Simca 1200 Cabriolet Speciale

The Simca 1200 Cabriolet Speciale by Carrozzeria Ghia was a one-off show vehicle built in 1954 and exhibited at the Paris Motor Show in the same year. It was based on the mechanical underpinnings of the Simca Aronde and represented a collaborative effort between the French manufacturer Simca and the Italian coachbuilder Ghia. The vehicle was intended as a stylistic exercise and was not considered for series production. The chassis employed was that of the Simca Aronde, featuring a front-mounted, inline four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1,221 cubic centimetres. The engine block was cast iron with a single carburettor and overhead valve layout, producing approximately 45 to 50 horsepower in its standard configuration. In this application, the engine may have been fitted with minor tuning elements, possibly inspired by Abarth’s contemporary work, though no official technical alterations were published. The cabriolet body was designed and built by Ghia, using aluminium panels over a wooden substructure. Also a Coupè version was constructed. The two-seat open configuration featured a low, curved profile with a truncated rear and a steeply raked, frameless windscreen. Chrome ornamentation was minimal. The overall form shared several stylistic traits with the Abarth 1100 Sport of the same period, including proportions, surface treatment, and bumper integration. The manually operated convertible top and recessed headlamp design also followed prevailing trends in Italian show car aesthetics of the early 1950s. Only one specimen of the Simca 1200 Cabriolet Speciale is known to have been built. It was intended solely as an exhibition vehicle and was displayed on Simca’s stand at the 1954 Paris Motor Show. No further development was undertaken, and the project did not result in a production variant. Chassis and engine numbers have not been made publicly available, and the subsequent history of the vehicle after its appearance at the salon remains undocumented. This specimen exemplifies the postwar practice of coachbuilders exploring visual themes on production-based platforms. The Simca 1200 Cabriolet Speciale is representative of Ghia’s experimental design language of the period and illustrates the stylistic exchange between French mechanical bases and Italian carrozzeria craftsmanship.