Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

There has long been confusing information about production of the 190A Victoria bodies; Murray made the steelbacks, Briggs made the leatherbacks, or vice versa, or both made Victoria bodies, and so on.

The Victoria Association seems pretty convinced that Murray was the 190A body supplier, based on their data collection.

Did Ford issue contracts to the body manufacturers, ie “Briggs: 1500 A400 convertible sedan bodies? If so, do the Ford archives have them?

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

Don’t know about the archives, but it seems unlikely that Ford would arrange for bodies on a handshake,if that is what you meant.

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

Yes, all vendors were under contract and P.O.s, ...and Yes some of those P.O.s can be found at Benson.

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

Fords relationship with its subcontractors was far from a handshake ,more like a whip.

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

From

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/m/murray/murray.htm

"Starting in 1931, Murray began to build some of Ford’s more limited production bodies, including the highly treasured Model 190 convertible coupe and Model 400 conwww.jalopyjournal.netvertible Victoria. Budd had traditionally handled all of Ford’s commercial bodies, but Murray was given the job of building a few low-volume specials."

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

Like Walmart does nowadays.

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

https://i.imgur.com/SYNwnE1.jpg?1

Well one thing is for sure,if you didnt like working for Briggs there were other jobs out there..

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

Briggs tried to buy out Murray in that time frame and Henry Ford put a stop to it. He was one who believed competition made for more innovation plus it kept his costs lower. I'm sure Briggs was told not to or else. Later on in 1933 or so Murray was getting even more contracts from Ford. Briggs was having too many labor disputes and Ford didn't want all of his contractors to be on strike at the same time. In the mean time Ford was building up toward near complete self sufficiency but it took them quite a few years to get there. In that time frame, Ford was getting bodies built for less than they could be built by Ford's manufacturing agencies and the subcontractors made money on the volume of sales so it was a win win for Ford and the subcontractors.

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

The Ford Garage site of Vince Falter has some very interesting photos from the Budd Body Co. It appears they were doing much more work for Ford than realised. Tudor panels; Deluxe Delivery; Roadster & Phaeton panel stampings plus some prototype Sedans [ a slant windscreen Tudor anyone?]. Worth a look. Cheers.

Re: Did Ford give contracts to Murray & Briggs?
 

Budd was the steel stamping king of the world for a fair amount of time in that era. They were building rail cars so they had some of the heaviest stamping equipment in the world. They developed a lot of the stamping methods for the larger stampings made for Ford like the large commercial van bodies so they were in on the final design of a lot of stuff for them. Ford Motor Co was still acquiring their own large presses to do more and more themselves at the Rouge but there was no way they could keep up the a million cars per year by themselves in the Model A era.