Chrysler of Spain

Courtesy of afyanez

I'm from Spain and have a Chrysler 180 (1800 engine, 4 speed gold yellow with black vinyl roof).

Initially there was an Spanish man who build trucks called "Barreiros." The firm grew and it was the most common truck in Spain, but he did not make cars.

I think that about 1968 or 1969 the firm (maybe through some agreement with Simca) started to sell the Simca 1000, Simca 900, and Simca 1000 GT, all with rear engine. Also was available the Dodge Dart but it was a very expensive car, not for many people in Spain at the time (I can recall there was a version of with a 3700 engine, called 3700 GT). [Webmaster note: probably the 225 Slant Six.] The firm was called Simca-Barreiros.

After that came the Simca 1200 (which there had a lot of versions and different engines) a five door medium car although there was a version with three doors, front wheel drive.

Somewhere around 1975 the firm was called Chrysler-Simca and you could get the Simca 1200, (I don't remember if the Simca 1000 was still available), the Chrysler 180 (in 1800 engine, 2L automatic, Diesel and maybe 2L manual) and the Chrysler 150 (five door, front wheel drive, bigger than the Simca 1200, initially GLS 1294 cc S 1442 cc and GT), I think this is the one you [UK] call Alpine.

In 1978 (or near) they all were called Talbot, Talbot 150, Talbot-180 and Talbot 1200, and the Peugeot cars started to sell here (the firm was now Peugeot-Talbot), the new models under the name Talbot were the Horizon, the Solara (a 4 doored 150) and the Tagora (short lived).

I think the last Talbot 180 was sold on 1981 or 1982 and the last 150 on 1984.

Now we have no Talbot cars and most of the Peugeot dealers have replaced the Peugeot-Talbot sign with the Peugeot sign.

You can still see some Solaras, Horizons, 150, 180 and 1800 (in that order of probability).

I really liked those cars (my father had a Chrysler 150) and I myself now have a Chrysler 180 from 1976 which I like more than my wife's Opel Omega!! [basis for the Cadillac Catera]

Other relevant pages

Chrysler Europe (UK perspective)
Simca
Sunbeam, Solara, Rapier
Cricket
Horizon
Neons Outside North America
Chrysler Engines (including export-only engines
Valiants in Australia and New Zealand