Simca Type 315
Encyclopedia
The Simca Type 315, commonly known as the Simca 1100 engine, was a four-cylinder
OHV
engine developed by Simca
for use in its supermini
s and economy car
s. In spite of its common name, the engine actually predates the Simca 1100
model, and debuted in 1961 in the Simca 1000
Coupé.
The engine was first designed in a 944 cc form, but was reduced and stretched in order to be used in a variety of models and versions, by Simca, the Rootes Group (its partner company in Chrysler Europe
), Simca's final incarnation Talbot
and its last parent company Peugeot
, who used it until 1991 in its midsize model, the 309
. The engine existed in displacements ranging from 777 to 1592 cc, the biggest one on both sides of the Atlantic, powering the United States-market Dodge Omni
/Plymouth Horizon.
Peugeot eventually dropped the engines, replacing them with their own TU family
.
The engine was a modern unit, with a water-cooled inline design with forged crankshaft, alloy cross-flow head and five main bearings. An unusual feature on early models was the absence of a spin-on paper oil filter
. Instead, the engine featured a form of centrifugal oil filter in the hollow rear crankshaft pulley, although all later versions used the more traditional disposable cartridge filters. One of its major innovations was the use of a swirl vortex on the intake valve port which gave very good combustion, and thus both power and economy for this time. This engine proved cheap to build, and several models of different sizes and market segments used this displacement, which survived until 1982, as the ever-present entry level for the Simca 1100.
s, which increased power to 43 PS (31.5 kW/42 hp). An even more economic version was created for the entire European market in 1969, with only 777 cc (47 in³). These displacements were used in the Simca 1000 up to 1978.
designed by Bertone, and the CG sports car
, and could reach 85 PS (62.5 kW/84 hp). The regular version was later used in various models around the European market, and was even installed in the US-market version of the Simca 1100, known as the Simca 1204. It was in use until 1978.
The 1118 cc (73 in³) variant appeared in 1967, initially in the 1100 and then in the 1000. This proved to be one of the most popular displacements of the 315 engines, powering the LCV version of the 1100, known as VF2, and the Talbot Horizon's entry level version. It survived until 1991, when it was used as the base model to the Peugeot 309.
The 1294 cc (79 in³) variant debuted in 1972, and although it wasn't very popular in the 1000, it continued to be used in various Simca and Talbot models. It was famous in racing circles, by being used to power the Simca Rallye, a sporty version of the 1000 introduced in 1972, with two double-barrel carburetors and a maximum power of 82 PS (60 kW/81 hp). Racing versions could be tuned well in excess of 120 PS (over 90 kW/over 120 hp), and the three generations of the Simca Rallye using this engine are still used throughout Europe, especially France, in various national rally
championships for classic cars and non-homologated cars.
The 1442 cc (79 in³) variant was first used in 1975 in the Simca 1307
/Chrysler Alpine. On virtue of its size, it could reach 85 PS (62.5 kW/84 hp) with a double-barrel carburetor, but unlike the 1.3 L version, it was never used for racing in any capacity, Simca and Talbot preferring to use it in its larger models, including deluxe versions of the Horizon and the Solara. It also powered Europe's first soft-roader, the Matra Rancho
.
The larger iteration of the Type 315 was the 1592 cc (79 in³) variant. Like the 1.45 L engine, it debuted in the 1307/Alpine in 1975, and was positioned at the top of the range, initially only with an automatic transmission
(the only version of the engine to feature one), necessary to ensure this engine could power the US-market versions of the Chrysler Europe models. It was notorious for its use in the Dodge Omni
and Plymouth Horizon, and was dubbed Peugeot by the American media, despite the fact Peugeot had nothing to do with its design. It was also used as the base model for the three-seater coupé Matra Murena
.
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
OHV
Overhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
engine developed by Simca
Simca
Simca was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat. It was directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by the Italian Henri Théodore Pigozzi...
for use in its supermini
Supermini car
A supermini is a British term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as subcompact in North America....
s and economy car
Economy car
An economy car is an automobile that is designed for low cost operation. Typical economy cars are small, light weight, and inexpensive to buy. Economy car designers are forced by stringent design constraints to be inventive...
s. In spite of its common name, the engine actually predates the Simca 1100
Simca 1100
The Simca 1100 is an automobile built from 1967 to 1982 by Chrysler Europe's division Simca. It was replaced by the Talbot Horizon.The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales...
model, and debuted in 1961 in the Simca 1000
Simca 1000
The Simca 1000 was a small, rear-engined, four-door saloon manufactured by the French automaker Simca from 1961 to 1978.-The launch:The car was inexpensive and, at the time of launch, quite modern, with a brand-new inline-4 watercooled engine of 944cc...
Coupé.
The engine was first designed in a 944 cc form, but was reduced and stretched in order to be used in a variety of models and versions, by Simca, the Rootes Group (its partner company in Chrysler Europe
Chrysler Europe
Chrysler Europe was a division of the Chrysler Corporation that operated between 1967 and 1979.-Formation:In the 1960s, Chrysler sought to become a world producer of automobiles. The company had never had much success outside North America, contrasting with Ford's worldwide reach and General...
), Simca's final incarnation Talbot
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...
and its last parent company Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
, who used it until 1991 in its midsize model, the 309
Peugeot 309
The Peugeot 309 was a small family car manufactured between 1985 and 1993 in England and France.The 309 was originally intended to be badged as a Talbot and, as development progressed, to be called the Talbot Arizona...
. The engine existed in displacements ranging from 777 to 1592 cc, the biggest one on both sides of the Atlantic, powering the United States-market Dodge Omni
Dodge Omni
The Dodge Omni and the similar Plymouth Horizon were front wheel drive cars introduced by the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of the Chrysler Corporation in North America in 1978, and were based on a European Simca-based design of the same name...
/Plymouth Horizon.
Peugeot eventually dropped the engines, replacing them with their own TU family
PSA TU engine
The PSA TU engine is a family of small four-cylinder engines used in the Peugeot and Citroën range of cars. It was introduced in 1986 with the Citroën AX, replacing the X family, although it shared many components with its predecessor...
.
Type 315
The Type 315 engine was introduced in 1961 in the Simca 1000 Coupé, a small two-door sports model. It featured a displacement of 944 cc (58 in³) and had an initial output of 52 PS (38 kW/51 hp). The following year, the 315 was used for the first time in a saloon car, the four-door Simca 1000, in a detuned from, with only 34 PS (25 kW/33 hp), which would be increased over the years, to a maximum of 44 PS (32 kW/43 hp) on the base model.The engine was a modern unit, with a water-cooled inline design with forged crankshaft, alloy cross-flow head and five main bearings. An unusual feature on early models was the absence of a spin-on paper oil filter
Filter (oil)
An oil filter is a filter designed to remove contaminants from engine oil, transmission oil, lubricating oil, or hydraulic oil. Oil filters are used in many different types of hydraulic machinery. A chief use of the oil filter is in internal-combustion engines in on- and off-road motor vehicles,...
. Instead, the engine featured a form of centrifugal oil filter in the hollow rear crankshaft pulley, although all later versions used the more traditional disposable cartridge filters. One of its major innovations was the use of a swirl vortex on the intake valve port which gave very good combustion, and thus both power and economy for this time. This engine proved cheap to build, and several models of different sizes and market segments used this displacement, which survived until 1982, as the ever-present entry level for the Simca 1100.
Smaller variants
The 315 was reduced a few times, although it didn't have much use apart from the early and more compact models. In 1964, Simca developed an 844 cc (52 in³) version for the Spanish market 1000, as cars over 0.9 L were in a higher tax bracket. This variant existed in two output levels, the most powerful of which, and two single-barrel carburetorCarburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s, which increased power to 43 PS (31.5 kW/42 hp). An even more economic version was created for the entire European market in 1969, with only 777 cc (47 in³). These displacements were used in the Simca 1000 up to 1978.
Larger variants
In 1968, another version was created for the Spanish market, the 1204 cc (73 in³) displacement. This was the first sporty version of the 1000, with power rising to 55 PS (40.5 kW/54 hp). A double-barrel carburetor was then used in the Simca 1200 S, a coupéCoupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
designed by Bertone, and the CG sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
, and could reach 85 PS (62.5 kW/84 hp). The regular version was later used in various models around the European market, and was even installed in the US-market version of the Simca 1100, known as the Simca 1204. It was in use until 1978.
The 1118 cc (73 in³) variant appeared in 1967, initially in the 1100 and then in the 1000. This proved to be one of the most popular displacements of the 315 engines, powering the LCV version of the 1100, known as VF2, and the Talbot Horizon's entry level version. It survived until 1991, when it was used as the base model to the Peugeot 309.
The 1294 cc (79 in³) variant debuted in 1972, and although it wasn't very popular in the 1000, it continued to be used in various Simca and Talbot models. It was famous in racing circles, by being used to power the Simca Rallye, a sporty version of the 1000 introduced in 1972, with two double-barrel carburetors and a maximum power of 82 PS (60 kW/81 hp). Racing versions could be tuned well in excess of 120 PS (over 90 kW/over 120 hp), and the three generations of the Simca Rallye using this engine are still used throughout Europe, especially France, in various national rally
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
championships for classic cars and non-homologated cars.
The 1442 cc (79 in³) variant was first used in 1975 in the Simca 1307
Simca 1307
The Simca 1307 was the name under which Chrysler Europe launched its new large family car in July 1975.A modern, front-wheel drive hatchback, it was one of the first such cars in that class, along with the Volkswagen Passat, and became the 1976 European Car of the Year...
/Chrysler Alpine. On virtue of its size, it could reach 85 PS (62.5 kW/84 hp) with a double-barrel carburetor, but unlike the 1.3 L version, it was never used for racing in any capacity, Simca and Talbot preferring to use it in its larger models, including deluxe versions of the Horizon and the Solara. It also powered Europe's first soft-roader, the Matra Rancho
Matra Rancho
The Matra Rancho was a leisure activity vehicle created by the French engineering group Matra in cooperation with the automaker Simca to capitalize on the off-road trend, started by the Range Rover, by providing the "off-road look" at a lower price....
.
The larger iteration of the Type 315 was the 1592 cc (79 in³) variant. Like the 1.45 L engine, it debuted in the 1307/Alpine in 1975, and was positioned at the top of the range, initially only with an automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
(the only version of the engine to feature one), necessary to ensure this engine could power the US-market versions of the Chrysler Europe models. It was notorious for its use in the Dodge Omni
Dodge Omni
The Dodge Omni and the similar Plymouth Horizon were front wheel drive cars introduced by the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of the Chrysler Corporation in North America in 1978, and were based on a European Simca-based design of the same name...
and Plymouth Horizon, and was dubbed Peugeot by the American media, despite the fact Peugeot had nothing to do with its design. It was also used as the base model for the three-seater coupé Matra Murena
Matra Murena
The Matra Murena was a 3-seat sports car produced from 1980 through 1983 by the French engineering group Matra.The Murena replaced the Matra Bagheera, a very similar vehicle resulting from previous Matra-Simca cooperation, and was largely based on its predecessor...
.
944 cc
- Simca 1000 Coupé - 1961-1966
- Simca 1000Simca 1000The Simca 1000 was a small, rear-engined, four-door saloon manufactured by the French automaker Simca from 1961 to 1978.-The launch:The car was inexpensive and, at the time of launch, quite modern, with a brand-new inline-4 watercooled engine of 944cc...
- 1962-1978 - Simca CG - 1966-1974
- Simca 1100Simca 1100The Simca 1100 is an automobile built from 1967 to 1982 by Chrysler Europe's division Simca. It was replaced by the Talbot Horizon.The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales...
- 1969-1982
1118 cc
- Simca 1000Simca 1000The Simca 1000 was a small, rear-engined, four-door saloon manufactured by the French automaker Simca from 1961 to 1978.-The launch:The car was inexpensive and, at the time of launch, quite modern, with a brand-new inline-4 watercooled engine of 944cc...
- 1968-1978 - Simca 1100Simca 1100The Simca 1100 is an automobile built from 1967 to 1982 by Chrysler Europe's division Simca. It was replaced by the Talbot Horizon.The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales...
- 1967-1982 - Simca Horizon / Talbot HorizonChrysler HorizonThe Horizon was a subcompact automobile developed by Chrysler Europe and was sold in Europe between 1977 and 1985 under the Chrysler, Simca and Talbot nameplates...
- 1977-1987 - Peugeot 309Peugeot 309The Peugeot 309 was a small family car manufactured between 1985 and 1993 in England and France.The 309 was originally intended to be badged as a Talbot and, as development progressed, to be called the Talbot Arizona...
- 1986-1989
1204 cc
- Simca 1000Simca 1000The Simca 1000 was a small, rear-engined, four-door saloon manufactured by the French automaker Simca from 1961 to 1978.-The launch:The car was inexpensive and, at the time of launch, quite modern, with a brand-new inline-4 watercooled engine of 944cc...
- 1968-1978 - Simca 1200S Bertone - 1966-1971
- Simca CG - 1967-1974
- Simca 1100Simca 1100The Simca 1100 is an automobile built from 1967 to 1982 by Chrysler Europe's division Simca. It was replaced by the Talbot Horizon.The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales...
- 1967-1979 - Simca VF2Simca 1100The Simca 1100 is an automobile built from 1967 to 1982 by Chrysler Europe's division Simca. It was replaced by the Talbot Horizon.The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales...
- 1973-1985
1294 cc
- Simca 1000Simca 1000The Simca 1000 was a small, rear-engined, four-door saloon manufactured by the French automaker Simca from 1961 to 1978.-The launch:The car was inexpensive and, at the time of launch, quite modern, with a brand-new inline-4 watercooled engine of 944cc...
- 1972-1974 - Simca Rallye - 1972-1978
- Simca 1100Simca 1100The Simca 1100 is an automobile built from 1967 to 1982 by Chrysler Europe's division Simca. It was replaced by the Talbot Horizon.The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales...
- 1972-1982 - Simca 1307 / Chrysler Alpine / Talbot 1510 - 1975-1982
- Matra BagheeraMatra BagheeraThe Matra Bagheera is a sports car created by the French engineering group Matra in cooperation with the automaker Simca and design by Greek designer Antonis Volanis...
- 1973-1976 - Simca Horizon / Talbot HorizonChrysler HorizonThe Horizon was a subcompact automobile developed by Chrysler Europe and was sold in Europe between 1977 and 1985 under the Chrysler, Simca and Talbot nameplates...
- 1977-1985 - Talbot Solara - 1980-1985
- Peugeot 309Peugeot 309The Peugeot 309 was a small family car manufactured between 1985 and 1993 in England and France.The 309 was originally intended to be badged as a Talbot and, as development progressed, to be called the Talbot Arizona...
- 1986-1992
1442 cc
- Simca 1100Simca 1100The Simca 1100 is an automobile built from 1967 to 1982 by Chrysler Europe's division Simca. It was replaced by the Talbot Horizon.The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales...
- 1979-1980 - Simca 1307 / Chrysler Alpine / Talbot 1510 - 1975-1983
- Matra BagheeraMatra BagheeraThe Matra Bagheera is a sports car created by the French engineering group Matra in cooperation with the automaker Simca and design by Greek designer Antonis Volanis...
- 1976-1980 - Matra RanchoMatra RanchoThe Matra Rancho was a leisure activity vehicle created by the French engineering group Matra in cooperation with the automaker Simca to capitalize on the off-road trend, started by the Range Rover, by providing the "off-road look" at a lower price....
- 1977-1982 - Simca Horizon / Talbot HorizonChrysler HorizonThe Horizon was a subcompact automobile developed by Chrysler Europe and was sold in Europe between 1977 and 1985 under the Chrysler, Simca and Talbot nameplates...
- 1977-1987 - Talbot Solara - 1980-1986
1592 cc
- Simca 1307 / Chrysler Alpine / Talbot 1510 - 1975-1984
- Matra MurenaMatra MurenaThe Matra Murena was a 3-seat sports car produced from 1980 through 1983 by the French engineering group Matra.The Murena replaced the Matra Bagheera, a very similar vehicle resulting from previous Matra-Simca cooperation, and was largely based on its predecessor...
- 1980-1983 - Talbot HorizonChrysler HorizonThe Horizon was a subcompact automobile developed by Chrysler Europe and was sold in Europe between 1977 and 1985 under the Chrysler, Simca and Talbot nameplates...
- 1983-1987 - Dodge Omni / Plymouth HorizonDodge OmniThe Dodge Omni and the similar Plymouth Horizon were front wheel drive cars introduced by the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of the Chrysler Corporation in North America in 1978, and were based on a European Simca-based design of the same name...
- 1983-1986 - Talbot Solara - 1980-1986