Simca Horizon: the 1979 Car of the Year

The Simca Horizon was a five-door family hatchback developed by Chrysler Europe and launched in 1978 as the replacement for the Simca 1100 and the Hillman Avenger. It was voted European Car of the Year in 1979 and, after Peugeot took over Chrysler Europe, was sold for most of its life as the Talbot Horizon.

Simca Horizon at a glance

History of the Simca Horizon

Origins

The Horizon was developed under the codename C2 from 1975, designed at Whitley in England under Roy Axe and engineered at Poissy by Simca. It was meant to be a world car, sharing its platform with the American Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon, although the European and North American cars ended up differing substantially. In Europe it was essentially a shortened version of the larger Alpine, which gave it an unusually wide track for its length. It used transversely mounted Poissy engines of 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 litres, a four-speed gearbox and torsion-bar suspension.

Launch and the Car of the Year award

Introduced in the summer of 1978, the car was sold in France as the Simca Horizon and elsewhere in Europe as a Chrysler. It won the European Car of the Year award in 1979. Only LS and GL trim was offered at first, and its arrival marked the end of the rear-engined Simca 1000, while the older 1100 remained on sale for a time as a cheaper alternative. The SX version shown at the Paris show in October 1978 attracted attention for its trip computer, which combined clock, fuel-flow and distance information to report consumption and average speeds; the device later became an option on lesser models.

Under Talbot

Chrysler sold its European operations to Peugeot in 1978, and the Horizon was rebadged as a Talbot in 1979, becoming the Talbot Horizon early in 1980. In Britain the rear-wheel-drive Avenger saloons and estates stayed alongside it until 1981, and there was never a three-door Horizon: that niche was left to the Simca 1100 on the continent and the Chrysler Sunbeam in Britain. The Series II of July 1982 brought a five-speed gearbox, black bumpers, a smaller rear window and a larger boot, and some versions had LED econometer and tachometer displays. A 1.9-litre diesel was added.

End of production

Assembly took place at Poissy and at Ryton in England, with licensed production in Spain from 1979 to 1987 and at Saab-Valmet in Finland from 1979 to 1987. French and British production ended in June 1986, and the last Horizon was built in Finland in 1987, making it the final Talbot-badged passenger car. Its replacement, the Peugeot 309, had begun life as the Talbot Arizona.

Design and features

• Wide track, short body: the Horizon was a shortened Alpine, which gave it stable handling for its size.
• Trip computer: the SX of 1978 could report fuel consumption and average speed from three sources.
• Corrosion resistance: body rot was a serious problem at least until the Series II of 1982.
• Early LED instruments: Series II cars could have an LED econometer and an LED tachometer in 250 rpm steps.

Simca Horizon versions

• Simca Horizon (1978–1979): the French-market car, also badged Chrysler Simca Horizon.
• Chrysler Horizon: the name used in most export markets before the Talbot change.
• Talbot Horizon (1979–1987): the car after the Peugeot takeover.
• Series II (1982): five-speed gearbox, restyled rear, larger boot.
• 1.9 diesel: added with the Series II.
• Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon: the related but substantially different American cars.

The Horizon replaced the Simca 1100 and succeeded the rear-engined Simca 1000 as the entry model. More cars are in the Simca collection.

Sources

• Chrysler Horizon, English Wikipedia: origins, launch, production, Series II
• Chrysler Horizon, German Wikipedia: model history, trims, dimensions, plants