   #copyright

Simca Vedette

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Road transport

   Simca Vedette
   1961 Simca Vedette Chambord
   Also called:  Ford Vedette
   Manufacturer: Simca
    Production:  1954–1961
      Class:     Large car
    Body style:  4-door saloon
                 5-door estate
                 2-door convertible
                 4-door convertible
      Layout:    FR layout
      Engine:    2.4 L Aquillon V8
   Transmission: 3-speed manual
                 Rush-Matic automatic
     Related:    Ford Vedette
                 Simca Ariane
                 Chrysler Esplanada
     Similar:    Ford Zodiac
                 Renault Frégate
                 Vauxhall Cresta
                 Opel Kapitän

   The Simca Vedette was a large car, manufactured from 1954 to 1961 by
   the French automaker Simca, at their factory in Poissy, France. The
   Vedette was Simca's largest model at that time and it spawned a more
   economical version, the Simca Ariane.

   Simca acquired the Poissy factory from Ford France (Ford Société
   Anonyme Française, the French subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company),
   along with the model line, in 1954. The Vedette was therefore initially
   still marketed as the Ford Vedette.

   The Vedette was manufactured in Poissy until 1961 and the Ariane until
   1963. After that, production continued in Brazil, where the Vedette
   finally evolved into the Chrysler Esplanada, following Simca's takeover
   by Chrysler.

Origins

   In the early 1950s, Henri Théodore Pigozzi was looking to expand the
   manufacturing operations of his Simca company, which was enjoying much
   success at the time, thanks to the popular Aronde. At the same time,
   Ford was seeking to divest itself of its French subsidiary, Ford SAF,
   which had a factory in Poissy, close to Paris, where it had been
   manufacturing a large car called the Ford Vedette. The Poissy plant was
   large and there was capacity for further expansion. The Vedette was a
   larger car than anything that Simca had on offer at that time. These
   points attracted Pigozzi, who decided to take over the entire factory,
   along with the rights to the cars manufactured there.

The first Vedettes

   Simca Versailles
   1956 Simca Vedette
    Also called:  Simca Trianon
                  Simca Régence
                  Simca Marly
    Production:   1954–1957
     Wheelbase:   2690 mm
      Length:     4520 mm
       Width:     1750 mm
      Height:     1480 mm
    Curb weight:  1150 kg
   Fuel capacity: 60 L

   The acquisition by Pigozzi took place in July 1954, just when Ford was
   poised to launch its new, modern Vedette, with a 4-door saloon body of
   'American' style, much like the contemporary British Fords or
   Vauxhalls. The car was powered by an unusually small 2,351 cc
   displacement sidevalve V8 unit called Aquillon in France, which stemmed
   from Ford's Flathead engine family. Equipped with a two-barrel Zenith
   32NX carburetor, it produced 80 hp, which slotted the car into the
   '13 CV' French tax class. Power was transferred to the rear live axle
   through a 3-speed manual transmission with column shift. The Vedette
   had independent front suspension (by MacPherson struts) and drum brakes
   on all four wheels.

   As with the Aronde, Simca marketed different trim levels of the Vedette
   under different model names, this time with references to the grand
   period of baroque in French history. The basic version was called the
   Simca Trianon, the mid-level was the Simca Versailles and, atop the
   range, sat the Simca Régence. An interesting option on all those
   versions was a large glass moonroof that would slide into the roof,
   called Vistadome The Vedette range was still marketed under the Ford
   brand in some markets, including the Netherlands and Germany, until
   1956.. As the new model caught on, Simca was able to increase
   production from the 150 daily achieved during Ford's ownership of the
   factory to 250 cars a day.

   Pigozzi maintained a schedule of year-to-year model revisions, much
   like American manufacturers. For 1956, an estate version joined the
   line-up, called the Simca Marly and the whole range was revised. A new
   license plate holder was added to the front bumper and the rear license
   plate now concealed the fuel tank filler. A peculiar addition was a
   pedal-operated windscreen washer, while other more ordinary changes
   included a second odometer, also known as a 'trip meter', for measuring
   partial distances. The Versailles and Régence were made even more
   comfortable, with the addition of central armrests (Versailles in the
   rear only, Régence in front and rear), while the Trianon was
   simplified, losing bumper guards and chrome windscreen decor. In 1957,
   an option of the Gravina automatic clutch was added, along with more
   effective brakes and more direct steering. The Trianon regained the
   chrome decor around the windscreen, while the other models acquired
   slimmer tail lights and the front ornament was replaced with a new
   design. Fender-mounted V8 badges were introduced but, although the
   whole range featured the same V8 engine, the new badges appeared on the
   fenders of only the Régence and Marly.

Production figures

     * 1955 - 42439
     * 1956 - 44836
     * 1957 - 17875

New models

   Simca Chambord
   1960 Simca Beaulieu
    Also called:  Simca Beaulieu
                  Simca Présidence
                  Simca Marly
    Production:   1958–1961
     Wheelbase:   2690 mm
      Length:     4750 mm
       Width:     1770 mm
      Height:     1480 mm
    Curb weight:  1260 kg
   Fuel capacity: 60 L

   After three years in production, the Vedette was given a new, elongated
   body, with a more ornate front end and large tailfins, making it even
   more American-looking than before. This was part of a styling trend
   shown by most large European cars of that period, which were, to some
   extent, inspired by American styling, as tailfins appeared on Peugeots,
   Fiats, BMC models ( Pinin Farina-styled), Fords and even Mercedes-Benz
   cars of that era. The engine was uprated to 84 hp (now called Aquillon
   84) but the fiscal qualification of the car remained unchanged.

   The three-year-old body of the previous Vedette found a new use, in
   April 1957. Fitted with the 1.3-litre Aronde engine, it became a new
   model in the Simca range — the Simca Ariane. Later, in October 1957, a
   V8 version with the Aquillon 84, called the Ariane 8, joined the range,
   replacing the Trianon. The Versailles was replaced by Simca Beaulieu
   and the Régence by the Chambord, while the estate retained the Marly
   name.

   1959 brought a new option - the Rush-Matic automatic transmission. This
   transmission featured two modes: Rush (fully automatic) and Road
   (manual gear selection). The same year, assembly of the Vedette started
   at Simca do Brasil. Also during 1959, a new top-of-the-line model
   joined the Vedette range - the Présidence, featuring a luxurious
   interior, a radiotelephone (a European first) and a continental kit.
   French coachbuilder Chapron built two 2-door Présidence convertibles
   for a governor of one of the French colonies. Chapron had another order
   the next year, to build two four-door convertibles for the French
   President Charles de Gaulle himself. The Beaulieu was dropped in autumn
   1960 but the other models remained unchanged until the 1961 model year,
   when they received new seats and new chrome decor and the engine was
   fitted with a new anti-vibration crankshaft.

   Production of the Vedette ended in the Summer of 1961, with a total of
   173,288 cars having been produced, although the model was continued for
   longer in Brazil. The Ariane survived until 1963, with 166,363
   produced.

Production figures

     * 1958 - 28142
     * 1959 - 15966
     * 1960 - 13914
     * 1961 - 3813

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simca_Vedette"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
