Simca 1100
| Simca 1100 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Simca |
| Also called |
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| Production | 1967–1985 |
| Assembly | |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Supermini (B) |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback 5-door hatchback 5-door estate 2-door coupe utility (pickup) 3-door van 2-door van (high roof) |
| Layout | Front engine, front-wheel drive |
| Related |
Matra Rancho Simca 1204 Simca 1118 Simca VF |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
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| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,520 mm (99.2 in) |
| Length | 3,937 mm (155.0 in) |
| Width | 1,587 mm (62.5 in) |
| Height | 1,460 mm (57.5 in) |
| Kerb weight | 918 kg (2,024 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Talbot Horizon |
The Simca 1100 is a car built from 1967 to 1982 by Simca. It was replaced by the Simca-Talbot Horizon.
The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales. The design was a result of Simca's market research in the early 1960s, which showed the increasing popularity of front wheel drive cars that provided better utilization of space and comfort in small cars. In Spring 1962, Simca organized a 1966–67 launch of a new range of front wheel drive cars with saloons, estates cars and light commercial vehicles to be included, all fitting into France's 6CV tax class – between the Simca Mille and Simca 1300. Both transverse and longitudinal engine placement were tested, and in 1963 the transverse-engine design was approved. The Simca 1100 was one of the first designs outside Fiat to feature a transverse engine with an end-on gearbox and unequal length driveshafts (now near-universal amongst small cars), a possible result of Fiat influence as a major shareholder.
In 1963, Chrysler took a controlling interest in Simca, approving the project in 1964, with a production target of summer 1967. The short timetable included developing a new transmission, and using a larger version of the rear engined rear wheel drive Simca Mille (Simca 1000) "Poissy engine", displacing 1118 cc (the Mille used a 1.0 litre engine, the 1500 a 1.5 litre engine).
When first shown on Sardinia and at the Paris Auto Show in 1967, the 1100 was advanced in design, featuring a hatchback with folding rear seats, disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, an independent front (double wishbone) and rear (trailing arm) suspension using Chrysler-style torsion bars (though Chrysler itself only used them at the front), and a full range of controls. Numerous permutations were available, with a manual, automatic and semi-automatic transmission. The engine was slanted to allow for a lower bonnet; and the engine, gearbox, and suspension were carried on a subframe to allow the unibody to be relatively unstressed. In American fashion, the body was welded to the frame, not bolted. The 1100 was reportedly studied closely by Volkswagen when the latter company was designing its Volkswagen Golf, after making rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive vehicles.
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Wikipedia