1. Simca Vedette taxi.
This is an interesting old photograph, taken at an unidentified dockside location in the 1960s. The car on the left, fitted with an old roof rack, is a Simca. My guess is that this is a 1950s Simca Vedette, a model that was manufactured between 1954 and 1961.
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This Simca actually started out life as a Ford Vedette, built at the latter's manufacturing plant in Poissy, close to Paris. Ford however wanted to sell this plant, and Simca stepped in, purchased the business lock stock and barrel, with a view to adding the sidevalve V8-powered Vedette to their own saloon car range. When production came to an end, the model continued being built in Brazil.
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The Vedette was offered in a number of different trim levels - the basic Trianon, then the Versailles, and finally the Regence. Unlike contemporary saloons, the Vedette could also be specified with a 'moon roof', a sliding glazed panel set into the roof, transforming the interior with the extra light that this afforded to the occupants. In 1957 a revised bodyshell for the Vedette range was introduced. This however was not the end of the road for the original design, as fitted with a new smaller engine, it became the Ariane.
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More information on the Vedette can be found on the Simca Club site.
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Maurizio emailed me from Rome with his thoughts on the Vedette shown above. He believes that it is a taxi from Naples, judging by the 'NA' registration plate fitted to the rear of the car, and the small plate (for taxis) fitted alongside it. He also spotted an illuminated "TAXI" lamp box fitted to the car's roof. The coaches are also Italian, FIAT-VIBERTI, perhaps. Thanks for the information!
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2. Simca Vedette Trianon at a Polish motorshow.
The following photo dates to 1955, and was taken in Poland at a trade fair. Two 1950's Simcas are clearly in shot, to the right a P60 Aronde, and to the left a Vedette Trianon, its four doors open revealing its interior. On an adjoining stand, the distinctive corrugated form of a Citroen 2CV van can also be seen. This era of Vedette was built from 1954 to 1957, the Trianon as already mentioned being the entry-level car. Under the bonnet resided a flathead V8 of 2,351cc. The car shown is a 1955/1956 example, the previous Trianons having bumper overriders and a chrome windscreen surround, both features absent on the car shown below (however the screen trim would return for 1957).
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| (Please click the thumbnail to view full-size Simca image.) |
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Return to Old transport photos - Page 5.
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