Simca Aronde

Simca Aronde

Manufacturer	Simca
Production	1951–1964
Predecessor	Simca 8
Successor	Simca 1300/1500
Class	Family car
Body style(s)	4-door saloon 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 3-door estate van 5-door station wagon (Australia)
Layout	FR layout
Engine(s)	1.1 L ohv I4 1.2 L ohv I4 1.3 L Flash ohv I4 1.3 L Rush ohv I4
Manuals	Service Manual

The Simca Aronde was a family car manufactured by the French automaker Simca from 1951 to 1963. It was Simca's first original design (unlike previous models, which were all to a greater or lesser extent based on Fiats), as well as the company's first unibody car. "Aronde" means "swallow" in Old French and it was chosen as the name for the model because Simca's logo at that time was a stylized swallow.

Generations

There were three generations of the model - the 9 Aronde, manufactured from 1951 to 1955, the 90A Aronde, made from 1955 to 1958, and the P60 Aronde, which debuted in 1958 and continued until the model was dropped in 1964. There were about 1.4 million Arondes made in total, and this model alone is largely responsible for launching Simca to the position of the second-biggest French automaker at the end of the 1950s.

9 Aronde

Simca 9 Aronde

Production	1951–1955
Body style(s)	4-door saloon 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 3-door estate van
Engine(s)	1.2 L ohv I4
Transmission(s)	four speed manual
Wheelbase	96 in (2438 mm)
Length	160 in (4064 mm)
Width	61.5 in (1562 mm)
Height	57.5 in (1461 mm)
Manuals	Service Manual

The first Aronde debuted in 1951 and was fitted with 1221 cc 44.5 bhp (33.2 kW) engine from the previous Simca model, the Simca 8. The available body styles included a four-door saloon, a three-door estate and a two-door coupé coachbuilt by Facel. The latter was later replaced by a coupé based on the saloon Aronde body, called Grand Large. The 9 Aronde found favorable reception in the French market - by 1953, total sales surpassed the 60,000 mark.

The car had independent suspension at the front using coil springs with a live axle at the rear with semi elliptic leaf springs. Hydraulically operated 9.85 in (250 mm) drum brakes were used all round.

A car tested in France by the British Motor magazine in 1951 had a top speed of 73.9 mph (118.9 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 30.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 34.1 miles per imperial gallon (8.28 L/100 km; 28.4 Template:Convert/fourmregb) was recorded. The test car was reported to cost 970 Francs on the French market. It was not at the time available in the UK but the price was converted to £657.

90A Aronde

Simca 90A Aronde

Production	1955–1958
Body style(s)	4-door saloon 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 3-door estate van
Engine(s)	1.3 L Flash ohv I4
Manuals	Service Manual

The second-generation Aronde debuted in October 1955. Exterior-wise, it was an update of the 9 Aronde body, with restyled front and rear ends. More importantly, the new Aronde was now powered by the 1290 cc Flash engine. New trim levels, marketed as Elysée and Montlhéry (named after the Autodrome de Montlhéry) appeared. In October 1957, two new versions joined the Aronde range - the Océane, a two-door convertible, and Plein Ciel, a hardtop coupé, both with bodies by Facel. In January of the same year, the 500,000th Aronde was made, and the Arondes were now exported even to the USA.

An Aronde Elysee was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1956 and was recorded as having a top speed of 82.6 mph (132.9 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 23.9 seconds. A fuel consumption of 32.6 miles per imperial gallon (8.67 L/100 km; 27.1 Template:Convert/fourmregb) was recorded. The test car cost £915 including taxes on the UK market. In 1960 they also tested one of the Montlhéry models. This had a slightly higher top speed of 83.6 mph (134.5 km/h), faster acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 19.6 seconds and a better fuel consumption of 35.0 miles per imperial gallon (8.07 L/100 km; 29.1 Template:Convert/fourmregb). The test car cost £896 including taxes on the UK market.

P60 Aronde

Simca P60 Aronde

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Manufacturer	Simca
Production	1958–1964
Body style(s)	4-door saloon 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 3-door estate van 5-door station wagon (Australia)
Engine(s)	1.1 L ohv I4 1.3 L Rush ohv I4
Manuals	Service Manual

The P60 Aronde saloons, presented in September 1958, had an all-new, modern-looking body. The estate was also updated with the new front end, but retained its previous rear. A new coupé joined the range - the Monaco - while a new, inexpensive version of the Elysee, powered by a 1090 cc engine, was added under the name Etoile. A new engine, the famous Rush 1.3 L unit with a five-bearing crankshaft, was fitted to the Arondes beginning from October 1960. A 70 hp version of the engine, called Rush Super, debuted in September 1961 in two models - the Montlhéry Speciale saloon and Monaco Spéciale coupé.

A five door P60 station wagon was produced by Chrysler Australia from 1962 to 1964. This model, which was unique to Australia, was based on the four door sedan and featured an extended roof-line and a tail-gate fitted with a wind-down window .