What a beautiful design, what a strange history. The Chrysler 180 was an odd duck in the Simca showroom. It looked like a British car! Well, actually it was. You can see the similarities with, for example, the Sunbeam Avenger. This car came from the drawing boards at the Rootes Group, the British manufacturer of brands such as Humber, Singer, Hillman, Sunbeam and Commer. There it was intended as a successor to the Humber Super Snipe and as a counterpart to the Austin 3-Litre 'Land Lobster'.
The British team led by Roy Ax not only designed a luxury four-door car with lots of leather, wood, independent suspension and air conditioning, but also a new V6 engine for which a completely new factory was set up in Coventry. Meanwhile, Simca was simultaneously working on a new, larger successor to the 1301 – 1501 series that had been built since 1963. Under model code 292, French and American designers worked together with Michelotti on a new large French mid-sized car. The clay models were ready, the last details still had to be determined.
And then Chrysler Europe's leadership stepped in. The Americans, owner of both Rootes and Simca since the late 60s, did not consider it necessary for two of their European manufacturers to develop their own large middle class. They decided, and this is where the amazement begins, that the French were going to finish the British design and also produce the car in Poissy.
The British were furious. And that got even worse when it turned out that in France, where road tax is calculated according to the cylinder capacity, the three liter V6 was no longer available. Just like the air conditioning, the wood, the leather and the new independent sprung rear axle. Instead of the V6, a cast-iron four-cylinder in-line engine with an overhead camshaft and a conventional rigid rear axle with coil springs, such as that of the Simca 1301 / 1501, developed by Simca, was put on an equal footing with the Ford Taunus and the Opel Rekord, among others. but it was definitely no longer top class to compete with Mercedes, BMW, the Citroën DS, the Austin 3-Litre or the Rover models.
Models
And so, in 1970, a British-looking car suddenly appeared in the Simca showroom, which customers walked around with some uneasiness, and the Sunbeam dealers had to sell a French car that their customers had little confidence in. That the Chrysler still sold reasonably was due to its successful design and a good price-quality ratio.
There were three versions. The entry-level model was the Chrysler 160, with a black plastic dashboard, blanking plates where a clock or other nice accessory could have been and sticky vinyl upholstery. Above that was a much nicer Chrysler 180 with lots of imitation wood, a full instrumentation, fabric upholstery and a bigger engine. And then the top model, the Chrysler 2 Liters, with tinted glass, vinyl roof, thick carpets and an automatic gearbox as standard.
Confusion complete
And then Chrysler embarked on one of the most confusing marketing strategies ever. The Rootes Group was dissolved in 1971, after which only the Hillman Avenger was continued as Chrysler (until 1977) and Simca underwent more reorganizations and name changes in a very short time than the car brand could handle. In the end, no one knew whether he was buying a Simca, a Simca-Talbot, a Chrysler-Simca, a Matra-Simca or a Talbot-Chrysler. Keeping a different sign on the facade is not good for confidence and reduces the trade-in value. And yet Simca continued to sell successful cars. First by giving the old Simca 1000 a second youth as Rallye 1 and 2. Then the Simca Matra Bagheera with its daring design and three front seats (every boy saw two girlfriends boarding in his dreams). The very modern Simca 1307 / 1308 with front-wheel drive, fifth door and electric windows. But the uncertainties did the brand no good.
And then the Chrysler 160 / 180 / 2 Liters. It remained what it was year after year. In 1975 production moved to Spain, where Chrysler had acquired the Barreiros plant. The name became Talbot 1610 and 2 Liter and there were – the only real changes in ten years – a fuel warning light and some new upholstery fabrics. A diesel engine of its own manufacture was also installed in Spain. Especially for the domestic taxi market after the discontinuation of the Seat 1500 Diesel.
Ten years after the Chrysler 180, Roy Ax finally signed the French large middle class. The Talbot Tagora replaced the Chrysler 180, which was built as a diesel taxi until 1982, after which the curtain fell.
Would this car have had a better chance with different marketing and more model development? I think so. If, in addition to the French version, a luxury (with wood and leather, air conditioning, three liter V6 and modern rear axle) equipped Humber had appeared, then it might have been a success and an instant classic. But things turned out differently.
Now they are rare. Very rare. It's a waste of such a beautiful design.
I sold them new. What a raw bake. The engine had unwilling 'turning' characteristics, and driving itself was nothing. The 2 liters did have a standard automatic transmission, vinyl roof and velor upholstery. But that was it. After a few years, the trade-in value was nil. I prefer to sell them to people with a grumpy or negative look. Or in the war wrong. (You heard that beforehand from the old boss) It's a shame that the car never came on the road with V6 and independent wheel suspension. That's what you get when the management is far away and a country like France introduces restrictive fiscal measures.
There is a very nice Barreiros for sale on Marktplaats.
What a strange history of this beautiful model. It's a pity that the Rootes Group didn't make it, they built beautiful cars.
It was a nice car with a nice line
I like it better than the 1307 1308
A shame indeed, I thought it was a beautiful design, especially compared to the competition at the time. The Tagora had such a difficult history, started as a promising design and ended up with too many adjustments, a blunt nose and a clearly narrower rear axle than the Peugeot 505. Anyway, the DS should also have originally had an air-cooled six-cylinder and the CX a Wankel engine, just like the C2 Audi 200.
That Audi 100 / 200 might never have been called Audi, if the NSU RO80 hadn't become such a drama.
At least the first series, the 2nd was a lot better, but then the reputation was already gone, and the Audi name was used for the higher / luxury segment
The Audi name has been retired to restore DKW's previously ruined reputation. The two-stroke F102 was such a drinking boat that the last thousands of unsold ones were destroyed and the car with a Mercedes army engine was renamed Audi 60 / 80 / 90.