Specifications				Road Tests

Simca Cars

SIMCA (FR) 1935 to 1978

(1) Societé Industrielle de Mécanique et Carrosserie Automobile, Nanterre, Seine 1935-1961; Poissy, Seine-et-Oise 1954-1970

(2) Chrysler France SA, Poissy, Seine-et-Oise 1970 -1978

In 1978 Chrysler Simca was taken over by the PSA concern.

H.T. Pigozzi was initially the Fiat importer in France. He formed his own company in November 1934 to manufacture Fiat cars under license for the French market in the former Donnet factory. The pre-war cars were virtually identical to the Italian models. Simca offered the Tipo 508 Balilla, the 2-litre Tipo 518 Ardita, and the later 500 (Simca 5) and 1100 (Simca 8). After the war, production of the Simca 5 and Simca 8 resumed. An ohv Simca 6 (the equivalent of Fiat's 500C) was introduced for 1948, and in 1949 a 50bhp sports version of the 8CV with handsome coupe bodywork by Facel Metallon was marketed. In 1950 year the Simca 8 was restyled, and emerged with a 40bhp 1.2-litre engine and steering-column change.

In the summer of 1951, however, an entirely new car, the Aronde, made its appearance; the engine was a 45 hp derivative of the old 8CV, but the rest of the car was entirely new, with unitary construction, coil-and-wishbone independent front suspension, and hypoid final drive. The Aronde had a production run of over 12 years. In the course of the years Simca took over several companies including Unic (now only making trucks) in 1951, Ford France S.A. in 1954 and Talbot in 1959. With the acquisition of the French Ford company, the Ford 2.3-litre side-valve V-8 Vedette reappeared under the Simca name. Simca later moved into the Ford factory at Poissy and sold the original Simca works at Nanterre to Citroen in 1961. The V-8 sold fairly well, and was given a more powerful 84 hp engine in 1958. Production ceased in France in 1961, though as late as 1967 the Chambord and Presidence versions, now with a ohv engine producing 112 hp, were still being made under licence in Brazil.

1956 Arondes had 48bhp 1.3-litre engines as standard, though 57bhp Special units were found in the sports coupe's and convertibles and the Montlhery saloon; station wagons had the 45bhp Service type.

1957 saw a family derivative, the Ariane, using the hull of the V-8 Vedette and the regular Aronde engine - it was made until 1963.

In 1958 Chrysler acquired a minority interest in Simca, and by 1967 the Chrysler 'pentastar' emblem was to be seen on all Simcas. Aronde development continued: a cheap 6CV 1,100cc model was listed in 1960, and the 1961 range used 5-bearing engines in various ratings up to 62bhp, later increased to 70bhp.

A new departure for 1962 was the 1000, a 944cc rear-engined 4-door saloon with radiator mounted alongside the power-unit, 5-bearing crankshaft, all-round independent suspension, and 4-speed all-synchromesh gearbox: at 6,490NFr it was cheaper than Citroen's Ami 6, and production rose to over a quarter of a million cars.

1964 was the last year of the Aronde, which had been continued as a very inexpensive item at 6,950 NFr for an 1.100cc saloon.

In 1968 Simca switched to front-wheel drive with their transverse-engined 53bhp 1100.

In 1970, the company changed its name and the Chrysler 160/180/2L was added as a prestige line. Also Simca took Matra, and their racing team, under their wing.

The principal novelty for 1972 was yet another 1000 derivative, the 1,294cc Rallye saloon. The conventional rear-driven 1301 and 1501 were continued into 1973, along with the 1000 and 1100 families.

In 1978 the Simca name disappeared into the PSA Group and along with Chrysler Europe's other assets, like the Rootes group, was assigned to the history books