58 Pres (if you squint REAL HARD) wannabe by Simca

[Roscomacaw]

I confess, I'd never heard of a Ford Vedette (no, it's not an answer to a Corvette!) until perusing the pages of an aged Cars & Parts issue today. But there was a letter to the editor accompanied by a photo of a brochure for one of these and I was instantly struck by how closely this thing mimicked a 58 President 4-dr! Admittedly, the grille looks like a '57 Hudson, but from the HL bezel to the taillight body (even the roofline), it looks like a shrunken President. [:0]

Edit: It JUST dawned on me that THIS is where the connection is to the lazy S hubcaps from Simca![:0]

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1958_Ford_Vedette_ABX_CRT901.jpg

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[studeclunker]

Looks British, except the wheel being on the wrong side...


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by studeclunker

Looks British, except the wheel being on the wrong side...

It looks like a French Simca to me!

Craig

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by 8E45E
It looks like a French Simca to me!

Bingo! It was made in France by Ford France. I'll bet it's the same car that Chrysler sold in the US about that time as a Simca Vedette. The Chrysler Simca even had a Ford 60 V-8 in it.



Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62 Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430

[Roscomacaw]

So - neither of you see any similarity to a 58 Pres 4-door??? Really, I wasn't trying to infer that they stuck Stude sheet metal in shrinking solution and then sent it to the production line.[xx(] 1958 no less! Nope, no irony there.[|)]

Yes Craig. You're suspicions are correct.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[silverhawk]

That does resesemble a shrunken '58. Thanks for posting.

Dylan Wills

'61 lark deluxe 4 door wagon

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Mr.Biggs
Yes Craig. You're suspicions are correct.

To be honest, I was expecting to see a photo of a '58 President where someone has installed Champion single headlights and bezels; going by your title!

Craig

[lstude]

It is a Simca

http://tinyurl.com/njzh2u

Leonard Shepherd

http://leonardshepherd.com/

[Roscomacaw]

But it was built by Ford in South Africa.

And marketed as a Ford.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by Mr.Biggs

So - neither of you see any similarity to a 58 Pres 4-door??? Really, I wasn't trying to infer that they stuck Stude sheet metal in shrinking solution and then sent it to the production line.[xx(] 1958 no less! Nope, no irony there.[|)]

Yes Craig. You're suspicions are correct.

Sorry Bob. I don't see much similarity to a '58 President. I will grant you that the two tone on the rear quarter/fin does have a Studebakerish appearance.



Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62 Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430

[autocrat]

IIRC, the Vedette was originally designed to be Fords post-war small car, like GM had the small Cadet. The robust post-war economy and auto buyers market put Fords small car on the back burner and it ended up in France as the Ford Vedette. The early Vedettes look like a small 49 Merc and are unmistakably from Bob Gregorie's studio. The model you mention derived from a soon-to-be-released Vedette replacement when Simca bought Ford France in 1954. If you squint, what you see is the efforts of Fords Dearborn design studio.

[StudeRich]

That definitely resembles the Simcas' we had here that Chrysler sold, but they were smaller.

There were a few Cadets, but there were lots of Buick Dealer sold Opel sedans and Pontiac Dealer sold Vauxhall Victors on the West Coast.

In 1952 when Dad sold Lincolns' & Mercurys' before Studebaker, we had a English Ford Consul 4, and he also sold Zephyr 6's, both little 4 dr. Sedans with cool little amber lighted turn signal arms that came out on the "B" pillar, it was lot's of fun freaking out the Pedestrians waiting on the curb while rounding a corner (tightly)! [}]

StudeRich

[Warren Webb]

Not a bad looking car & style wise, advanced for 58. Note the parallel wipers & thin door glass frames. I always thought the Simca was a french Ford, not a Chrysler. The only european Chrysler I was aware of was when they bought the Rootes Group in England in 1967. At that time Sunbeam was making the Tiger. a 2 seater convertible with a 289 Ford engine (this was the mark II model, not a Stude engine...LOL) when they discontinued the Tiger along with the Alpine in that body. A buddy of mine has one & its weird seeing a Chrysler pentastar on the right front fender & a Ford engine under the hood. I guess either Ford quit selling them the engines or Chrysler didnt like providing a warranty for a Ford engine.

60 Lark convertible
61 Champ
62 Daytona convertible
63 G.T. R-2,4 speed
63 Avanti (2)
66 Daytona Sport Sedan