In March 1963
French automaker Simca introduces the new Simca 1300/1500 at the
Geneva Motor Show. The new car, designed by Mario Revelli di Beaumont
and Rudolf Hruska, would be the replacement of the successful Simca
Aronde P60 and the aging Simca Ariane. It was the last car developed
under de presidency of Henri Théodore Pigozzi, founder of Simca
(Société Industrielle de Mécanique et de Carrosserie Automobile)
in 1934. In 1963 American car company Chrysler increased their
share-holding in Simca to 64% and took control. On 31 May 1963, nine
days after the Simca 1300 went on sale, Pigozzi was obliged to reign
from the presidency of Simca. He died suddenly, aged 66 from a
heart-attack at Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, on 18 November 1964,
eighteen months later.
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| Predecessor: Simca Aronde P60 (1958 - 1964) |
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| Predecessor: Simca Ariane (1957 - 1963) |
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| Henri Théodore Pigozzi and Simca 1300 |
The Simca 1300 went
on sale on 22 May 1963. The car was fitted with the 1290 cc engine
(38kW) from the Aronde. In January 1964 the Simca 1500 was available,
it was fitted with a more powerful 1475 cc (51 kW) engine. Both cars
had a fully synchronised 4-speed manual gearbox with column shift. In
late 1965 the Simca 1500 was also available with a floor shift or an
automatic Borg Warner 3-speed gearbox, with an increased engine power
of 53 kW.
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| Simca 1300 |
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| Simca 1300 |
Optical differences
between the 1300 and the 1500 are the front grille, rear bumper and
chrome work. The Simca 1300 has a slightly forward pointing front
grille with 9 horizontal and 3 vertical bars, whereas the Simca
1500’s grill consists of 11 fine horizontal bars, slight recessed
in the middle part. In comparison to the Simca 1300, the rear bumper
of the Simca 1500 is extended to the rear wheel arches. The Simca
1500 has chrome work on the door window frames. At first the trim
levels are 1300 / 1300 GL and 1500 / 1500 GL. In 1966 trim levels
became 1300L / 1300 LS and 1500 GL / 1500 GLS.
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| Simca 1500 |
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| Simca 1500 |
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| Simca 1500 |
The Simca 1500
break became available in 1964, the 1300 break followed in 1965. The
station wagons are fitted with three trim levels: break, break
familial and break GL (in some countries the name Tourist was used).
All station wagons had split tailgates (the rear windscreen cold be
wind down into the bottom part, which could be folded down). The 1500
version's cargo floor could be converted into a picnic table.
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| Simca 1500 break |
Production of the
Simca 1300/1500 ended with the introduction in September 1966 of the
Simca 1301 and Simca 1501. A total of 275626 Simca 1300's and 162183
Simca 1500's were produced.
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| Successor: Simca 1301/1501 (1966 - 1975) |
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