Chrysler bought Simca in nibbles over the years, eventually having a controlling interest before Chrysler Europe collapsed in 1977. I think Peugeot bought the turkey carcass after that. Ford and Fiat also owned pieces of Simca now and then.
I knew a guy in college that drove a Hillman, but it was British I believe. At least it had electrical issues like things shorting out (Lucas anyone?). Weren't Simca's French? I'm not sure, but I think maybe Chrysler Plymouth dealers sold Simca's for awhile and might have even badge shared one of their products in the sixties? Maybe that was Hillman though? Well, all I know for sure is that Buick handled Opel and Pontiac had Vauxhall for awhile back in late 50's/early 60's Chicagoland. Don't recall ever seeing any British Ford's growing up back then in the Chicago area though. But the mind does start to age...
I think our Hillman Avenger was your Plymouth Cricket in the early 70's...
Tracing the ownership history of European car brands always reminds me of those complex hand drawn charts showing the changing membership of 1970's bands.
Simca was originally founded by Fiat in 1934, acquired Ford's French operations along the way and then was progressively bought up by Chrysler from the 1960's. By about 1970, it was wholly owned by Chrysler Europe which in turn divested it to Peugeot Ctroen PSA in 1978. The Talbot brand also comes in somehow there as Peugeot continued to sell some models under the Simca Talbot brand then just Talbot. The last gasp was the Peugeot 309, which was still on sale when I went the UK in 1990. At the time, this seemed odd as the number series was out of line with other Peugeot models and the whole feel of the car, seemed dramatically different from other Peugeot of that era - it sot of felt like being introduced to the distant cousin. At this time, there was the lovely Peugeot 205 and the larger, and also lovely 405 in mainstream supply, but the 309 just felt "wrong".
There was an odd little sidelight to the later Simca era that resulted in a mid size Australian car. As part of Chrysler Europe, Simca developed the Chrysler 180 in the early 1970s. A plan was developed to ship body-shells to Australia where the Australian Chrysler operation would fit engines, including the Hemi 6 which was a sort of highly successful Australian derived orphan child of the US Chrysler Hemi engine. They were then sold as Chrysler Centuras. Unfortunately the French were testing Atomic bombs in the Pacific at the time, leading to union bans on the importation of French products, so a vast shipment of body-shells sat on the wharves in Adelaide, pre-rusting for about two years, before they eventually made it to the Chrysler Australia assembly plant.
The installation of the Hemi engine required a longer nose and upset weight distribution so the Australian version had a brake proportioning valve.
Another oddity was that the US sourced engine and other components had imperial nut sizes, but the French sourced body, Metric.
There's one of these in a nationwide older car publication now selling for a tad under $12,000. Nice. Sometimes it's nice ta see some of the old chrome bumpers, eh?
There's one of these in a nationwide older car publication now selling for a tad under $12,000. Nice. Sometimes it's nice ta see some of the old chrome bumpers, eh?
Methinks it is a Datsun 2000 (from the badge below the 'Datsun' one on the front fender. I don't think I've ever seen one with dog dish hubcaps before.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
There's one of these in a nationwide older car publication now selling for a tad under $12,000. Nice. Sometimes it's nice ta see some of the old chrome bumpers, eh?
Methinks it is a Datsun 2000 (from the badge below the 'Datsun' one on the front fender. I don't think I've ever seen one with dog dish hubcaps before.
My uncle owned one of these at one time when I was a kid. Never got a ride in it, sadly.
I am just starting to get a crush on this car so I've done little research. Apparently there's the numbers 1600 and 2000 for the same bodystyle, plus there's the name 'Fairlady' as well. I have a good amount of respect for Datsun then Nissan as a carmaker from the job they did with the Datsun 510. That little pup would also be a fine little car to have if it has been looked after well through the years.
Datsun engineers actually had a little 'ole carmaker from Germany named Porsche in mind when they built the 510. Wanted to make a Japanese car that could rock and roll with the big boys. No, it's true. Jay Leno had one at his shop for a test drive and gave it a favorable review. It's the superb handling combined with the quick acceleration from the powertrain that has them amiable. Not a Bugatti by any stretch, but, well, you know.
But for a little tinkertoy the 1600-2000 Fairlady has caught my eye away from a clear white 1967 VW Bug. For the time being, anyway.
I think the 1600 came with a 4 speed manual, while the 2000 had a 5 speed. Unfortunately, early Japanese cars tended to have the tin worm of a 57 Plymouth or Ford.
Rust can be an issue on 60's and early 70's Japanese imports. Datsun and the early Z car pop right up on that topic. But it was a common sight on early Asian metal in the Midwest and northeast. Don't know if it was the result of thin sheet metal or more likely they hadn't perfected rustproofing yet.
Rust can be an issue on 60's and early 70's Japanese imports. Datsun and the early Z car pop right up on that topic. But it was a common sight on early Asian metal in the Midwest and northeast. Don't know if it was the result of thin sheet metal or more likely they hadn't perfected rustproofing yet.
That persisted on most Japanese cars through the '80s.
That's a '66 Elva Courier. They could be had as a road-going sports car but most were setup up to compete in the SCA E-Production Sports class were they did quite well. A number of top drivers of the era, including Mark Donohue got their start racing Couriers.
And Subarus. My '82 Tercel held up pretty well while friends with Subies had to duck tape the fenders to cover the holes. And we really didn't have much salt up north compared to, say, Michigan.
My '82 Accord hatch had it pretty bad... but, I kept it 12 years..
Had co-workers with early 4Runners and Toyo 4WD pickups.. Mostly, they were just driving around with a frame and roof.. (of course, they would run forever).
Even here in the PNW. Slower that most places, but the rust would creep up, especially if the car lived outside. With neglect, once 10-15 years old, many Japanese cars of that era were dissolving here. The engines would keep going strong, but the bodies would slowly evaporate.
Wow - if I ever got a wild enough hair and wanted ta pursue a 60-something Datsun 1600/2000, I'd want to do a thorough rust-check. I'm in SW Kansas now, Midwest but not really part of the nasty, snowy and icy salted roads. Need one from a rust-free zone of some sort.
The iluvmysephia1 traveling Allied Healthcare show has hit Kansas now! Mrs.iluvmysephia1 and I went and saw Boston and Blue Oyster Cult Saturday night in Dodge City. Both bands still have it goin' on, rockers. Apparently Dennis Hopper lived here as a baby and moved away when he was about 5 years old. They have a statue of him over by the Santa Fe train depot. All he really remembered of Dodge City were the trains going through.
Dodge City, KS, boasts the world's largest cattle slaughterhouse, National Beef.
In KS I'd be just as concerned about sun damage as rust. Old Japanese interiors decomposed at an astonishing pace, and a lot of those pieces are unobtanium.
Wow - if I ever got a wild enough hair and wanted ta pursue a 60-something Datsun 1600/2000, I'd want to do a thorough rust-check. I'm in SW Kansas now, Midwest but not really part of the nasty, snowy and icy salted roads. Need one from a rust-free zone of some sort.
The iluvmysephia1 traveling Allied Healthcare show has hit Kansas now! Mrs.iluvmysephia1 and I went and saw Boston and Blue Oyster Cult Saturday night in Dodge City. Both bands still have it goin' on, rockers. Apparently Dennis Hopper lived here as a baby and moved away when he was about 5 years old. They have a statue of him over by the Santa Fe train depot. All he really remembered of Dodge City were the trains going through.
Dodge City, KS, boasts the world's largest cattle slaughterhouse, National Beef.
I wondered about your sig line the other day @iluvmysephia1. The way y'all are moving around, Las Cruces may be the second go-round for ya'll's New Mexico pit stop.
Good guess Berri, it's a 1953 sedan delivery version of the Nash Rambler known as the Greenbrier. IIRC that name was later used by Chevy a decade later for their Corvair based vans.
You know it's a mystery to me why Nissan or Toyota gave up on building a direct competitor to the hot-selling Wrangler. Surely there are many who would appreciate the improvement in reliability.
Comments
Tracing the ownership history of European car brands always reminds me of those complex hand drawn charts showing the changing membership of 1970's bands.
Simca was originally founded by Fiat in 1934, acquired Ford's French operations along the way and then was progressively bought up by Chrysler from the 1960's. By about 1970, it was wholly owned by Chrysler Europe which in turn divested it to Peugeot Ctroen PSA in 1978. The Talbot brand also comes in somehow there as Peugeot continued to sell some models under the Simca Talbot brand then just Talbot. The last gasp was the Peugeot 309, which was still on sale when I went the UK in 1990. At the time, this seemed odd as the number series was out of line with other Peugeot models and the whole feel of the car, seemed dramatically different from other Peugeot of that era - it sot of felt like being introduced to the distant cousin. At this time, there was the lovely Peugeot 205 and the larger, and also lovely 405 in mainstream supply, but the 309 just felt "wrong".
There was an odd little sidelight to the later Simca era that resulted in a mid size Australian car. As part of Chrysler Europe, Simca developed the Chrysler 180 in the early 1970s. A plan was developed to ship body-shells to Australia where the Australian Chrysler operation would fit engines, including the Hemi 6 which was a sort of highly successful Australian derived orphan child of the US Chrysler Hemi engine. They were then sold as Chrysler Centuras. Unfortunately the French were testing Atomic bombs in the Pacific at the time, leading to union bans on the importation of French products, so a vast shipment of body-shells sat on the wharves in Adelaide, pre-rusting for about two years, before they eventually made it to the Chrysler Australia assembly plant.
The installation of the Hemi engine required a longer nose and upset weight distribution so the Australian version had a brake proportioning valve.
Another oddity was that the US sourced engine and other components had imperial nut sizes, but the French sourced body, Metric.
They were never much loved here.
Cheers
Graham
There's one of these in a nationwide older car publication now selling for a tad under $12,000. Nice. Sometimes it's nice ta see some of the old chrome bumpers, eh?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!
MODERATOR
2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
Datsun engineers actually had a little 'ole carmaker from Germany named Porsche in mind when they built the 510. Wanted to make a Japanese car that could rock and roll with the big boys. No, it's true. Jay Leno had one at his shop for a test drive and gave it a favorable review. It's the superb handling combined with the quick acceleration from the powertrain that has them amiable. Not a Bugatti by any stretch, but, well, you know.
But for a little tinkertoy the 1600-2000 Fairlady has caught my eye away from a clear white 1967 VW Bug. For the time being, anyway.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
He said the 2000 was a LOT more powerful, but they had a bad habit of breaking timing chains.
Interference engine.
Bad juju.
He said the 1600(pushrod) was not as fast, but far less troublesome.
Now, drop a small block Chevy in that thing...
Just like putting a 289 V8 in a Mustang, right?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Good example! I just can't see a V8 in a Datsun 1600/2000 at all.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Come again? They rusted prematurely?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Had co-workers with early 4Runners and Toyo 4WD pickups.. Mostly, they were just driving around with a frame and roof.. (of course, they would run forever).
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
The iluvmysephia1 traveling Allied Healthcare show has hit Kansas now! Mrs.iluvmysephia1 and I went and saw Boston and Blue Oyster Cult Saturday night in Dodge City. Both bands still have it goin' on, rockers. Apparently Dennis Hopper lived here as a baby and moved away when he was about 5 years old. They have a statue of him over by the Santa Fe train depot. All he really remembered of Dodge City were the trains going through.
Dodge City, KS, boasts the world's largest cattle slaughterhouse, National Beef.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Were the dust, heat, and gangs of ML too much?
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
1951 Ford
1955 Dodge
1954 Chevy wagon
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
You know it's a mystery to me why Nissan or Toyota gave up on building a direct competitor to the hot-selling Wrangler. Surely there are many who would appreciate the improvement in reliability.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93