Simca 1200S Coupe

Simca 1200S Coupe

The Simca 1200S is one of the most attractive and overlooked French sports coupes of the 1960s. Designed by Bertone in Italy, the 1200S combined elegant Italian styling with the mechanical simplicity and reliability of Simca's 1000 platform, creating a small grand tourer that offered genuine sporting character at an accessible price point.

The 1200S body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro during his time at Bertone, before he left to establish Italdesign. The design was a masterful exercise in elegant proportion, with a long hood, short rear deck, and crisp character lines that made the small coupe look more expensive than it was. The glass area was generous, providing excellent visibility, and the overall profile was unmistakably Italian despite the French manufacturer's badge.

The mechanical basis was the rear-engined Simca 1000, with a tuned version of its 1,204cc inline-four cylinder engine producing 85 horsepower through twin Solex carburetors. The engine was mounted at the rear, behind the back axle, following the Simca 1000's layout. This gave the 1200S distinctive handling characteristics, with good traction but a tendency to oversteer if the driver was ham-fisted at the rear's breakaway point.

At 890 kilograms, the 1200S was light enough that its 85 horsepower provided genuinely entertaining performance. The top speed of 170 km/h was respectable for a 1.2-liter coupe, and the car's nimble handling made the most of every horsepower on twisting roads. The four-speed gearbox was precise and well-matched to the engine's power characteristics.

The interior was more sporting than the standard Simca 1000, with better seats, additional instrumentation, and a wood-rimmed steering wheel. The dashboard had a distinctly Italian flavor, with clear, readable gauges arranged in front of the driver. Two adults sat comfortably, with a small rear shelf providing minimal luggage space.

The 1200S was also successful in competition, particularly in rallying where its light weight and responsive handling made it competitive in its class. The car's rear-engine layout provided good traction on loose surfaces, and the rev-happy engine responded well to tuning.

Production totaled approximately 11,562 units between 1967 and 1971, making the 1200S modestly rare. The body was manufactured by Bertone in Italy and shipped to Simca's Poissy factory for final assembly on the mechanical package. This two-factory arrangement added cost and complexity but ensured the quality of Bertone's craftsmanship.

Today, the Simca 1200S is an affordable and charming classic that offers a taste of 1960s Italian-French collaboration. Its Giugiaro styling has aged beautifully, and the mechanical simplicity makes maintenance straightforward. Values are rising as collectors discover this attractive and underappreciated coupe.