Simca Aronde P60 - 60

The  

Simca  

Aronde  

was  

a  

family  

car  

manufactured  

by  

the

French   

automaker   

Simca   

from   

1951   

to   

1963.   

It   

was

Simca's  

first  

original  

design  

(earlier  

models  

were  

all  

to  

a

greater  

or  

lesser  

extent  

based  

on  

Fiats),  

as  

well  

as  

the

company's first unibody car.

The   P60   Aronde   saloons,   presented   at   the   Paris   Motor   Show   in   October   1958,   came   with   a   new modern-looking   body.   The   2,440   mm   (96.1   in)   wheelbase   was   unchanged   and,   apart   from   a slightly   lowered   roof-line,   the   central   portion   of   the   body   was   still   broadly   similar   to   that   of   the original   1951   Aronde,   but   the   discrete   tail-fins   and   rear   lights   were   restyled   as   were   the headlights,   set   on   either   side   of   a   larger   grill   at   the   front.[15]   Mechanically   little   had   changed: more   innovative   was   the   wide   range   of   versions   and   permutations   now   offered,   with   customers able   to   choose   from   a   range   of   engines   offering   four   different   levels   of   power   output   (40,   45,   47 or 57 hp) and an options list that even included leather upholstery and a "Simcamatic" clutch.

A proliferation of names

In   line   with   the   manufacturer's   determination   to   offer   customers   more   choice,   the   Simca Aronde P60   was   offered   with   various   names.   The   following   cars   all   shared   the   same   wheelbase   and   the same length/width footprint: • Simca Aronde P60 Élysée: 4-door berline (sedan/saloon) 1290cc (7CV) 48 hp (36 kW) • Simca   Aronde   P60   Grand   Large:   2-door   "coach   panoramique"   (pillarless   sedan/saloon) 1290cc (7CV) 48 hp (36 kW) • Simca    Aronde    P60    Montlhéry:    4-door    berline    (sedan/saloon)    1290cc    (7CV,    higher compression) 57 hp (43 kW) • Simca   Aronde   P60   Monaco:   2-door   "coach   panoramique"   (pillarless   sedan/saloon)   1290cc (7CV, higher compression) 57 hp (43 kW) • Simca Aronde P60 Châtelaine: 5-door estate/station wagon 1290cc (7CV) 45 hp (34 kW) Although   the   engines   were   unchanged,   direct   comparisons   between   the   Aronde   P60   Élysée   and the   previous   model   disclosed   a   small   deterioration   in   overall   top-end   performance   which   was attributed   to   various   "improvements"   to   the   car's   overall   profile   which,   taken   together,   reduced the   body's   aerodynamic   efficiency.   The   Aronde   Châtelaine   (estate)   at   this   stage   retained   the body   of   the   earlier Aronde   90A   Châtelaine,   but   by   1960   a   more   luxurious   estate   version,   branded as   the   Simca   Aronde   P60   Ranch,   combined   the   new   front   end   (resembling,   according   to   one source,   the   1957   Ford   Thunderbird)   from   the   new Aronde   P60   with   the   back   end   of   the   previous generation of Aronde estates.

Broadening the range

The   announcement   of   the   Aronde   P60   coincided   with   a   resurrection   for   the   old   1090cc   (6CV) engine   last   seen   in   the   Simca   8   before   that   model   received   a   larger   engine   in   1949.   The   old   6CV unit    was    now    fitted    in    a    reduced    specification    Simca    Aronde,    but    the    bodies    of    these downmarket Arondes   still,   at   this   stage,   were   those   of   the   90A Aronde   of   1955-58,   and   not   from the   new   Aronde   P60.   The   cylinder   stroke   of   the   two   engines   was   the   same,   but   the   bore diameter    on    the    1090cc    unit    was    smaller    and    in    return    for    a    rather    anaemic    level    of performance,   buyers   enjoyed   a   small   improvement   in   fuel   consumption.   The   car,   known   as   the Aronde   Deluxe   Six,   was   aggressively   priced   at   598,000   Francs   which   enabled   it   to   compete   with the popular Renault Dauphine for which listed prices started at 594,500 Francs. The   "old"   Aronde   body   was   also   available   with   the   1290cc   (7CV)   unit   fitted   in   the   new   Aronde P60s, and in this form the car was known as the Aronde Super Deluxe. A   year   later   the   entry   level   Arondes   acquired   the   P60   body   that   the   other   models   had   received in   1958,   and   the   1960   cars   exhibited   at   the   Paris   Motor   Show   in   October   1959   combined   the newer   bodies   with   the   engines   and   the   reduced   specifications   of   the   previous   year's   entry   level models.   The   price   had   crept   up   too,   with   the   entry   level   Aronde   Deluxe   Six   now   listed   at   6,050 New   Francs   for   a   basic   saloon,   while   the   basic   Renault   Dauphine   was   still   listed   at   less   than 6,000   New   Francs.   The   changes   for   the   1960   model   year   also   involved   more   names,   and   the three low end Aronde models were now named as follows: • Simca Aronde P60 Deluxe six: 4-door berline (sedan/saloon) 1090cc (6CV) 40 hp (30 kW) • Simca   Aronde   P60   Étoile   six:   4-door   berline   (sedan/saloon)   1090cc   (6CV)   40   hp   (30   kW) (featuring more sophisticated rear suspension) • Simca Aronde P60 Étoile sept: 4-door berline (sedan/saloon) 1290cc (7CV) 48 hp (36 kW) After   this   the   old   Aronde   body   was   restricted   to   a   single   model,   the   Simca   Deluxe   sept   also known   as   the   "Aronde   Outremer"   since   it   was   intended   for   sale   overseas,   chiefly   in   Algeria,   at that time blighted by an increasingly bitter war for independence.

Engines

A   new   engine,   the   Rush   1290   cc   unit,   with   the   same   cylinder   dimensions   as   before,   but   now incorporating   a   five-bearing   crankshaft,   was   fitted   to   the Arondes   beginning   from   October   1960. A   wide   range   of   power   outputs   for   the   new   engine   was   offered   according   to   model,   ranging initially   from   48   hp   (36   kW)   to   57   hp   (43   kW).   During   this   period   higher   octane   fuels   were becoming   the   norm   at   filling   stations   across   France,   and   some   of   the   changed   power   outputs correlated   with   changed   compression   ratios.   The   situation   is   further   complicated   by   changes   to the   basis   for   computing   power   output   in   France   (and   elsewhere   in   Europe)   at   the   end   of   the 1950s. A   70   hp   (52   kW)   version   of   the   engine,   called   Rush   Super,   debuted   in   September   1961   in   two models - the Montlhéry Spéciale saloon and Monaco Spéciale hardtop coupé.

1960

Engine 1290 cc 4 cylinders Power 48 HP Top Speed 130 km/h Lenght 4,12 m Widht 1,56 m Weight 895 kg