Simca Aronde 90A.
This car was identified by members of the site forum as a Simca Aronde 90A, the second version of this classic French voiture. This example, a two-door Aronde Grand Large, is seen pulling up to the finish line on a road rally in, I believe, the early 1960s. Other than a lack of hubcaps, and numbers on the bonnet and door, it looks like any other late-1950s Aronda 90A two-door saloon. The "Grand Large" script can just be made out on the front wing.
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The Aronde first broke cover in 1951, fitted with a 1,221cc four-cylinder engine (as found under the bonnet of the outgoing 8). Initially a four-door saloon, and an estate car - referred to in contemporary brochures as the Aronde commerciale - were offered. In addition, a Facel-bodied two-door coupe was offered until 1953, when it was replaced by the Grand Large, a coupe closely based on the saloon. In January of that year, a new cut-price version called the Quotidienne was introduced to the range.
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The version shown above, the Aronde 90A, made its debut in 1955. The bodywork received something of a makeover for the phase two Aronde, with propulsion supplied by a 1,290cc engine. Various trim levels were offered as before, and in 1957 a convertible (the Oceane) and a new hardtop coupe (Plein Ciel) were added to the line-up. Knocked-down kits were exported to Australia where they were assembled by Northern Star Engineering, and from 1959 by Chrysler Australia. The 90A continued to be on sale until September 1958, when the new P60 came on stream. The first version, the Simca 9 Aronde, can be found on this page.
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