Automotive History: A Brief Guide To Early German Fords, Part 1

 

For many Americans, even those who are aware of the better-known English Ford models, the German Ford cars offered prior to the unification of Ford of Europe may be completely unfamiliar and somewhat mysterious. Here’s a short breakdown of the various models offered by Ford of German between 1933 and 1960, including the first German Fords to bear the “Taunus” name.

Prewar German Ford Cars

Ford first began building cars and trucks in Germany in 1926, in a rented warehouse near the Westhafen in Berlin. Between April 1926 and August 1927, that facility assembled 3,771 Model T cars and a smaller number of Model TT trucks from knockdown kits shipped from the U.S.

In 1930, GM’s purchase of Adam Opel AG led Henry Ford to purchase land in Cologne, along the bank of the Rhine river, and establish a bigger German Ford factory, owned through a local subsidiary called Ford AG. (In 1939, this was renamed Ford-Werke AG, which is what it’s still called today.)

 

By the summer of 1931, all assembly operations had moved to Cologne, which turned out its first complee Model A in June. For about the first year and a half of operation, the factory in Cologne was initially still dependent on imported parts and knockdown kits, shipped either from the U.S. or from Ford Ltd. in England. The first cars actually manufactured in Germany — albeit designed in the U.S. — arrived in early 1933.

Here’s a rundown of the early German Ford cars actually produced in Cologne:

Ford Köln (1933 to 1936)

 

Named for the city where the German Ford factory is located (spelled “Cologne” in English), the Ford Köln was a German-made version of the English Ford 8 HP Model Y (which was designed in Dearborn). It was mechanically similar to an early ’30s American Ford, but much smaller, with a 921 cc (56 cu. in.) L-head four giving 21 PS and a top speed of 56 mph (on a good day). Production totaled 11,121 units from January 1933 through September 1936.

Ford Rheinland (1934–1936)

 

Named for the area of western Germany where Ford-Werke is located (spelled “Rhineland” in English), the Ford Rheinland was a German-built version of the U.S. Ford Model B. Powered by a 3,285 cc four (based on the one in the earlier Ford Model A), it had 50 PS and a top speed of about 65 mph. It was much bigger than the Köln and about twice as expensive. Production totaled 5,575 from March 1934 through July 1936.

Ford V8 (1934–1941)

From March 1934 through July 1941, the factory in Cologne also produced more than 15,000 V-8 Ford cars, with bodies by German coachbuilders like Ambi-Budd and Gläser. Most had the bigger 3,620 cc V-8, but 442 late cars (identified as Model V8-92) had the smaller 2,225 cc V8-60 engine.

Ford Eifel (1935–1939)

 

Taking its name from the Eifel mountain range in western Germany, the Ford Eifel was the successor to the Köln (although production overlapped for about a year). Essentially a German-made version of the 10 HP English Ford Model C, it was bigger than the Köln, but rode the same 90-inch wheelbase. Its 1,172 cc flathead four gave 34 PS and a top speed of 62 mph. Production totaled 61,495 from May 1935 to May 1939, with a midlife facelift in February 1937 that added the new grille seen above, similar to the one on the 1937 U.S. Ford.

Ford Taunus G93A (1939–1942)

 

Named for the Taunus mountain range, the original Ford Taunus (known by its chassis code of G93A) was the replacement for the Eifel. It was technically the first German Ford developed in Germany rather than Dearborn, although this was arguable, and in Dearborn influence was clear in the exterior design, which looked like a 1939 U.S. Ford sedan that shrank in the wash:

 

The Taunus was bigger than the Eifel in every dimension except height — 162 inches long on a 94-inch wheelbase, weighing about 1,830 lb — and more expensive, but shared the same 1,172 cc L-head engine, still rated at 34 PS. Note the rear-hinged doors:

 

Unlike earlier German Fords, Ford-Werke offered the prewar Taunus only as a two-door sedan, whose bulbous body quickly earned it the nickname “Buckeltaunus” (“Hunchback Taunus”). The bodies were supplied to Cologne by Ambi-Budd in Berlin. Production totaled 7,100 from June 1939 through February 1942.

In all, Ford of Germany manufactured 102,528 passenger cars from 1933 to 1942, plus an additional 25,635 cars assembled in Berlin and Cologne between 1926 and 1933. Annual car and truck production Cologne during this period peaked at 36,582 units in 1938.

Postwar Cars

While Ford-Werke continued producing military trucks throughout the war, passenger car production ceased by March 1942 did not resume until the fall of 1948. Like U.S. automakers, Ford-Werke initially handled the resumption of civilian automobile production by dusting off its last prewar model:

Ford Taunus G73A (1948–1951)

The postwar “Buckeltaunus” was about the same as the prewar car except for its new G73A chassis code, although since Ambi-Budd went bankrupt in 1948, Ford-Werke bought the tooling for the Taunus sedan body and brought body production in-house.

A slightly better trimmed Taunus Special joined the initial standard car in July 1949.

 

In May 1950, the Taunus got a modest facelift. In addition to the two-door sedans, there were small numbers of cabriolets, four-door taxis, and Kombis, bodied by independent coachbuilders like Deutsch and Plasswilm.

 

 

Postwar Taunus G73A production totaled 74,128 between November 1948 and January 1952, about 85 percent of them two-door sedans.

Ford Taunus 12M G13 (1952–1959)

In January 1952, Ford-Werke introduced its first all-new model since 1939, the Taunus 12M. (As the first really new postwar project, the 1952 12M is sometimes described as “P1” (for “Projekt-1”), but that seems to be a retroactive designation — its chassis code was G13, which is how German sources generally refer to it.) This model is sometimes nicknamed the “Weltkugeltaunus” (“Globe Taunus”), for its globe-like nose emblem.

 

The G13 Taunus was a bit shorter than the old G73A Taunus, but wider and lower — now 159.8 inches long, 62.2 inches wide, and 61 inches wide, on a 98-inch wheelbase — with 13-inch rather than 15-inch wheels. Its basic exterior design was developed in Dearborn, although there were various changes in Cologne. Ford-Werke commissioned the French coachbuilder Chausson to help design the new unit body, which saved about 110 lb compared to the old car. Front suspension was now independent, with double wishbones and coil springs. The only holdovers from the prewar car were the gearbox and the 1,172 cc L-head four, now giving 38 PS and a top speed of 70 mph. (A four-speed gearbox became optional in 1954.)

 

Ford-Werke considered giving the G13 a new model name, but decided to stick with “Taunus,” adding the “12” suffix to indicate the engine displacement. Originally, the “M” was supposed to stand for “Meister” (“Master”) or “Meisterstrück” (“Masterstroke”), but there were too many competing trademarks for Ford-Werke to spell it out in advertising or badging. From January 1953 to June 1955, there was also a cheaper stripped-down version (pictured above) called simply “Taunus 12.”

 

The 12M got a facelift in January 1955 and again in August 1957. Production totaled 215,265 between January 1952 and July 1959. Most 12M G13s were two-door sedans, but there was also a two-door Kombi, and there were a few cabriolets.

Ford Taunus 15M G4B (1955–1958)

The Taunus 15M, chassis code G4B, was a 12M with a new grille and an all-new short-stroke 1,498 cc OHV engine, giving 55 PS and a top speed of 80 mph. It was available in standard and plusher de Luxe trim, in sedan, Kombi, or cabriolet form.

 

Although the 15M got a facelift along with the 12M in August 1957, Ford-Werke canceled the 1.5-liter car in mid-1958 so that it wouldn’t compete with the new 17M. Production of the 15M totaled 134,127 cars from January 1955 to June 1958.

Ford Taunus 17M P2 (1957–1959)

Known as the P2 (“Projekt-2”), the first Taunus 17M was a bigger, more expensive car than the 12M — 172.25 inches long, 65.75 inches wide, and 59 inches high, on a 102.5-inch wheelbase — aimed at middle-class buyers. It had a new 1,698 cc OHV four with 60 PS, giving a top speed of about 80 mph, with a choice of three- or four-speed gearboxes and an optional Saxomat automatic clutch. The 17M was the first German Ford with MacPherson strut front suspension. Its exterior design was created in Dearborn, and was unflatteringly known as “Gelsenkirchener Barock” (or just “Baroque Taunus”), after a furniture style noted for its high gloss and kitschy ornamentation.

 

From early 1959, the standard and de Luxe 17M both shared the same grille and new taillights. Later that year, a final refresh gave sedans a flatter roof that reduced overall height by about 1.2 inches. Ford-Werke also trimmed some weight in pursuit of better performance.

 

Total 17M P2 production from August 1957 to August 1960 was 239,978 cars. The P2 was sold in the U.S. from 1958 to 1960, generally through select Lincoln-Mercury dealers. U.S. buyers got the 17M two- and four-door sedan and wagon in standard or de Luxe trim, with prices ranging from $2,017 to $2,711. In Germany, the P2 was replaced by the 17M P3, the “Bathtub Taunus.”

Ford Taunus 12M G13/G4B (1959–1962)

The 1952-vintage Taunus 12M ended up remaining in production for more than 10 years. It was supposed to be replaced in the early ’60s with an all-new, smaller C-segment car code-named NPX-C5, with a 1-liter OHC engine, but this project was canceled in favor of the Dearborn-designed Cardinal. In the meantime, the old car got one last facelift in August 1959, with a bigger grille and a flatter nose with no more Weltkugel emblem. Ford-Werke also managed to cut the price by 315 marks (around $75).

 

Since there was now a gap of 1,090 marks (about $256) between the cheapest 12M and the cheapest 17M, Ford-Werke decided there was room for a 1.5-liter car after all. Rather than reviving the 15M as a separate model, they made its 1,498 cc OHV four a 110-mark option on the 12M. (In some markets, the 1.5-liter 12M was treated as a separate series called 12M Super.) Cars with the 1.5-liter engine used the same chassis code as the old 15M, but were much cheaper.

Total production of the final RWD 12M totaled 215,471 cars from August 1959 to August 1962. About 35 percent had the 1.5-liter engine. The facelifted 12M Super was briefly imported to the U.S. for 1960, but not many were sold, and it was withdrawn by 1961. An all-new FWD Taunus 12M (P4) arrived in September 1962.

The second part of this article will cover the unique German Ford models of the ’60s.