jinx
03-27-2009, 05:41 PM
Something a bit more homely, the 1975 Simca 1100 Ti, from the same magazine partwork series as the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Simca/21030913.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Simca/21030914.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Simca/21030915.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Simca/21030916.jpg
Oh, if you were wondering why a totally British car, the Sunbeam Lotus, appears in a series dedicated to Simca, a French marque, the answer lies with Chrysler.
When Chrysler expanded into Europe in the '60s, it bought the Rootes Group in the UK & Simca in France. The Rootes company included old British marques like Hillman, Humber, Singer & Sunbeam. The cars were rebadged as Chryslers, although, some Simcas remained as such.
In the late '70s, Chrysler needed, in the UK, a replacement for the Hillman Imp which had been around since 1963. When naming the new car, one of the old Rootes marque names was used & so was born the Chrysler Sunbeam.
Unfortunately, Chrysler ran into financial difficulties & sold out to Peugeot (PSA), who subsequently renamed both the UK & French made cars as Talbots, itself an historic marque name, which came as part of the package. Strangely, Talbot could be construed as both Rootes owned & Simca owned.
In the 1930s, The Anglo-French combine Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq was split, with Rootes buying the British arm & then selling Sunbeam-Talbots based on contemporary Hillmans. Meanwhile, the French arm was taken over by Anthony Lago, who sold his cars as Talbot-Lagos. Talbot-Lago was absorbed by Simca in 1959. So, it could be said, that the UK & French Talbots were reunited......confused?
Steve
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Simca/21030913.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Simca/21030914.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Simca/21030915.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Simca/21030916.jpg
Oh, if you were wondering why a totally British car, the Sunbeam Lotus, appears in a series dedicated to Simca, a French marque, the answer lies with Chrysler.
When Chrysler expanded into Europe in the '60s, it bought the Rootes Group in the UK & Simca in France. The Rootes company included old British marques like Hillman, Humber, Singer & Sunbeam. The cars were rebadged as Chryslers, although, some Simcas remained as such.
In the late '70s, Chrysler needed, in the UK, a replacement for the Hillman Imp which had been around since 1963. When naming the new car, one of the old Rootes marque names was used & so was born the Chrysler Sunbeam.
Unfortunately, Chrysler ran into financial difficulties & sold out to Peugeot (PSA), who subsequently renamed both the UK & French made cars as Talbots, itself an historic marque name, which came as part of the package. Strangely, Talbot could be construed as both Rootes owned & Simca owned.
In the 1930s, The Anglo-French combine Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq was split, with Rootes buying the British arm & then selling Sunbeam-Talbots based on contemporary Hillmans. Meanwhile, the French arm was taken over by Anthony Lago, who sold his cars as Talbot-Lagos. Talbot-Lago was absorbed by Simca in 1959. So, it could be said, that the UK & French Talbots were reunited......confused?
Steve