The pictures from Saturday originate from a small car festival in a small French village not far from the Mediterranean.
Palau del Vidre
The village with the Catalan name dates from the 1300th century. The name of the city means "glass palace". And glass is what the city is most famous for. Glassblowers still make artful glass. Among several cultural events this autumn, the "fête de l'auto" was organized on Saturday and Sunday with an exhibition of old cars in the city centre, and military vehicles at a nearby lake. Cars are culture – at least when the event is accompanied by cheerful horn music.
1969 Ford Mustang
Simca Aronde
Simca Aronde gave a lot of car for the money. The entry-level model with a 40-horsepower 1100 engine did not cost much more than the Renault Dauphine. The Simca was 18 cm longer and 4 cm wider than the Dauphine. Both Renault Dauphine and Simca Aronde were at the top of the sales charts in the 60s in France.
Simca (Société Industrielle de Mécanique et Carrosserie Automobile) was a French car brand. It all started in 1934, the first cars were mostly license-produced models from Fiat. After the war, earlier models were continued. It was not until 1951 that Aronde arrived, which was the first self-developed model. Aronde was an immediate sales success. Another important step forward was the takeover of Ford's factory in France. Now Simca got larger passenger cars into the range. The models were formerly Ford Vedette which changed their name to Simca. A small stern-engined car (Simca 1000) was introduced in 1962. It became very popular, and was in production until 1978. The Aronde was replaced by the 1300/1500 in 1963, and the series was produced with upgrades until 1976. The new trend of transverse engine, Simca followed up with the 1100 in 1968. In 1970, Simca changed its name to Chrysler France and the cars were profiled with Chrysler's logo. The Simca 1307/1308 (a completely new model) was named car of the year in 1976. The next model (Horizon) received the same award the following year. Simca was taken over by PSA (Peugeot) and changed its name to Talbot and the brand disappeared around 1982.
It looked like the car of the Spökelsekladden or the B gang. It had a rough, uncultivated engine sound. Not as cozy as the Buick I had recently been on a trip with.
Simca Beaulieu V8.
The description of the Simca Vedette is taken from my own memory as a boy around 1970. A neighbor passed our house daily with his Simca V8. From the front you could hear the engine well. It had a sharp and uncultivated soundscape – like the sound of a vintage car.
I could perhaps have added: - Like an old man Ford.
Simca V8 is about the remains after American Ford had tried to establish itself on French soil shortly after the war. The engine they had brought to the project was a scaled-down version of Ford's side-vented flathead V8 from the early thirties. A historic motoring legend. When Simca took over the estate from Ford in 1954, they further developed the engine, among other things by increasing the stroke length and raising the compression. With 2,4 liters (143 cubic inches) and 84 horses, it is still considered one of the world's smallest series-produced V8s. At the same time in the United States, Ford now supplied cars with the new V8 engine, the so-called Y-block engine, with overhead valves (OHV).
French car history
The cars in the pictures are Simca Vedette series 2 which came in 1958. Simca introduced new, all-French model names which Beaulieu og Chambord. They became prestige cars on a par with the expensive Citroën DS models. A separate presidential edition was even made. All in all, 62 Vedetters were produced between 000 and 1958. Then the V1961 project was stopped - for good. V8s were never going to dominate European fleets.
I saw the burgundy Beaulieu at a car meet in Canet-en-Roussillon in the south of France. In this region, Vedetters are as rare as here at home. While I was taking pictures, a gray-haired gentleman came walking towards the car with determined steps. He looked at the model designation on the rear screen and exclaimed with joy:
«- Ahh, Beaulieu!!!»
The two patinated cars in the picture gallery are on private land at Sando in Holmestrand municipality. There used to be an old petrol station there. Guessing that the cars have been connected to the station.
- Remains from the time when there were Vedetters on Norwegian roads.
Simca Beaulieu in pictures
A complete instrument panel with V8 emblem in the steering wheel hub and cubes under the mirror.An almost complete dashboard.Beautiful view with a view of the fjord and Kommersøya.With an N-mark at the back and a souvenir from Sweden on the rear window, one can probably conclude that this car must have been driven in Norway.Emblem: Beaulieu. Many vital details intact.Beaulieu. Simca Vedette series 2.Ancient French pride in a beautiful Norwegian agricultural landscape.It seems that the car in the background is a parts car. It has damage to the front and lacks glass, but has details that the "main car" lacks.
Facts about Simca Beaulieu
About the model
Year of production: 1958-61
Length: 4,70 metres
Width: 1,77 meters
Motor
Side vented, V8.
Displacement: 2351 ccm / 143 ci
Horsepower: 84 at 4800 rpm
Torque: 152 Nm at 2750 revolutions
Daily Simca Vedette Presidency has belonged to General De Gaulle. The car has been used by, among others, Queen Elisabeth, the Shah of Iran and John F. Kennedy. Here it is offered at auction in Paris in 2013. French authorities demanded that the historic vehicle remain on French soil. And the bonus? It was €117 (French speaking).
Chrysler 2 literA completely unique VedetteSimca Ariane
