In earlier stories, I have written about the coach builders of Shanghai.
With the article about the Frazar company in Tianjin, it was clear that there were car-body makers in other Chinese cities in the 1920s as well.
Here about the Fords made in Tianjin.
In 1911, mr. L.O. McGowan of the China-American Trading Co. imported the first Fords, the T-Ford (Tin Lizzie) in China.
The first of the T-Fords was bought by mr. Chang Pak-loong, who was a compradore (according wiki: “person who acts as an agent for foreign organizations engaged in investment, trade, or economic or political exploitation.”) of the Russo Asiatic bank.
In 1913, the American Chinese Co. Federal Inc., USA, (in Chinese: Meifeng Trade Company; 美丰洋行设有营业部) established a branch in Tianjin, which became the Ford dealer and service provider.
Not only a dealer, but also a coach builder. They produced an all-metal bus based on a Ford chassis. These buses could withstand the Chinese roads; they were better than the buses, which were usually made of wood.
The American Chinese Company sold about 400-500 automobiles per year. They sold Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brand vehicles all over North China. They were agents for Tianjin, Zhili (Hebei) and Shandong.
Meifeng & Co. had sales, repair, and parts departments, and also handled auto insurance. They also offered road tests, adjustments, and repair services for each car they sold, making them very popular with customers.
The Meifeng mainbuilding was constructed in Tianjin in 1926 at 22-26 Jiefang North Road (then 38-42 Zhongjie Street).
Of all the automobiles imported in Tianjin, about 20% were sold in Tianjin; the rest were sold more inland.
During the Japanese oocupation, the company was called “North China Motors Industry Co. Ltd” (华北自动车工业株式会社).
After the war, in 1945, Meifeng started beiing the exclusive distributor in the Far East of the British Douglas motorcycles.
In 1953, the Tianjin Municipal People’s Government took over Meifeng & Co., which was then managed by the automobile repair shop under the Tianjin Municipal Public Utilities Bureau.
More to read: Oriental Motor Magazine, December 1920, February 1921, March 1921 and May 1921
and: Ford Dealer and Service Field, September 1927. Thank you, Pal Negyesi!
And: https://www.sohu.com/a/622534299_121123801,
the building: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8E%9F%E7%BE%8E%E4%B8%B0%E6%B4%8B%E8%A1%8C/1259321?fr=aladdin,