The Vendôme used the well tried formula of combining an existing model - in this case the Ford Vedette - with a larger engine in order to improve the performance. Fitting a larger engine in the existing engine bay was no problem, and for Ford there was little investment needed, since the engine used was the Flathead V8 side-valve engine of which millions had been made worldwide and which, in this “Mistral” form, was already powering Detroit’s 1953 Ford Crestline and Ford's F-Series truck line. Maximum output in this form was listed as or 37% more than the of the Vedette. This translated into a claimed top speed of 148 km/h (92 mph) which in 1950s France was little short of eye watering for a large heavy six seater sedan. Acceleration was also impressive, even at low engine speeds, reflecting strong low-range torque. Fuel consumption was also eye-watering, however, and while drivers cruising below 80 km/h (50 mph) consumed fuel at little more than the rate achieved in the less powerful Vedette, there were reports of high speed cruising giving rise to a consumption figure of .
