[Brad in Germany]

That photo is of a French registered Ford Model A roadster with original Ford Marchal headlights. Note the French license plate.

Starting in May of 1930, Ford Model A's that were assembled in France came from the French Ford assembly plant with those Marchal headlights in order to meet the new French road code for vehicle headlights.

Here is an era advertisement for Marchal which appeared in the French Revue Ford magazine stating that those Marchal headlights were standard on all Ford cars starting in May of 1930:



Decrypting the licence plate on the car in the original photo: the "RL" was issued from May 1937 through August 1938 in the "Seine" department (region of Paris and its suburbs) and the number 1420 with the number 6 after the RL was issued between 10 March 1938 and 23 April 1938.

The Germans invaded France on 10 May 1940 so the photo was most likely taken just before the Germans invaded France (when things like rubber tires were carefully managed) and thus the person in what appears to be a French military uniform and the not-so-new tires. Note that the car owner has hamstered an extra tire as well.

Brad in Maryland




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