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1100


When it arrived in 1967, the Simca 1100 was a remarkably advanced family car, and in many ways, one that has its roots in the front-wheel drive family cars that are so popular today. It was the template for the modern car, with five-doors, a roomy hatchback and front-wheel drive.

These were all the ingredients for a successful mid-sized car, and as such, the 1100 should have enjoyed a lasting legacy. Certainly,  in France, the Simca 1100 very much  did the business, becoming a best-seller with two million sold – but despite that, it’s near forgotten these days. Especially in the UK, where few remember that it was sold in Chrysler dealers alongside Imps, Avengers and Hunters.

Under the skin, it was certainly interesting. Torsion bar suspension tuned for comfort and eager power units marked out the 1100 as pleasant to drive. The Ti was possibly the first hot hatchback available in Europe (it pre-dated the Golf GTI by five years). In the UK, its tendency towards tappet rattle and rusty bodywork marked it out unfairly as a banger before its time. Few survive as a result, and those that do are worth buttons.


Reviews, blogs and news stories

1100

Opinion : Hatchbacks – The forgotten generation

7 February 2021 Keith Adams 73

Keith Adams considers some of the earlier hatchbacks which hit the market before the Volkswagen Golf Mk1 arrived and created a legacy that’s lasting to this day. Had history been […]

1100

The cars : Matra-Simca Rancho development story

11 January 2021 Keith Adams 21

The 1977 Matra-Simca Rancho is one of those wonderful cars that made more of an impact than anyone realised at the time of its launch. Today, no-one would bat an […]

1100

The cars : SIMCA 1100 development story

23 April 2017 Keith Adams 22

The Simca 1100 might be all-but forgotten today, but this revolutionary hatch caused quite the storm when it was launched in 1967. With front-wheel drive, torsion bar suspension and a wide-opening tailgate, it had everything a modern family man needed in their car. […]

1100

The cars : Talbot Wind

25 June 2011 Matthew Hayward 19

The Rancho might be the best known 1100 variant for fashionistas, but the Talbot Wind was an equally faddish flavour – for rather less money. The beach was probably the […]

1100

The cars : SIMCA 1200 Campero

25 June 2011 Matthew Hayward 0

Various SIMCAs were built in Spain, and the majority of these adhered to their French cousins. However, the Campero was unique to Spain. Graham Arnold tells its interesting story. Spanish […]

Latest story

Metro Cooper - 1981
Austin/MG Metro (LC8)

The cars : Metro Cooper (AKA Monaco) development story

17 May 2022 8

Unbelievably, the Metro Cooper was not offered as a ‘factory-backed’ conversion, even though it came with a blue-chip pedigree. However, there was a good reason why John Cooper Garages ended […]

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