Simca Vedette

Simca Vedette
1961 Simca Vedette Chambord saloon
Overview
Manufacturer	Simca
Also called	Ford Vedette
Production	1954–1961
Assembly	Poissy, France São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil Adelaide, Australia
Body and chassis
Class	Large car
Body style	4-door saloon 5-door estate 2-door convertible 4-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Related	Ford Vedette Simca Ariane Simca Esplanada
Powertrain
Engine	2.4 L Aquillon V8
Transmission	3-speed manual Rush-Matic automatic

First Generation
Overview
Also called	Simca Trianon Simca Versailles Simca Régence Simca Marly
Production	1954–1957
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,690 mm (105.9 in)
Length	4,520 mm (178.0 in)
Width	1,750 mm (68.9 in)
Height	1,480 mm (58.3 in)
Curb weight	1,150 kg (2,540 lb)

Second Generation
Overview
Also called	Simca Beaulieu Simca Chambord Simca Présidence Simca Marly
Production	1958–1961
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,690 mm (105.9 in)
Length	4,750 mm (187.0 in)
Width	1,770 mm (69.7 in)
Height	1,480 mm (58.3 in)
Curb weight	1,260 kg (2,780 lb)

The Simca Vedette is a large car, manufactured from 1954 to 1961 by the French automaker Simca, at their factory in Poissy, France. It was marketed with different model names according to trim and equipment levels. The Vedette was Simca's largest model at that time and it spawned a more economical version, the Simca Ariane.

Simca acquired the Poissy factory from Ford France (Ford Société Anonyme Française, the French subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company), along with the model line, in 1954. The Vedette was therefore initially still marketed as the Ford Vedette.

The Vedette was manufactured in Poissy until 1961 and the Ariane until 1963. After that, production continued in Brazil, where the Vedette finally evolved into the Simca Esplanada, following Simca's takeover by Chrysler.

In the early 1950s, Henri Théodore Pigozzi was looking to expand the manufacturing operations of his Simca company, which was enjoying much success at the time, thanks to the popular Aronde. At the same time, Ford was seeking to divest itself of its French subsidiary, Ford SAF, which had a factory in Poissy, close to Paris, where it had been manufacturing a large car called the Ford Vedette. The Poissy plant was large and there was capacity for further expansion. The Vedette was a larger car than anything that Simca had on offer at that time. These points attracted Pigozzi, who decided to take over the entire factory, along with the rights to the cars manufactured there.

The cars appeared at the Paris Motor Show in October 1954 on the Ford France stand, but there was no mention of the Ford name on the covers of the brochures offered to potential customers. The name "Ford" appeared just once, in very small print, on the final page, presumably in order to avoid confusing customers who would be expected to call the cars "Simcas" from 1 December 1954, the date set for the formal hand-over of the business. In export markets the name change was less immediate, and even in adjacent Belgium, in January 1955 at the Brussels Motor Show the cars were still appearing on the stand of the Belgian Ford importer, sharing the space with models imported from Ford of Britain.