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Flash Powered: 1950 Simca 8 Sport Cabriolet

Here’s a face unfamiliar to most. It’s based on the Simca 8, produced from 1937 to 1951. Simca built the Sport model from 1948 until 1951. It has an aluminum body designed by Pinin Farina and made by Facel Metallon. Thanks to reader Richard for finding this rare little car. It’s listed on eBay in Dallas, Texas with bids not yet meeting reserve at about $25,000.  It’s been sitting for over 30 years and appears complete except for the bumpers. It’s been repainted once and has a few dents. There’s no apparent corrosion in the body and there’s not rust showing in the chassis.

The interior is very original and complete. The leather upholstery could possibly be repaired and restored. The doors certainly have an unusual shape.

The Simca engines were overhead valve engine with an aluminum head. This should be the little 33 horse 1.2-liter motor, a small upgrade from the regular 32 horsepower 1.1 liter Simca 8 engines. It’s not the original and is stuck. Instead, it appears to be the “Flash”45 horsepower 1.3 liter Engine introduced in 1956. This engine was developed for the 90A Aronde.

There’s no more than surface showing underneath. It appears this Simca has been stored well. The later Sport Cabriolets with larger engines had “X” bracing on the chassis. That doesn’t seem to be the case here.

The top looks useable. This is a rare and interesting little car. It is fun to imagine making this a driver quality car and just doing what is necessary to get it running and driving. Sadly, it’s rare and will be expensive enough that the new owner will likely restore it and add it to his collection. The new owner will likely want to source an original engine for this little cabriolet.

Comments

  1. Avatar DrinkinGasoline

    Welcome to “trying to find the parts nightmare”.

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  2. Avatar Alan Brase

    What a sweetheart! Very close blood lines to the first Ferraris. Pinninfarina, perhaps? For $50k you could have the cousin to a 166 Ferrari? And don’t worry about door dings, or 3 stage security on your stable? Well, there are downsides, like 45 hp, but I could live with that.I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I see it. I could see Sophia Loren driving this in the 50’s!

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  3. Avatar Dolphin Member

    Agree with Alan—a real sweetheart. A little dear to buy at this price, but very special and with excellent bloodlines. You would probably have the only one at most shows you brought it to. If the prices were equal I’d take the Ferrari 166 tho, with 3 times the cylinders. But I know the prices are not exactly equal.

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  4. Avatar Francisco

    In one sentence the seller writes that nothing has been done to the car. In the very next sentence he writes that it was repainted. Is there something I’m missing here?

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    • Avatar Steve65

      Nothing has been done to it by the last three owners (including the seller), since 1970. By extension, the repaint, the motor swap, and any other modifications were completed before that date.

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  5. Avatar Unclehotrod13

    I had worked on one of these back in the 90’s .. rebuilt the engine.. cute and quick.. if you google unclehotrod13 i think i posted a pix on the google+ a very young n thin me..

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  6. Avatar S.S.McDonald

    This body style continued under the name Facel Cométe until 1954. It was manufactured with a Ford V-8 in it. I owned a ’54 coupe and regrettably sold it in Miami in 1963. I get to Miami periodically and go looking for that car to reacquire. Facel Vega emerged in 1955.

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    • Avatar Martin Horrocks

      Yes, and by extension this Simca is designed and bodied by FACEL. There is no Pinin Farina input, even if it is in the style of post war Pinin Farina cars.

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    • Avatar George Member

      Educate me, wasn’t the Comete made by Ford of France, which later was acquired by Simca? It had a Ford V-8 because it was a Ford! FACEL was a company that made metal stampings. As cars went to unit bodies, the need for independent body makers declined, so they went into car production to save that part of their business.

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    • Avatar Lagunatich

      I used to own the Comete pictured. Currently own a Simca 8 Sport. Both built by Facel. Similar style, though the Comete is quite a bit larger, though even with the V8 60 engine, not so quick.
      The Simca for sale is a nice survivor, though bumpers and correct engine are made out of unobtainium.

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  7. Avatar Big Mike

    Does it come with a shoehorn and a tub of grease for somebody my size to help get my butt in and out of it?

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  8. Avatar Alec

    Spotted this, another Simce, at a village fete in France in 2015

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  9. Avatar Alec

    Rear view of the same Simca Aronde, it was seen in the Haute-Vienne region of France.

    Like 0
    • Avatar George Member

      I think the Thunderbird influence is clear on this Aronde, and shows the relationship between Ford of France and Simca.

      Like 0

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