Lago Grand Sport and in 1955 President

René Coty Jules Gustave René Coty (; 20 March 188222 November 1962) was President of France from 1954 to 1959. He was the second and last president of the Fourth French Republic. Early life and politics René Coty was born in Le Havre and studied at th ...

's ceremonial car, a Citroën Traction Avant with a "three-box" modern body designed not by Marius Franay himself, but by

Philippe Charbonneaux Philippe Charbonneaux (18 February 1917 – 4 June 1998) was a French industrial designer, best known for automobile and truck design, but also known for other products such as television sets. Many of his works are now exhibited in places s ...

. It was, perhaps, indicative of Franay's parlous financial condition by this time that even for manufacturing the "presidential special" he used, where possible, parts already designed and in production for other manufacturers. The

windscreen The windshield (North American English) or windscreen (Commonwealth English) of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike, truck, train, boat or streetcar is the front window, which provides visibility while protecting occupants from the elements. Mo ...

and bumpers came from a

Ford Comète The Ford Comète (later known as the Simca Comète) is a car that was built between 1951 and 1954 in France by Ford SAF. Intended as the luxury model in the range, the Comète's bodywork was built by FACEL, who later produced the better-known ...

, the wheel trims from a Ford Vendôme, the rear window from a Buick and the tail lights from a Chevrolet. Franay car body production stopped in late 1955. Marius Franay was also involved in the film industry as owner of the Industrial Society synchronization and society Cinematographic prints, St. Cloud.

Jean Mitry Jean-René Pierre Goetgheluck Le Rouge Tillard des Acres de Presfontaines, whose pseudonym was Jean Mitry (; 7 November 1904 – 18 January 1988), was a French film theorist, critic and filmmaker, a co-founder of France's first film society, and, ...

, ''Filmographie universelle: Index historique des techniques et industries du film'', Institut des hautes études cinématographiques, 1963, p. 169

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{{commonscat-inline, Franay Coachwork Coachbuilders of France Manufacturing companies established in 1903 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1955 French companies established in 1903 1955 disestablishments in France