Closing date for April issue -> February 17
SIMCA 1301 (1968) Charming old-fashioned elegance for French
Old-fashioned? Perhaps. But in the best sense of the word. We're talking about a neat, presentable mid-size sedan that was remarkably popular in the sixties and seventies, thanks in part to its recognizable and balanced design. The Simca 1301 wasn't a flashy car, but it was a car you took seriously.
Frans still remembers exactly what the brochure said: "You're buying a car for every possible purpose. We won't disappoint you. You can take the Simca wherever you want and set your own standards: on vacation, short trips, or just driving around. The Simca is there for you, and no one else."
Frans' wishes
Drive calmly, surrounded by comfort. Use fuel sparingly, and above all, savor the nostalgia and memories that are still vivid. Don't rush, experience.
Frans: “I know there were rust problems with this model in the early years, just like with the Simca 1000 and later with the 1100 series. Time has left a lot of rust on the scrapyard. Even more so than with modern cars, rust was a constant threat to classic vehicles. Fortunately, my new acquisition has been well preserved. It's simply a surprisingly beautiful car, especially in this green paint. It was very popular with families on the French market: a true mid-range car with styling that remained understated yet distinctive. Judging by the reactions, people are enjoying seeing it on the road again. The swallowtail on the nose immediately gives me that Simca feeling.”
We have changed
Read: changed. Your most cherished memories often come from your childhood, from under the wing of mom and dad. If you run into Frans at a classic car event, there's not only a beautiful Simca 1301, but also a caravan from the sixties.
Everything about it reflects that holidays were simpler back then. Less luxury, more experience. Frans still enjoys this, and it's reflected in the caravan's interior, fully furnished to reflect the spirit of the times. Folding chairs, gas lamps, tea lights, a two-burner stove, Michelin road maps, and board games. Tangible reminders of times gone by, unadorned.
Whenever Frans is traveling to or from an event with his Simca and caravan, he should ideally be escorted by police motorcycles, two in front and two in the back. As a tribute to this rare combination, and in appreciation of someone who not only preserves a vanished brand like Simca, but also visibly keeps it alive.
I had exactly the same green Simca for years and drove it with great pleasure, I actually wanted it
never have to sell.
My father bought a new Simca 1501 in 1968. He never had any problems with it and literally drove all over Europe on various vacations. It was, in retrospect, his most beautiful car ever.
This car deserved two extras: a more modern engine and better rust protection.
The larger Simcas of 1967 were very nice cars. Very comfortable. Spacious, a large trunk, plenty of glass, and beautifully finished. But under the hood were antique engines: the Rush, acquired from the Aronde. It was reliable enough, but lacked an oil filter. Anyone who didn't diligently perform the prescribed maintenance, including removing and cleaning the oil centrifuge on the crankshaft pulley, would sooner or later experience inadequate lubrication of the camshaft and valve train. This was audible as a sharp rattle in the engine. The oil had a long journey to make.
And then there was the rust protection: it wasn't there. My father once removed the door trim from his 1501 Special and found it covered in bare metal, a beautiful brown layer of surface rust. At the bottom of the doors, the surface rust had already disappeared. Doors aren't load-bearing parts, but the box girders are. It's incomprehensible now that a manufacturer would deliver a car without concern for its reputation, but that was the case back then, and not just with Simca.
The car also quickly suffered from blown cylinder head gaskets, a leaking clutch master cylinder and rickety door locks.
Duck (2CV) broken crankshaft bearing and switched to a Simca 1501 from father and friend, 500 guilders. Boy, with 5 people on holiday and driving 120 km/h in the first gear….1:13
That was quite a different kind of duck! On the second stage, it turned into a drunken slop….
Spacious car with a convertible roof, which I sold separately much later when the car was scrapped due to rust problems. Now I know that the rusted sills could have easily been repaired... but as a twenty-something and novice tinkerer, I thought this really meant the end of the car. Still, I enjoyed it for a long time.
1976, My first car, license plate something like 93-25-NT
It cost me 1200 guilders, what a treat, all by car. In the first year, I drove almost 20000 km without leaving the village. The furthest was Echt in Limburg.
When on a trip from Oosterbeek to Utrecht area my crankshaft bearing came out (it rattled all the way home on the hard shoulder) I bought a second-hand 1500 block for 100 guilders and installed this.
Nice car with nice memories (first relationship 😏)
Later drove 2 Simca Chryslers n 160 and n 280
I wish I had never gotten rid of that last one, but then again, my Puchie has also disappeared under the awning
Super nice, nostalgic car, although the first model with its round taillights was the prettiest. But updating is, of course, part of our sick world @software "specialists"/designers😆
Agreed. "A change is as good as a rest" has also been picked up by the commercial sector, and unfortunately, marketing is right: people want to be entertained.
Few cars have truly improved from an update.
I think the Opel B Kadett is one of the exceptions…
The B2 is better and a bit nicer (taillights) than the B1
What a beautiful car. My father bought a used moss-green Simca 1301-Spécial in 1975. It looked fantastic with the flashy headlights in the grille!
Rusting was not too bad with the 55-66-UH, but the white one that came after it rusted just about everything that was metal.
I had just gotten my driver's license in a VW Beetle (gas powered) and the green Simca felt like a Mercedes!
My father wasn't exactly a speedster and got around 1 mph in a much-much-greater mph than we did. If you really pressed the gas, the second stage of the carburetor would kick in. Well, that also widened the "throat hole."
That green 1301-Spécial was a joy to drive!
Those Cibie or Marchal spotlights were a popular item for us at the scrapyard to pimp our 2CV, R5, or GS. I still have plenty of them in my attic, and they still provide a lot of light on my classic cars.
But, back to those Simca 1301s. Back then, they were a bit like the Opel Kadetts (or Asconas?) for French families. A solid engine, four seats, and plenty of trunk space.
With a bit more power as standard, they weren't known for being economical compared to other French family cars. My primary school teacher complained about his Simca's 6 mpg.
But @Frans: you have a beautiful car that also brings back fond memories of times gone by. And what does my car criticism matter? Enjoy it, it's a beautiful car. 👏
After my Fiat 600 1957 and 3 Minis, I was lucky enough to take over a dark brown Simca 1500 station wagon from a first owner (de la maison) for 1250 guilders.
What a transition.
License plate was EU-12-70.
Never really had a problem with it.
Steering shift and smooth driving.
If you opened the tailgate and lowered the window you could remove the spare tire cover and use it as a picnic table.
The same pattern of the table was also integrated into the tailgate and you could put all kinds of things on it for what you needed for the picnic.
Actually no rust problems known.
I think this car had a full-length front seat.
I have made many trips to Spain with my love.
There were no cooling problems.
Then sold and bought a BMW 2002.
And if you had a bond with your car, you will remember the license plate for the rest of your life.
I still remember them all.