Chrysler Horizon

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Talbot Horizon
1979 Simca Horizon
Overview
Manufacturer	Talbot XUD9 I4
Chronology
Predecessor	Simca 1100 Hillman Avenger
Successor	Peugeot 309

The Talbot Horizon is a

The model line was the first and only world car developed by the Chrysler Corporation, with the American-market Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon designed in tandem following the start of the Chrysler Europe project. While similar in appearance and, in the case of the American Plymouth brand, sharing the model name, the European and American Horizons had significant mechanical differences.

Origins

The Horizon was developed by Chrysler Europe under the codename C2. It was designed in the United Kingdom at the Whitley design studio by Roy Axe and engineered in France at Poissy by Simca as a replacement for their ageing 1100 range. It was introduced to market in summer 1978. In France it was initially sold under the Simca brand, whilst elsewhere in Europe it was initially badged as a Chrysler. As a result of the acquisition of Chrysler's European car division by Peugeot in 1978, both the Chrysler and Simca brands were dropped and the car was sold under the Talbot brand in all its European markets.

The Horizon was intended to be a "world car" designed for consumers on both sides of the

The SX version which joined the range for the Paris Motor Show, in October 1978, attracted interest for its innovative trip computer.^[2] The device took information from three sources, a clock, a "débitmètre" mounted on the fuel feed to the carburetor, and distance information from the feed for the odometer. Using these three pieces of information the "computer" was able to report current fuel consumption and average speeds as well as information on distances and times, in either metric or imperial units.^[2] The trip computer later became an option on lesser models such as the GLS.^[3]

The Horizon was voted

Although it didn't officially replace any of the British Chryslers – despite being a similar size to the rear-wheel drive Sunbeam and traditional Hillman Avenger saloon and estates which had been on sale since 1970 – both of the latter finished production in 1981.

Production life

After Chrysler Europe collapsed in 1978 and was sold to Peugeot, the Horizon was rebadged as a

In 1981, the revisited models were introduced with minor improvements. By then however, the Horizon was becoming increasingly uncompetitive next to rivals such as the

The series 2 Horizon launched in July 1982 had a 5-speed gearbox, and was badged series II 5 speed. The bumpers were painted black and the backlite was smaller, because the parcel shelf was raised to increase the size of the boot. Some models had an electronic LED 'econometer' which lit up several lights around the edge of the speedometer dial. There was also an LED tachometer on top-of-the-range models; this horizontal row of green, yellow, and red LEDs was positioned atop the steering column and lit up in 250 rpm intervals.^[5]

The Horizon was updated again in 1985, with different interior trim and slight changes to instrument dials and door cards to make the car look more modern, but with the Fiat Ritmo/Strada, it was now one of the oldest mainstream family hatchback on sale in Europe, and faced competition from even more new competitors.

Fewer paint colours were available and fewer models. Many of the late cars, which were built between 1985 and 1986, were painted in an unsympathetic pale green or cream. Horizons had initially been available in more adventurous colours including orange, but many of these colours had gone out of fashion after the 1970s.

A Talbot Horizon

Due to corrosion problems the Horizon is now a rare sight, with just 20 examples still on the road in the UK at the end of 2016.[6]

The main Horizon production lines were

The Horizon was produced in France and also Britain (where production had begun in the 1980s) until June 1986, and in Spain and Finland until 1987. Its successor was the Peugeot 309, a car developed in the UK and launched towards the end of 1985, originally destined to be sold as the Talbot Arizona.^[8] The end of Horizon production early in 1987 also marked the end of the Talbot badge on passenger cars. However, the North American version of the car continued to be produced until 1990.

The PSA XUD9 diesel engine of 1905 cc diesel engine was fitted to certain models of the Horizon, which was the first example of this engine available in the UK. All UK-market diesel Horizons were made in Spain. The British Peugeot-Talbot brochure of October 1984 shows the only diesel Horizon being the LD 1.9, the XUD9 engine only available in the Peugeot 305 GRD as well. The Horizon was not the first diesel in the Talbot family of cars with the Chrysler 180 in Spain having been available with diesel power during the 1970s.

The Peugeot 309 used some of the Horizon range of Simca-based engines for most of its production life, until replaced with the more modern Peugeot TU engine in 1992.

Horizon in the UK

In Britain, it was seen as a modern alternative to the existing Rootes-designed

UK sales of the Horizon (which went on sale there in early 1978 and was badged as a Chrysler until 1 August 1979, when it became a Talbot) were initially acceptable, held back by the fact that it was a French import. Sales improved as manufacture was brought to the United Kingdom in 1982.^[3] Soon thereafter, however, it started to lose sales in a segment dominated by an increasing number of newer models including the Ford Escort Mark III, Vauxhall Astra, and Austin Maestro. Foreign models like the Volkswagen Golf and Datsun Sunny were also proving popular in the early 1980s.

The last British Horizons were sold in 1986, soon after the launch of Peugeot's Ryton-built 309 which had originally been intended for sale as the Talbot Arizona, as a Talbot-branded successor to the Horizon, and went on sale in January 1986. The 309 continued the Simca heritage by using Simca-derived engines in its smaller models.

The Ryton factory remained open until December 2006.

UK Specifications range

Models

The UK Horizon was available in the following trim levels:

• 1100 LE, LS, GL, GLE
• 1300 LS, GL, LX, GLS
• 1500 LS, GL, EX, GLS, S, SX
• 1900 LD

Most models were available with 4 or 5-speed gearboxes, which were initially a carry-over of the Simca gearbox, and then later the PSA BE gearbox. An automatic transmission was available on most 1500 models, and was standard equipment on the 1500 SX model. The lowest level LE had very meagre equipment, not even being fitted with a rear parcel shelf.^[9]

Some limited editions were:

• 1500 "Pullman" top of range model. This had upmarket trim and a design of alloy wheel similar to the
  Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
  and a wider tyre. The Pullman also had radio upgrade with 4 speakers, and rear seatbelts. Most had beige over brown metallic, two-tone paintwork. Around 20% of the Pullman models were two tone silver and blue.
• 1300 "Summertime Special" This had red plastic trim in place of the usual black.
• 1500/1300 "Ultra" (1985) an upmarket high-spec car in silver metallic, had its name 'ULTRA' on the front wings in black lettering. Ultra had grey velour interior with red piping. The Ultra had been sold in the Netherlands since 1983.^[10]
• 1500 "Silver Fox" which had two tone paintwork half silver, half blue metallic.

Group B Talbot Horizon

In 1982 Talbot and

The North American versions of the Horizon were the

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Talbot Horizon.

• The Chrysler Horizon and Simca 1100
• Chrysler Horizon cars
• Simca Matra Talbot Club UK.
• The website of the Simca-Talbot Horizon
• Talbot Horizon in Finland by Saab-Valmet