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The Simca 1000 saloon was launched in France in October 1961 and was an instant success with French buyers, but the response in export markets was much more muted. The new management at Simca was keen to raise the profile of their new car internationally. Mindful of the precedent set by Renault with their (initially Frua-bodied) Renault Floride, Simca turned to initially to Facel to discuss a joint project.
The idea was to have Facel produce the bodies. However, in the judgment of Henri Pigozzi, Simca's aging but still unusually "hands-on" boss, Facel's proposal lacked the necessary style and was considered unrealistic: there were also concerns that Facel's difficult financial position might impact the project adversely.
Simca then turned to Bertone and commissioned a coupe version of their new car. Bertone gave the job to a recently recruited young designer called Giorgetto Giugiaro. The car, having already been heavily trailed, was formally launched at the Geneva Motor Show early in 1962. However, official French homologation for production only took place in November 1962: customer deliveries began in 1963.
The style of the car was widely admired, but the cost of the Bertone-built body made it difficult for the car to compete on price alone, while the use of the standard 944cc engine block from the Simca 1000 meant that performance was unlikely to live up to its racy styling. From the start, Simca presented the Coupe 1000 as a separate model.
The outside was a true high point of Bertone's Italian art, with grace, vision, maturity, and beauty. There were wrap-around bumpers front and rear, and the back was quite as neat as the front, a rare feature in a coupe from the era. Inside, the dash was finished too, but they didn't skimp on a single thing you might have needed. Two large black dials with white numerals conveyed speed and rpm and were flanked by dials for oil, water temp, and amps.
Light controls were centered in stalks under the wood-rimmed alloy steering wheel, with pull scattered switches about haphazardly for other functions. Arguably the worst placed of the switchgear was the two under the corner of the dash to operate a two-speed heater blower control and two-speed wipers. The pedals were smallish, and the key was buried under the dash. And speaking of keys, the Coupe came with four separate keys - ignition, doors, glovebox, and boot.
The driving position was good, with outstretched legs and plenty of seat rake adjustment to attain any degree of straight arms you might have wanted. No matter how far you cranked the squab back or slid the whole seat aft, the sturdy shift column was right beside you. It was perhaps the best point in the car, with excellent synchromesh, nice short throws, and a general feeling of solidity. The lever was spring-loaded reasonably firmly to the III-IV sid,e which was handy, but reverse took some care at first. The seats themselves looked perfect for fast touring, but they had one glaring fault - the front was lower than the back (speaking of the forward buckets now), so that you were perpetually sliding out on the rug if you didn't keep one leg stiff as a brace. We assume owners would have fitted shims under the front to fix this but on a new car,
While the 1000 Coupe made no pretense of being anything but a two-seater with occasional space behind, it could, in fact transport four adults around town without breaking any backs. The general finish of the Simca Coupe was quite good with lustrous paint and well-fitted bright-work. The windows closed properly and there was very little wind or motor noise inside. A nice touch here was the fitment of a divided back in the rear so that you could use one side for luggage and have a third seat free as well.
On the road, the Simca 1000 coupe could skitter sideways for very little reason, particularly if there was a high-side wind. This fault was perhaps amplified by steering, which was vague - although it seemed no two cars were the same. Some road testers found the steering ok on one car, only to be disappointed on another of the same specification. It could be a rear disc brake pad dragging, a noise from the dash that you could not trace, or worse still, a noise from the suspension when cornering hard. It seems no two cars rolled off the production line in exactly the same manner - and minor niggles were the order of the day.
The hit-and-miss quality was a shame because the Simca Coupe, at the time, could be one of the fastest, safest one-liter GT machines on the road. It seemed many road testers would almost fall in love with the car, but then quirks like side wander or mushy steering would take over, and that love was lost. Probably one of the problems was Simca's decision to use Englebert tires - this lacked traction to an almost dangerous degree - and in the ic,e the only safe option was to leave the car behind and walk. And those who persevered in icy conditions would find the carburetor prone to icing up - causing the engine to stall.
Source: www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au; amonov.livejournal.com
Images: Berton; Chrysler
