From the Cohort by Benoit
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The Ford Small Flathead V8: The Simca Years
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Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: 1959-63 Simca Ariane
– Posted on July 28, 2020
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This was a car with a 105.9 inch wheelbase and a 48.7 horsepower 1.3 liter engine. It’s dimensions are within a fraction of an inch of my four hundred pound heavier and four times as powerful 2007 Honda Civic, and also those of an E36 BMW. I see that Simca advertised it as being capable of a top speed of 75 miles per hour. Too bad the tax man made the old flat-head V8 prohibitively expensive.
I have to think Simca really needed an in-between engine for this car. Trying to motivate that much car with the Aronde engine seems like a bad joke.
Such a pretty name… and badge
Is it me or can you see 50s Ford in the roof line, door shapes and glass house?
The Simca Ariane was initially a Simca Vedette with the Ford V8 replaced by a 1,290 cc four cylinder engine with a friendly seven-taxable-horsepower rating. The Simca Vedette was called the Ford Vedette until Ford sold Simca the factory and tooling. So this is an older Ford in many ways.
I can see that, and also see hints of a 1955 Chevy or Plymouth in those shapes, now that you mention it.
I was struck by the slight hip over the rear wheel and its echo in the line of the rear side window. I don’t usually associate that line that with 1950’s cars.
A quick Google search though indicates that Ford introduced a similar hip & window line for 1959 (possibly another reason why the ’59 Fords have always looked so good to me :-). But from 1960 though 1966 Ford reverted to a simple horizontal expression, like other manufacturers.
Not sure if any other North American ’50s cars had ‘the bulge’ until GM’s 1965 cars.
’57-8 Olds, Buick and Cadillac?
And the 1954-56 bodies as well. Bigger one had the fenderline below the beltline, but both with the same bump, and the smaller body had it right at the beltline. The first version, and most bump, was on the limited production (1640!) special bodied 1953 Buick Skylark, and also similar idea Oldsmobile Fiesta (only 458 made).
1953 Oldsmobile Fiesta
I’ll try again. That one didn’t even get to the Reply button.
1955-57 Chevrolet/Pontiac.
I can see a 1950s Opel Kapitan.
That car is so ugly, it’s kind of cute!!
+1 Exactly. I feel sorry for it. But because its styling is so humble, I really appreciate it. Zero pretense.
The doorhandles are Ford, but the rest is ’55 GM, especially Buick.
I too see a lot more GM than Ford in the styling.
The design was 100% made in Dearborn. Only the engine is Simca (influenced by Fiat).
I think the greenhouse is pretty close to the 1957-62 British Ford Consul/ Zephyr
The waistline is also very like the contemporary Humber Hawk/Super Snipe.
It might not be attractive stylingwise, but at least it’s in a nice color –
Apart from the rear door hipline, there’s also that ridge trailing from the front wheel arch – or is it a painted-over chrome strip? Aside from them, it’s rather generic.
And the FB/EK Holden
Could this be the blandest French car ever built?
My nominee for that would be the Citroen Zsara.
And now with a photo.
Xsara 🙂
even the name is forgotten.
What everyone calls bland, I call clean, understated and timeless. I hope someday, today’s automotive mess of slits, gills, nostrils, creases, and angry fish-faces will be judged as hideous as the worst ’50s fins!
Happy Motoring, Mark