1963-68 Simca 1000 Sedan

摘要

Back in the Fifties, when Americans started buying imported cars in significant numbers, the Big Three responded with "captive imports" made by their European branches. Ford and GM looked to West Germany and the UK, but Chrysler's earliest imports came from France. One of them, the 1963-68 Simca 1000 sedan, is the subject for this installment of Cheap Wheels. Simca, an acronym for Societe Indus-trielle de Mecanique et Carrosserie Automobile, was originally set up as Fiat's French affiliate in the mid Thirties. Ford became part owner in 1954 when Simca took over Ford's French operations, including the plant at Poissy. In 1958, Chrysler purchased a 25-percent interest in Simca in a deal that included Ford's stake. By 1963, Chrysler owned 63 percent of Simca.