Simca 1200S Coupe 

Brand	Simca
Years of production	1967 to 1971
Production	14,400 copies
Class	Sports Car
Fuel	Petrol
Engine	1,204 cu cm
Unloaded weight	890kg
Bodywork	Coupe, signed Bertone
Chassis	Simca 1000
Brakes	4 discs
Wheel base	87.87 in, 2,232 mm
Length	157.36 in, 3,997 mm
Width	60.04 in, 1,525 mm
Height	50 in, 1,270 mm
Dry weight	1,896 1b, 860 kg

The Simca 1200 S coupé are manufactured by the French brand Simca, between 1967 and 1971.

History 

The historic boss of Simca Henri Theodore Pigozzi wants to replace his aging Plein-Ciel coupés and Océane cabriolets based on the Aronde and subcontracted by the Facel company. However, Facel is experiencing enormous difficulties due to the failed launch of a small Facel Vega, the Facellia. So now that borders are no longer an obstacle since the opening of the Common Market, he turns to his compatriot, the Italian master coachbuilder Bertone to design a very tapered coupe model from the mechanical base of the Simca 1000 and ensure the manufacture of the body. Penalized by a more than laborious renewal of the range, and especially by a very chaotic brand image since the takeover by Chrysler, which replaced Fiat in 1963, the new boss of Simca, Georges Héreil, then decided to restore his image and bet more on the sports card. To clearly mark this evolution, it is envisaged to relaunch the coupé and to make it more virile by June 1967.

An aesthetic update is then requested from Bertone the coupé body with two doors and seats as 2+ 2; Body of all steel unitary construction; front-hinged doors with winding windows; fully reclining front seats; carpeted flooring; comprehensive sound deadening and full undersealing, laminated windscreen; 2-point jacking system, already from of the first series. The grille is redesigned, ventilation grilles plagiarizing those of the Lamborghini Miura appear on the hood. The direction of Simca wants a more vitaminized engine and equips the car with the Poissy engine rear mounted, 4-cylinder, in line, inclined 15° to left, water cooled, 4-stroke, with bore and stroke 70 mm and capacity 1,204 c.c which will equip the future Simca 1100, developing 82 hp thanks to its two double-barrel carburettors with sports air cleaner silencer, full-flow oil filter, thermostatically controlled cooling by centrifugal water pump a front-mounted radiator and thermostatically
operated electric fan with aluminium alloy cross-flow 8-port cylinder head and twin exhaust system authorizing a speed of 170  km/h .The distribution of weight at 39.3% to the front axle, and 60.7% at rear axle. The hydraulically operated diaphragm type single dry plate clutch with 4-speed all synchromesh gearbox (Porsche licenced) controlled by floor-mounted remote lever. In 1968, the power increases slightly, to reach 84 hp.

Even more than the 1000 Coupé, the 1200 S is criticized for its insufficiently efficient braking even with disc brakes front and rear (diameter 8.70 in, 221 mm), its vague direction and the lack of flexibility of its mechanics but rack and pinion steering; 3-spoke wood-rim wheel and turning circle 34 ft. The front suspension as independent, wishbones, transverse leaf-spring lower arms, anti-roll bar, telescopic dampers at the rear independent, semi-trailing arms, coil springs, telescopic dampers. The 1200S ended its career in 1971 without being replaced. For that, we have to wait until 1973 and the Bagheera, manufactured by Simca-Chrysler, in collaboration with Matra.

The 1200 S equipment includes: solenoid-operated starter controlled by key-operated ignition lock; head lamp flasher; illuminated instrument panel with speedometer and mileage recorder; rev.counter; fuel gauge with low level indicator light; temperature gauge; oil pressure gauge; main beam warning light; air horn; self-cancelling flashing indicators with tell-tale light; self-parking windscreen wipers; twin sun visors; dipping rear view mirror; twin quartz iodine long-range driving lamps; twin reversing lamps; foot-operated windscreen washer; 2-speed fresh air heater/demister.

Only 14,400 units of the 1200 S were produced between 1967 and 1971, without ever having succeeded in attracting the customers targeted by its designers.

• PERFORMANCE: 1200 S
  Engine capacity: 73.47 cu in, 1,204 cu cm
  Fuel consumption: 31.4 m/imp gal, 26.1 m/US gal, 91 x 100 km
  Max speed: 108.7 mph, 175 km/h
  Max power (DIN): 80 hp at 6,000 rpm
  Max torque (DIN): 76 1b ft, 10.5 kg m at 4,500 rpm
  Max engine rpm: 6,600
  Specific power: 66.4 hp/l
  Power-weight ratio: 23.6 lb/hp, 10.7 kg/hp
  Max speeds: 30.4 mph, 49 km/h in 1st gear: 51 mph, 82 km/h in 2nd gear; 76.4 mph, 123 km/h in 3rd gear; 108.7 mph, 175 km/h in 4th gear