Going to party like its 1981

[chaseracer]

Made at the old SIMCA plant at Poissy (I think), north of Paris - and based very much not at all** on the Simca 1100.

 

 

 

** EFA.  Thank you, Chris 

[Junkman]

They weren't based on the Simca 1100. In fact, they were built on the shortened Alpine platform, hence the unusually (for the time) wide track for such a small car.
In parallel the US versions (Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon) were developed, which, despite bearing a striking resemblance, have practically nothing in common with the Simca-Talbot. Not even the body panels are interchangeable, they have McPherson struts, VW and later Chrysler's own engines, etc.
 
The Simca-Talbots were built in Uusikaupunki, Finland, Poissy, France, and Ryton-on-Dunsmore.

 

It was the last car ever to wear the Simca and Talbot batches. A brand serial killer so to say, probably the only one in automotive history.

[theorganist]

Excellent job Sir.  Welcome to the wonderful world of Talbot ownership.

 

I once bought a 1.1-litre Horizon for my then girlfriend.  It was navy blue, on a Y plate.  Had a broken front torsion bar but plenty of test, and I paid a tenner for it.  Whoever said girls are expensive?

Haha I don't think I will be attracting many females in this, apart from 80 year olds I suppose.

 

I can't wait to drive it and revel in the wonderful rattly Simca engine.  I have been wanting a Talbot for ages but keep missing out, I tried to swap an Allegro for this car once, with Torsten but it never happened!

 

I was six in 1981 so can't remember the fashions that well although I think the men from Abba were maybe what I was basing my observations on!!

[Junkman]

AFAIK the Finland built ones were made by Saab and utilised many components from their parts bin in regards to interior hardware, electrickery, etc., so they are quite different yet again.

 

But I bet some Simca expert will soon correct everything I wrote in regards to the cars. What do I know about cars?

I do know my Eighties, though.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Soooo 70s. Mine had a white Fuego, which I found way too newfangled back then.

 

 

I have now managed to own a car from each of my years at university (1981-84).   I didn't get my first car until 1989.

 

I loooooooove the cars of the 70s, but have to admit that 80s cars work better and fall apart a bit less.   (NB I said a bit)

[Angrydicky]

Excellent purchase! So pleased to see this back on here, and it really couldn't have gone to a better home! The hearing aid beige just makes it perfect in my opinion.

[theorganist]

Excellent purchase! So pleased to see this back on here, and it really couldn't have gone to a better home! The hearing aid beige just makes it perfect in my opinion.

Thanks. Hopefully it will be picked up by the end of next week and MOT'd next month, apparently its been waxoiled underneath (something which I will have done to the Princess) and according to the vendor it's in good condition and he can't see a lot wrong with it. I don't know when it was actually last on the road!

[Junkman]

I have now managed to own a car from each of my years at university (1981-84).   I didn't get my first car until 1989.

 

I bought my first car in 1983 - a 1960 Buick LeSabre convertible. Man, were my parents pissed off.

Driving this as a young lad in the early Eighties made people treat you like you were a mass murderer, what with all that rainforest grubbing and NATO Double-Track Decision and shit back then.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Party like it's 1981, persons.  The nerdweb is abuzz with rumours that Peter Capaldi's Who will feature the return of Aussie Trolly Dolly Tegan Jovanka, seen here in 1981 of your Earth years -

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, one for the dads, as they say.  WARNING, contains 80s hair and clothing.

 

 

[jonny69]

Admittedly the mullet never really made it to England,

 

Shut up. I had one

[jonny69]

I recently discovered Fad Gadget. I thought I already had all the 80's music, but apparently not. You need to bang this on the Blaupunkt through some Goodmans parcel shelf speakers with bass reflex:

 

[Lord Sterling]

I wasn't born until 1983 but looking at the photos from then suggests a lot of unkempt beards and hair. Drainpipejeans and sneakers, or, for the more debonair dresser; A Grey/Biege/Greige double breasted suit that was cut very straight and just fitted the many wearers unlike the late 80s who wore more baggy suits/trousers.

 

Although I wasn't really around, shoulder pads and rolled up sleeves, ala Miami Vice wasn't around until around 1986/7.

 

Great purchase THA_ORAGANiZT. Have you sold the Fiesta or not yet.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Decades never know when they are over, and lots of  uncool types and people from the Midlands carried on listening to utterly shit prog rock and metal and having shaggy hair well into the 80s, but in 1981, if you were at all interested in not being a totally ungroovy fucker, you cut yer hair and wore truly terrible 80s duds.   These often included the colour burgundy.    What were we thinking?

[chaseracer]

...lots of  uncool types and people from the Midlands carried on listening to utterly shit prog rock and metal and having shaggy hair well into the 80s...

 

I live in Cannock.  Not much has changed...

[stuboy]

we was spoilt as kids in 80's company cars.. cortinas,escort estates then 3 mk2 cavs every 2 years

[Vince70]

The early 80s for me was more like the late 60s to mid 70s when it came to cars in my family as my father mainly had old bangers mainly of the British leyland BMC stable as he liked to fly the flag...

 

The weird thing is with cars back then was the amount of rot on motors which were basically less than 10 years old, which now seems a thing of the past (exceptions such as ford KA)..

 

But people seemed to be better clued in general with cars back then and even the least mechanically minded person could get a car going with a bit of damp start and a play with the points and a wiggle of the choke.

 

And of course there was the art isopon p38 wire gauze and fibreglass resin and a lot of black underseal come mot time which now seems to be a lost art.

 

And I remember that most towns had a motor factor that would specialise in new sills and top mount plates if the job needed to be done properly..

 

I think there's a lost art that only us Autoshiters practice now...but it is easy to stray to the dark side with 3 year new car rental deals at just over £100 a month I guess.

[gtd2000]

V fine, but speaking as someone from 1981  (I was 19 that year) 1981 is not flares, beard, or sideburns.  You could go for a quiff, or a flat top,or  even go full on New Romantic.  

 

Trousers skinny, no sidies or facial hair.    Pixie boots and ra-ra skirts if you are a girly. Back combing, lip gloss, shiny lacquer, etc.

I'm sure the Americans still had flares at this point but as you rightly say, they were very much out of fashion in the UK and had been for quite a bit of time once the punk/skin/oi/alternative music movement took hold.

 

I'm not so sure about Flattops at this early stage but there were certainly a few older "rockabilly" and "ted" hangers on that I can remember as a young lad at the local discos of the day.

 

It was great going from flares to straigh or narrow leg jeans because they no longer got caught in the chain of my bike!

[gtd2000]

Shut up. I had one

I had to wait until 1991 to get myself a mullet - I'd joined the army in 1984 and had short hair for 6 years...

[Guest Breadvan72]

The 1980s also had this guy, and what a guy.

 

[Asimo]

I can't wait to drive it and revel in the wonderful rattly Simca engineon.

I have always wondered why these engines were so rattly? If you have never heard one drive past, think "blender full of walnuts" The Horizon was, I think, the first car with an XUD diesel engine, probably quieter than the Simca thrasher.

I started 1981 with a Beetle, when child #1 appeared new dad responsibilities put me in a Saab 99 which gave way to a rotten Fiat 127 (mpg) and then Audi 80GL.

[eddyramrod]

1981, let's see... quiff, drape and creepers; 1967 Anglia, 1972 Toledo, and there may have been some 1968 Minx (Arrow) action too.

 

I've never been cooler than desperately uncool...