The Ford Barn

FlatheadTed · 08-12-2012, 01:46 AM

This is a jap Taxi from 1945 . Was it Made in Cologne Germany ??
Note the semaphore's

Bick in New Zealand · 08-12-2012, 05:09 AM

Probably made at the Yokohama Ford plant. I have a video showing RHD Model As being assembled there in 1930.

Bruce Lancaster · 08-13-2012, 10:22 AM

Pretty sure a Japanese Ford would have been USA manufactured (from Edgewater, NJ I believe) and assembled in Yokohama. I think Yokaohama Ford was a pretty small scale operation just assembling essentially kit cars and adding locally mandated wiring features.
My '48 was bought by my Father when he was stationed in Nanking, China and delivered via Shanghai Ford...this was during the last bits of the revolution/Civil War, and assembly involve pretty much removing the crate and installing the wheels, apparently.
According to the related correspondence, my car was built at Edgewater 11-11-1947, so edgewater as the main export plant apparently served the Pacific as well as the western markets.

FlatheadTed · 08-13-2012, 02:42 PM

Thanks Bick & Bruce ,There is a Model A coup here from Japan with the funny looking semaphore signal arms.

Tudortomnz · 08-14-2012, 01:52 AM

Bruce is probably right, as Japan was supplied by Ford US which also supplied the RHD's that went to Sth America.

Ted, does that Jap. coupe have a body number & letter stamped on the left side floor metal cross brace? Would like to know what it is, or if there is nothing.
thanks
Tom

Bruce Lancaster · 08-14-2012, 10:00 AM

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In '34 I think V8's were only made at the Rouge and by Ford Canada...I don't think Ford England or Germany had started making eights by then. Who supplied where depended mostly on tax and tariff...Canada supplied the empire, we supplied most of the rest of the world, some small countries like Holland and Scandinavian places could buy wherever they wanted due to low barriers. England for a while suplied a lot to France and Germany, Germany rapidly advanced to full factory status by '35-7 and of course was fully capable of building Fords on its own for WWII.

DavidG · 08-14-2012, 10:44 AM

The other factor determining sourcing patterns was subsidiary ownership. Even though Japan was a RHD country, it was owned by Ford U.S., as were the South American subsidiaries with assembly plants in RHD countries (Argentina and Uruguay). All of the British Commonwealth country subsidiaries, except the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, were owned by Ford of Canada in that era.

FlatheadTed · 08-14-2012, 02:49 PM

Thanks to all who posted .Tudor Man I don't have access to the Mod A jap car I have seen it at shows ,He is East coast Ford parts .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tudortomnz

Bruce is probably right, as Japan was supplied by Ford US which also supplied the RHD's that went to Sth America.

Ted, does that Jap. coupe have a body number & letter stamped on the left side floor metal cross brace? Would like to know what it is, or if there is nothing.
thanks
Tom

ventilo · 08-17-2012, 08:54 AM

Ford of Germany in Cologne did V8s back right from 1932, but still imported all flatheads from the US until the Cologne engine plant started in 1936.

Yokohama might have been a small assembly plant by US standards, but pretty big for an overseas factory. Up to 1939 they produced around 10,000 Ford a year (foreign car assembly in Japan was limited by law back then, Ford was the biggest followed by GM). The plant featured an upholstery and paint shop as well.
Ford and GM had a combined market share of 90% in Japan before WW II.

Unfortunately I only have a photo of the Yokohama plant dated back from Model-T times:

08-12-2012, 05:09 AM	#2
Bick in New Zealand Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Napier New Zealand Posts: 931	Re: 1934 Ford Jap taxi from 45 Probably made at the Yokohama Ford plant. I have a video showing RHD Model As being assembled there in 1930. __________________ 1928 Roadster (CA67) 1931 Deluxe Coupe RHD 1931 Victoria RHD Model A's don't leak oil they just mark their territory.

08-13-2012, 10:22 AM	#3
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: 1934 Ford Jap taxi from 45 Pretty sure a Japanese Ford would have been USA manufactured (from Edgewater, NJ I believe) and assembled in Yokohama. I think Yokaohama Ford was a pretty small scale operation just assembling essentially kit cars and adding locally mandated wiring features. My '48 was bought by my Father when he was stationed in Nanking, China and delivered via Shanghai Ford...this was during the last bits of the revolution/Civil War, and assembly involve pretty much removing the crate and installing the wheels, apparently. According to the related correspondence, my car was built at Edgewater 11-11-1947, so edgewater as the main export plant apparently served the Pacific as well as the western markets.

08-13-2012, 02:42 PM	#4
FlatheadTed Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Auckland Posts: 4,705	Re: 1934 Ford Jap taxi from 45 Thanks Bick & Bruce ,There is a Model A coup here from Japan with the funny looking semaphore signal arms. __________________ http://www.flatheadted.com Flathead Ted brake Floaters ,

08-14-2012, 01:52 AM	#5
Tudortomnz Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canterbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,242	Re: 1934 Ford Jap taxi from 45 Bruce is probably right, as Japan was supplied by Ford US which also supplied the RHD's that went to Sth America. Ted, does that Jap. coupe have a body number & letter stamped on the left side floor metal cross brace? Would like to know what it is, or if there is nothing. thanks Tom

08-14-2012, 10:00 AM	#6
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: 1934 Ford Jap taxi from 45 Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) In '34 I think V8's were only made at the Rouge and by Ford Canada...I don't think Ford England or Germany had started making eights by then. Who supplied where depended mostly on tax and tariff...Canada supplied the empire, we supplied most of the rest of the world, some small countries like Holland and Scandinavian places could buy wherever they wanted due to low barriers. England for a while suplied a lot to France and Germany, Germany rapidly advanced to full factory status by '35-7 and of course was fully capable of building Fords on its own for WWII.

08-14-2012, 10:44 AM	#7
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,102	Re: 1934 Ford Jap taxi from 45 The other factor determining sourcing patterns was subsidiary ownership. Even though Japan was a RHD country, it was owned by Ford U.S., as were the South American subsidiaries with assembly plants in RHD countries (Argentina and Uruguay). All of the British Commonwealth country subsidiaries, except the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, were owned by Ford of Canada in that era.

08-17-2012, 08:54 AM	#9
ventilo Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cologne/Germany Posts: 74	Re: 1934 Ford Jap taxi from 45 Ford of Germany in Cologne did V8s back right from 1932, but still imported all flatheads from the US until the Cologne engine plant started in 1936. Yokohama might have been a small assembly plant by US standards, but pretty big for an overseas factory. Up to 1939 they produced around 10,000 Ford a year (foreign car assembly in Japan was limited by law back then, Ford was the biggest followed by GM). The plant featured an upholstery and paint shop as well. Ford and GM had a combined market share of 90% in Japan before WW II. Unfortunately I only have a photo of the Yokohama plant dated back from Model-T times: