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also in Madrid (Spain) at the former Barreiros Diesel factory. Curiously, Spanish-built
1100's were marketed as Simca 1200 and the TI version had an 85 PS (63 kW; 84 hp)
1442 cc engine.
A total of 2.2 million cars were produced. The replacement for the 1100, the C2 project,
would become the (Simca) Talbot Horizon, and would be a runaway success in the
United States, where it sold as the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon. The 1100 would
also be the basis for the Matra Rancho, an early crossover which had serious 4x4 looks
but a Simca 1100 basis.
Range
Manufacturer
Also called
Production
Successor
Class
Body style
Layout
Engine
Wheelbase
Length
Width
Height
Kerb weight
Related
Simca
Talbot 1100
Simca 1200
Talbot 1200
19671985
Talbot Horizon
Supermini
3-door hatchback
5-door hatchback
5-door estate
2-door Pickup truck
3-door van
2-door van (high roof)
Front engine, front-wheel drive
944 cc Simca Type 315 I4
1118 cc Simca Type 315 I4
1294 cc Simca Type 315 I4
2,520 mm (99.2 in)
3,937 mm (155.0 in)
1,587 mm (62.5 in)
1,460 mm (57.5 in)
918 kg (2,024 lb)
Matra Rancho
Simca 1204
Simca 1118
Simca VF
The Simca 1204 (US) and Simca 1100 most popular car in France - and Talbot
Wind
by Andy Thompson
In the spring of 1962, Simca set a target of launching (by 1966/1967) a range of front
wheel drive cars, incorporating saloons with folding rear seats, estate cars, and light
commercial vehicles. It was to fit into the French 6CV taxation class, neatly filling the
gap between the 5CV Simca 1000 (Simca Mille) and the 7CV Simca 1300.
founder Henri Thodore Pigozzi was replaced by George Hereil. Following his
appointment, Hereil quickly re-iterated Chrysler's initial statement that Simca would
remain largely unchanged by the change in ownership, and in the case of Project 928, this
certainly held true.
The two engineers responsible for the new product, Philippe Grundeler and Charles
Scales, supported by George Hreil, the new President of Simca, prepared a mass of
information to gain Chrysler's support. Detroit gave the project its blessing at the
beginning of 1964. The Americans recognised that the forthcoming car would be in a
favourable position when it hit the market. The only front wheel drive competition was
from Britains BMC and Italys Autobianchi. Simca's last car (or Chrysler France's first,
depending on your perspective) would steal a march on all European opposition, and that
was good for Chrysler...
The company set a target of July 1967 for the first cars to roll off the production lines.
The date was set to allow Simca to premier its new car at the Paris Motor Show in the
autumn of 1967.
It was a major task to complete the development and the production engineering of an
entirely new model with a new body and new transmission within such a short space of
time, even allowing for the engine being a stretched version of the recently announced
Simca 1000 unit. Once the decision to go with the new car had been taken, Project 928 or
VLBB (Voiture Legre Berline Break - small car/small truck/estate car) rapidly
developed at Poissy. Sadly, according to accounts of the 1100's development, Simca
became so pre-occupied with Project 928's development that the accord between the
French company and the Italian tuners Abarth fell through. This held back the 1000's
sporting progress considerably, ironically just when French tuner Gordini was working
his magic on the Renault R8.
George Hreil gave overall responsibility for the new car to Pierre Nadot. Both men had
links going back to the early days of the legendary Caravelle aircraft. In 1965, Pierre
Nadot got extra support and help when two former Peugeot engineers joined the team Claude de Forcrand and Franois Paget.
easier to develop different body styles. However, the Simca body was welded to the
frame rather than bolted, as was the practice in America.
taxation class. This model came fitted with cross ply tyres and had a 5CV badge fitted to
the rear door. Between 1969 to 1972, the 944cc model accounted for 25% of the total
production of the 1100! It was never sold in Britain.
The 1118cc LS models were temporarily dropped from production between September
1968 and January 1969, when they reappeared with the 56bhp engine previously only
available on the GL and GLS models. The 53 bhp engine was still available to special
order but as a standard unit only appeared in the van. The van was brought over to Britain
in 1969 as a replacement for the Commer Imp van, which was dropped in February
1970.
By 1969, 44% of Simcas made at the Poissy plant in Paris were the 1100, 26% were the
1000, and 30% were the 1301/1501. Production of the 1100 in 1969 climbed slightly to
146,095.
The SIMCA 1204 hits the United States ... and flops
Reviewer David Ash wrote in 1971: 1204 can bring nothing but praise...highly
sophisticated set of specifications. Independent suspension by torsion bars at all four
corners, front wheel disc brakes and radial ply tires are just part of a bill of fare that
might be tempting to people who know about cars. Long orphaned here, the Simca 1204
is a genuine, solid machine.
The 1100 was introduced to America in June, 1969 as the Simca 1204, reflecting its
1204cc engine. It was available in LS or GLS trim, hatchback, or wagon (estate) for
under $2,000. Air conditioning and the three speed automatic gearbox were offered as
options. Although the car was praised by the American motoring press, it was not a
success and Simca withdraw from the American market in 1972. In American trim, it
produced (in 1971) 62 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 65 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 rpm, and
weighed 2,025 pounds (similar to the contemporary Saabs, much lighter than the Toyota
Crown, and much heavier than the Subarus). Length was 155 inches, width was 62.5
inches, and the transmission was a four-speed manual.
If the first three years of the 1100's production run could be considered a success, then the
1970s were phenomenal. The 1100 became the best-selling Simca of all time. Production
levels at Poissy bloomed considerably, and in 1971, the 1100's achievements were topped
when it became France's best selling car. In 1971, 1972 and 1973, over 200,000 1100s per
annum were produced, but most impressively, 1973 saw a peak of 296,984 leave Poissy.
Simca continued to feed demand by introducing new model variations at a startling rate,
and like the Simca 1000, each new top-of-the-range model seemed to be accompanied by
a hike in power.
Major changes to the range were announced in September 1969 for the 1970 model year.
The three door LS estate car was dropped, both it and the 1100 GL estate car being
replaced by an LS five door estate. There were power increases for all engines - 45 to 48
bhp for the 944cc, 56 to 60 bhp for the 1118cc cars and 53 to 54 bhp for the light van.
The boost to power was a result of changes made to the combustion chambers, pistons,
valves, cylinder heads, carburettors and manifolds. The company claimed that the
changes not only increased power but reduced fuel consumption by 3%.
The seats were redesigned and an anti theft steering lock was fitted too. A new dashboard
with round dials replaced the previous, less attractive horizontal strip speedometer. Two
dials were fitted to the LS, one for the speedo and one for minor gauges and warning
lamps. The GL and GLS got four dials although on the GL only two were used the
buyer had to tick the options boxes for a rev counter and a clock to fill the blanks! The
GLS had the clock as standard, leaving just the rev counter as an option.
Interestingly, the new dash was never introduced onto right hand drive models although
British buyers got a glimpse of the dash in the 1973 range brochure a shot through the
open hatchback of an LS clearly shows the round dials. Indeed, it was about this time that
the range of Simca 1100 cars offered to French and British buyers started to diverge quite
considerably, with each market getting its own tailor made selection.
Except on the models at the bottom of the range, Simca introduced colour keyed trim,
linking the exterior colour (from a wider choice of 14 colours including 7 metallics) with
the interior trim colour and extending that cover from the seats to include the dash
padding etc. The GLS seats used polyester foam construction seats. All 1118cc models
were given the option of servo assisted brakes.
Cardan steering joints, tested on the London to Sydney Marathon in 1968, were adopted
in February 1970 to reduce noise and vibrations on bad roads and in April all models got
anchor points for three point front seat belts.
In June 1970, the 1204 Special was introduced in three and five door models. The Special
carried the 1204cc 75bhp at 6000rpm from the 1200S, rated in France for tax purposes as
a 7CV. It featured two twin choke Weber carburettors, an aluminium sump and servo
assisted brakes. Long distance driving lights were built into the front grille. The interior
featured improved black Aeralon trim or cloth and the front seats had standard headrests.
An electronic tachometer was built into the new dashboard, the steering wheel was a
sporty 3 spoke affair and there was a centre console. An electrically heated rear window
was fitted along with electrically operated screen washers. Ventilated wheel rims of 5
inches with special hub caps (dark grey with chrome star and red circle in the centre)
were also fitted. Initially, the Special was available only in metallic turquoise blue, other
colour choices coming on stream during 1971. Top speed for the Special was about
100mph!
More running changes were made during 1970 a quieter alternator, the cable operated
gear change was replaced with a rod system to improve the quality of the gear change and
stronger synchromesh was fitted to the gearbox.
For France in 1971 the five door GL 5 door and three door GLS were dropped. All
models were equipped with radial-ply tyres, a glove box under the dashboard and, with
the exception of the Special, a black twin spoke steering wheel. The 944cc LS had its
compression ration raised from 8.1:1 to 9.4:1. The van and the GLS gained servo assisted
brakes. Changes were made to answer criticisms made earlier in 1970 of the Special engine torque was increased by 15% and additional sound-proofing was installed.
The British range was rather limited the 1118LS three door, a GLS as a five door and an
estate and the 1204 Special. The 1204 was promoted in Britain as offering more
performance than the popular MG Midget and Triumph Spitfire sports cars!
On August 31st, 1971, Chrysler France replaced Simca as the official name of the
company. New rectangular name badges replaced the individual S.I.M.C.A. letters on the
cars.
In September 1971, 1972 model year Simca 1100s received a mildly restyled rear
hatchback with a slightly larger window. New colours appeared, celebrating the
introduction of new electro-painting techniques at Poissy. All models gained a new, 3
spoke safety steering wheel complete with fake wood trim on the Special. The Special
itself got a new, 1294cc engine, bore increasing from 74 to 76.7mm. The new engine
came with a single twin choke Weber carburettor and produced the same power as the
previous twin carb 1204cc model - 75hp at 5600rpm. The new engine was more flexible
and a lot easier to keep in tune! The cheaper three door models were dropped for France
but British buyers could still buy a three door 1100LS. In 1972, the Simca 1100 was
Frances best selling car.
For 1973, all models received pollution controls for their engines an early consequence
of the European Union starting to legislate for pan-European emissions standards. The
Special was equipped with a reversing lamp mounted under the rear bumper and the dual
horns from the Chrysler 180. The millionth Simca 1100, a Spcial, rolled off the Poissy
production line on June 28th, 1973.
not available with the pick-up and by the end of 1973, this option had been dropped for
all British Simca 1100 buyers.
Flush outside door handles and enlarged taillights, incorporating space for fog and
reversing lamps, were the only exterior changes to the 1100. Mechanical components
remained unchanged although an effort was made to further reduce noise levels and
improve the gear change, increasingly highlighted by contemporary road testers as a
serious weak point.
The TI received new, 6 spoke alloy wheels and hazard lights were made standard across
the range. The GLE was dropped, but the 1100 Elix or LX (the official nomenclature of
the time seems to drift between two names!) was launched. Available in France with three
doors, it featured a 54bhp 1118cc engine and a sporty style matt black grille and wiper
arms, ventilated wheels with exposed wheel nuts and special side stickers. Colour choice
was limited to yellow, orange or brown. Inside, buyers found cloth trimmed seats, a
sports style steering wheel, day/night rear view mirror, fitted carpets and head rests. Fog
and reversing lamps were standard. Servo assisted brakes remained, unfortunately, an
optional extra.
In March 1975, another economy model was added to the range a 944cc estate car.
British buyers had a restricted choice two LS, two GLS and two Specials.
received a new, smoother, quieter transmission and a dual circuit braking system. The
Special and TI gained the option of headlight wipers.
Britain got a different choice. The range started with the 1100 LE, available with three or
five doors. Next up was the 1100 LX, again with a choice of body shells. The GLS was
offered as a five door and as an estate and the range was topped by two versions of the
Special, a model no longer offered to French buyers. All British 1118cc versions of the
1100 except the commercials came with the 60bhp engine.
April 1977 with special stripes, laminated windscreen, rear wiper, radio pre-equipment
tinted glass and quartz iodine headlamps.
In mid 1977, the Simca 1100 based Matra-Simca Rancho was launched. Despite all the
macho plastic that adorned the exterior of the Rancho, it was actually based on the
humble 1100! Structural and mechanical differences from the 1100 were surprisingly few,
and it went on to sell in usefully large volumes.
later, for the 1981 model year, the name Simca was replaced by Talbot. The Talbot-Simca
1100 wore a Talbot badge at the front and a Simca badge at the back.
The 1979 range was unchanged for France. The base LE model came as a three or five
door with the 50bhp engine, the GLS as a five door or estate with the 58bhp unit. There
was also a 58bhp base LE estate. The vans and pick up all had the lower compression
50bhp engine. All models got a new black grille with two chrome strips, hitherto
restricted to the LX and GLX. The range continued unchanged into 1980 although the
GLS got quartz iodine driving lamps set into the front grille. The AS model continued to
be trimmed to a level between the LE and the GLS. In Britain, the range was reduced to
an 1100LE three and five door, a GLS Special and a GLS estate all were dropped in
February 1979. Commercials remained on sale in Britain until the early nineteen eighties.
In July 1980, the 1981 range was announced. The base LE was replaced by the identically
equipped LS the only difference being that the LS had the 58 bhp engine. On all models
except the AS and the pick up the semi-automatic box remained an option. The odometers
changed from 5 to 6 digits. Production of saloons and estate ended in July 1981.
After 1100 production ended, the Poissy production lines produced the Peugeot-based
Talbot Samba. The commercial versions of the 1100 continued until the spring of 1985,
with the VF1 and VF2 offering the option of LPG fuel conversion. In July 1983, a
laminated windshield became standard, the wheels from the Horizon LS were used and
the bumpers changed from chrome to matt black. Production finally ended in spring
1985.
A car to be proud of
Car
Year
Simca 1100
1968
Renault 16
1965
1968
Volkswagen Golf
1974
Renault 14
1977
Fiat Strada/Ritmo
1978
The 1100 was, without doubt, a huge success for Simca on the French market. With over
two million built and a 15-year production run, it should be remembered as one of
France's more significant cars. In technical terms, it was also at the cutting edge when it
was launched, offering front wheel drive allied with hatchback versatility in a class that
had yet to be fully converted to the benefits of that extra door. To put that into
perspective, here is a list of other important family hatchbacks and when they were
launched.
As can be seen, Simca really did get the jump on its immediate opposition. The Renault
16 and Maxi really belonged in the class up from the 1100, and the only comparable car
to see the light of day around the same time as the SIMCA 1100 was the Autobianchi
Primula. The Simca's challenge was never really met convincingly until the Volkswagen
Golf was launched some seven years later. Even as late as 1973, major European
manufacturers were launching small saloons without hatchbacks: one only has to look at
the three-box Fiat 128 (1970), Citroen GS (1970), Alfa Romeo Alfasud (1971) and Austin
Allegro (1973) to see just how many companies missed the boat.
Although the 1100 was a huge success, it seemed that Chrysler could not capitalise upon
it when it came to producing a replacement. The Horizon was essentially a re-skinned
1100, and as most of the opposition had caught up by the time, it failed to make anything
like the same impact. So what was the 1100's legacy? Take your pick: the first GTi, the
true creator of the "Golf" class, or the Horizon...
The Talbot Wind was one stylish edition of the 1100, available as a retrofit to existing
pickups or as a new car made in Deux Sevres. Like the Rancho, the Wind offered no real
off-road ability, despite looking as if it could climb every mountain. It offered accessories
such as a surf rack, and sported neat styling touches such as roof-mounted spotlights, a
new radiator grille and jazzy paint schemes. Particularly interesting was modular nature
of the accessory pack, so if one did not want their surf racks attached, they would simply
unbolt. However, lacking the Ranchos finish, the Wind was not a commercial success.
When the 1100 pick-up slipped out of production in 1985, the Wind followed.
Year Production
1968 138,242
1976 177,820
1969 146,095
1977 142,099
1970 142,014
1978 72,695
1971 197,201
1979 53,879
1972 260,835
1980 41,664
1973 296,984
1981 19,876
1974 259,807
1982 12,796
1975 193,189
1983 14,613
1976 177,820
1984 8,703
1985 3,496
Footnote: Simca 1100s were assembled by Phillipsons in Sweden on the same lines that
built Mercedes.
Simca 1100