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Welcome to Matt's
Chrysler 160, Chrysler 180, Chrysler 2L, Chrysler Centura and Talbot Tagora
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This is the Australian-assembled Chrysler Centura. Knock-down kit's of the Chrysler 2L were shipped there, where they were assembled, and equipped with either the French Simca engine, or a larger, Australian 6-cylinder unit.
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In May 1970, Harry E. Chesebrough replaced Gwain H. Gillespie. As of 1 Jul 70, the Societe des Automobiles SIMCA no longer exists. Since acquiring 64% of SIMCA in 1963, Chrysler is now, by augmenting its participation, for all intents and purposes total owner (99.4%). The company was now, logically renamed Chrysler France, and lost forever was it's autonomy. And because it did not represent the whole line made at Poissy, the name SIMCA was removed from the front of the factory forever. The individual letters, S. I. M. C. A., on the cars were begun to be replaced with a single, rectangular badge. The Chrysler 160, Chrysler 160GT and Chrysler 180 were introduced at the Paris Salon in Oct, 1970. These were internally known as the SIMCA 1800 project. They were driven by four cylinder motors with transistorized ignition and overhead camshaft, characterized by modest performance but by a great comfort and a great robustness, they succeeded in appearing on the European markets only thanks to their rather competitive price. The 160 carried a 1639cc, 80hp motor and a top speed of 155km/h and the 160GT and 180 shared an 1812cc motor and a top speed of 170km/h.
On 31 Aug 1971, Chrysler France replaces SIMCA. The new, "blocked" badges completely replace the individual S.I.M.C.A. letters on the cars now. The 1501 was produced for export markets, only to use up the stocks of parts, but was re-introduced into France in 1974 due to the poor Chrysler 160/180 sales! In the early '70's The Chrysler 180 was exported to Australia, where the Australian Valiant Hemi engine (245ci-6), Australian Borg-Warner gearbox, tailshaft and differential were installed at the Chrysler plant in Tonsley Park. They were also available with the Australian OHC 2 liter 4 cylinder engine with 2 barrel Weber carburetors. However, just before the cars started to arrive, the French were conducting nuclear tests in the South Pacific, and the Australian Waterside Workers Union introduced bans on the handling of French products! The bodies were left on the wharves until 1974, when the tests were stopped (for a while). The KC Centura was available with 245 high compression engine and three speed manual or automatic.
1973: The Chrysler 2Litre was introduced at the Amsterdam Auto Show in 1972 and in Brussels in Jan 73. The luxurious car was available only with Chrysler's Torque-Flite automatic transmission and full length vinyl roof. 1973 2L (introduced at 1972 Amsterdam show and Jan 73 Bruxelles show = 11CV, 1981cc, 91.7mm x 75mm, 9.45:1, 110hp DIN @ 5600 rpm, 2486lbs, 107mph with Chrysler Torqueflite Automatic Transmission, vinyl roof, fog lights. In 1977, name changed to Chrysler-SIMCA 2 Litre and the SIMCA badge appeared on the trunk lid. In 1980, name changed to Talbot-SIMCA 2 Litre and a Talbot badge appeared on the hood (but the Chrysler pentastar remained in the center of the grille
1977: The Chrysler 180 and the Chrysler 2Litre became the Chrysler-SIMCA 1610 and the Chrysler-SIMCA 2Litre and for the first time, the SIMCA badge appeared on the trunk lid. The 1977 Chrysler-SIMCA 1610 replaced the Chrysler 180 (and the Chrysler 160 9CV was discontinued). The 10 at the end was meant to signify 10CV.
1978: Lots of informal negotiations were engaged with a multitude of European manufacturers and, apparently the French Renault and Peugeot (who had just bought Citroen in 1974) were the most interested and were encouraged by the government, who didn't accept the idea of the Poissy firm being sold to a foreign buyer. But Renault, who had just acquired American Motors Corporation (and who unloaded it in 1987 - to Chrysler!) left the winner Peugeot and on 10 May 78, an agreement was signed which stated, "the Chrysler Corporation transfers all of its interests in its European operations to Peugeot Societe Anonyme. One Dollar. That’s what Peugeot paid the Chrysler Corporation when it bought the mammoth American auromaker’s entire European operations. That did, of course, include all the debts and liabilities that went with it. It also included the assets: factories in Coventry, Scotland, France and Spain; the Sunbeam, Horizon, Avenger, Alpine and Solara models, and an image with all the prestige and fizz of a bingo hall. And there, at the very bottom of the treasure chest, were the plans for Chrysler Europe’s new executive car, the Tagora.
1979: On 1 Jan 79, the Americans packed up and left Poissy and the directors of Chrysler France were now completely French, presided by Francors Pessin Pellefier, a high power at the house of Peugeot since 1968. On 10 Aug 78, Chrysler transferred all interests in Europe to PSA. In mid-January, 1979, the PSA Peugeot-Citroen board approved without change Chrysler’s big new sedan, to be announced in the fall of 1979. This was the car, codenamed C9, that at long last would replace the lame-duck Chrysler 180. With it, Chrysler would try to recover from the 180 marketing fiasco and re-establish themselves in the prestige market. The C9 is a large car – the same length as the Ford Granada with an identical 109 inch wheelbase. Although Chrysler France faces enormous difficulties in forging into such a market, they planned a build rate of between 60,000 and 70,000 a year, extremely ambitious. Like the 180, the new car was styled in Britain, at Coventry. But the original form was considerably more striking than the finalized production shape. The nose followed Citroen SM thinking, with a glass panel between the two huge headlights and the number plate behind. The front wheel arches were round and the rear archline was horizontal. But Chrysler’s American stylists disapproved and over-rode the Britons: They replaced the glass in the nose with a blank panel, moved the number plate to a conventional bumper location and specified pronounced Bertone-type squared arches. Even so, the C9 retains a fair measure of individuality while essentially conforming to contemporary practice with the side glass descending below the level of the hood and trunk lines. Although much bigger than the 180, the C9 will use the existing 1.8 and 2.0 liter sohc engines, driving to the rear wheels. But they will be backed up by a six-cylinder unit. This was initially to be a Mitsubishi engine, but development work showed that the Japanese in-line six had insufficient power and refinement. It is probable that the C9 will get the Douvrin 2.7 litre V6, used in the Peugeot 604, Renault 30TS and the Volvo 264. Peugeot-Citroen are little concerned about the car rivaling the 604 and the CX, even though the link between the C9 and the 604 might extend to the same Peugeot 5-speed transmission, especially if the V6 is used. One of the diesel engines must also be on the cards as an option. Although the C9’s design is British, its development has been mostly in France and all the cars will be built there. The current 180 series will for some time continue to be built in Spain, where it sells well as a taxi. The C9 had advanced a long way when Peugeot-Citroen took over Chrysler. There had been fears that the project would be dropped, or at least much-modified, but the new management are apparently sufficiently satisfied to have okayed it without change. The C9 is scheduled for the 1980 model year. In 1979, the 1610 received the 11CV, 1981cc motor with manual transmission, but kept it's "10" at the end of it's name. On 10 Jul 79, it was announced that "Chrysler Europe shall become the Talbot Groupe and that all Chrysler-SIMCA models (which controlled 11% of the French market) would become Talbot-SIMCAs"
1980: On 1 Jan 80, the society Chrysler France changed its name to the society of Automobiles Talbot. Six months later, for model year 81, the name SIMCA was permanently abandoned, for the benefit of the sole remaining name, Talbot. Within a few years, all of the "Talbotized" SIMCAs became extinct.. The Chrysler-SIMCA 1610 and the Chrysler-SIMCA 2Litres were renamed Talbot-SIMCA and the new Talbot badge appeared on the hood (although the Chrysler pentastar remained in the center of the grille). At the end of
1980, it was finally decided, for economic reasons, Jean-Paul Pareyre, President of Direction for Groupe PSA announced, to fuse the commercial resources of Talbot and of Peugeot and the decision to abandon, between 1981 and 1983, 3/4 of the 488 Talbot showrooms (and all of the agents that were ex-Chrysler France, ex-SIMCA). In Jul 80, the SIMCA name was abandoned in favor of the Talbot name.
1982: While still under Chrysler's control there had been a planned replacement for the 180/2-Liter, codenamed C9. This was to have used a 2.2-Liter stretch of the old motor and some carryover components which allowed a very sleek, futuristic bodystyle. (This 2.2 was completely different than the U.S. corporate 2.2). Inder the revived name of Talbot, the large, bluff-fronted sedan eventually emerged in 1981. Designed in Britain, and with either the 2.2 litre engine from the old Chrysler 180 models or a hastily installed 2.7 V6, the Tagora had about as much aspirational appeal in the office parking lot as the gatehouse that guarded it. The Tagora plummeted to the ground in record time, selling a pathetic 23,400 in just under 4 years – that’s about 16 cars a day across the whole of Europe. Middle management fleet-car drivers would have preferred even a base-model Granada with vinyl seats and no radio to a top-notch Tagora with all the goodies. Unfortunately, Peugeot stipulated that the new car must be based on the existing 604, although the 2.2 engine was to be Chrysler's rather than the identical-displacement Peugeot/Citroen motor. Other engines were the 2.7-liter PRV V-6 and the 2.3-liter turbodiesel. As such, the eventual styling was very lumpy and not particularly attractive at all. The market for large cars, upon which the Ford Granada had a considerable stranglehold, was much smaller than when C9 was conceived, so the Tagora sold only in tiny quantities until its death in 1984.
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