Simca 1200S

The Simca 1200S Coupé: Penalized by a more than laborious renewal of the range, and above all by a brand image that had been badly damaged since the takeover by Chrysler, which replaced Fiat in 1963, Simca’s new boss, Georges Héreil , decided to restore the company’s reputation and to bet more on the sporting card. To mark this change, the coupé was relaunched and made more sporty in June 1967. Bertone, who had already produced the first series, was asked to update the styling. The front grille was redesigned, and ventilation grilles plagiarizing those of the Lamborghini Miura appeared on the hood, but the tires remained hopelessly too small. Simca’s management wanted a livelier engine, and equipped the car with the Poissy engine that would equip the future Simca 1100, a 1,204 cm3 developing 82 bhp thanks to its twin twin carburetors, and allowing a speed of 170 km/h. Even more than the 1000 Coupé, the 1200 S was criticized for its under-performing brakes, fuzzy steering and lack of mechanical flexibility. In 1968, power was increased slightly, to 84 hp, and speeds almost reached 179 km/h. The Simca 1200S ended its career in 1971 without being replaced. For that, we had to wait until 1973 and the Bagheera, built by Simca-Chrysler in collaboration with Matra. Only 14,400 examples of the Simca 1200S were produced between 1967 and 1971, and it never managed to attract the clientele its designers had in mind. The interor was designed by Paolo Martin, while the exterior by Giugiaro.