Comptoir Général des Transports (Shipping company, France)

Last modified: 2004-10-02 by ivan sache
Keywords: comptoir general des transports | letters: mv (black) | vicenzini |
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by Ivan Sache

• History of Comptoir Général des Transports
• House flag of Comptoir Général des Transports

See also:

• France
• House flags of French shipping companies based in Marseilles
• House flags of shipping companies

History of Comptoir Général des Transports

After 20 years in ship chartering, Marc Vicenzini founded its own shipping company in 1951. The company was involved in Northern African trade. The first ship of the company was a second-hand cargo ship, MS Ville-de-Bastia. Then, Vicenzini bought a series of cargo ships from Dutch (Schiedam, Kinderdijk and Alblasserdam) and French (Nantes) shipyards. Most of these ships were named xxx-V., where xxx was a feminine surname.

The independence war in Algeria ruined Vicenzini. In 1961, the company could not pay the bill for MS Yvonne-V.. Following a lost trial, Vicenzini got bankrupted. MS Yvonne-V. and her sister-ship Danielle-V. remained on-shore until they were sold by auction in 1968.

Source: Paul Bois. Armements marseillais - Compagnies de navigation et navires à vapeur (1831-1988), published by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marseille-Provence [boi03].

Ivan Sache, 27 February 2004

House flag of Comptoir Général des Transports

The house flag of Comptoir Général des Transports is vertically divided blue-white-red, the white part being hexagonal and charged with the black, interlaced letters M V.
This flag is strikingly similar to Claude Mourou's house flag. Since the latter company existed from 1857 to 1873, I don't think there any relation with Vicenzini.

Source: Paul Bois. Armements marseillais - Compagnies de navigation et navires à vapeur (1831-1988), published by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marseille-Provence [boi03].

Ivan Sache, 27 February 2004