The Ford Köln is an automobile that was produced by Ford Germany from 1933 until 1936 at its Cologne plant.

Origins

The English Ford company had developed the car and introduced it in 1932 as the Ford Model Y. The German-built version, renamed Ford Köln to stress the vehicle's German provenance, was first seen at the 1933 Berlin Motor Show. The name came from the German name for the city of Cologne. The early cars were built with components and other support from the company's English associate, but during the first year of production componentry was increasingly sourced locally.

Evolution

Subsequently, the German company offered alternative bodied cars of its own design, including notably, for 1934/35, a cheap open topped "Cabrio-Limousine" that used timber-frame construction with synthetic leather covering after the manner of some of the smaller DKWs and Adlers. This bargain basement special was promoted as a "car for everyman" ("Wagen für Jedermann") and priced in 1935 at 1,850 Marks, which was 360 Marks less than the manufacturer's advertised price for the normally bodied two-door sedan/saloon.

Technical specification

The Köln had a four-cylinder, four-stroke engine of 933 cc giving 21 hp (16 kW) at 3400 rpm. The top speed was 85 km/h (53 mph). It had a three-speed gearbox (plus reverse) with synchromesh on second and third gear. It was a small car weighing, in bare chassis form, only 540 kg (1,190 lb): an empty car with a body fitted weighed between 700 kg (1,543 lb) and 750 kg (1,653 lb).

Commercial

Public response to the car was lukewarm due to a rigid axle based front suspension and a perpendicular body style which was by now perceived as old fashioned. In its class the car faced heavy competition, mainly from Opel, DKW and Adler: commercially the Ford Köln, with 11,121 cars produced between 1933 and 1936, was not a great success. Adler produced 24,013 of their similarly sized Trumpf Juniors in less than two years between 1934 and 1935. Ford Köln volumes were also disappointing when compared with the 153,117 produced by Ford of Britain of the equivalent model.

In 1935 the Ford Köln was replaced by the Ford Eifel which was a larger car (based on the British Model C).

References

Bibliography

• Oswald, Werner (2001). Deutsche Autos 1920-1945, Band (vol) 2 (in German). Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-02170-6.