Chrysler also acquired the Sunbeam cars (I don’t know if they bought Rootes or just the Sunbeam line). Chrysler dealerships were required to work on Sunbeam Tigers with the Ford 289s that were still under warranty.
The Simca Vedette–complete with a Ford flathead–was not marketed in The US. After it ceased production in France, in 1961, it was re-bodied and sold in South America as… I think… the Esplanade. To the best of my recollection, the only Simca model marketed in The US by Chrysler was the absolutely awful 1000 model, starting in 1963.
I recall seeing one in the showroom at a local Buick dealer in my home town when I was a boy. If they weren’t popular enough in your town, the GT may not have been in the showroom.
A few years ago we were in rural North Carolina for our nephew’s wedding. I went for a walk and paid some attention to a Corvette on the Chevy dealer’s lot. A salesman asked if he could help and I complimented the Corvette. He said that it was an odd bird for his town. I looked around the lot and they had dozens of Silverados but no cars. Dealers keep a supply of whatever sells and none of what doesn’t, as you know.
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Ford Anglia’s are a pretty common restoration topic in UK classics magazine Practical Classics. I don’t recall ever seeing one on the road in the USA. I saw a 2CV on the road here just a couple months ago, but never an Anglia.
Heh heh. Little did I know at 17 how complicated those su English carbs could be. I never got as far as the carb but knew the chunk of rubber semi sealing the dash pot just wasn’t right. A few years ago thought I’d take a look at what I should have done with the carb. Who knew you actually had to add oil to the dash pot.
Growing up in a city that was and still is a major port for European vehicles, supplies and consequently dealerships, you got to see a wide variety for sale and on the road.
Beginning with the “good”, I loved the styling of the SAAB Sonnette, Opel GT, Volvo P1800/ES1800, FIAT 2 seaters and the “Brit Cars” (MG, Triump, Austin) were common with used MGAs and BugEye Sprites going for $300, well withing the budget of 16 year olds working part time
On the “bad” side., compared to the domestic cars, back then most of the sedans were poorly constructed, grossly underpowered, cramped, rust buckets who’s only virtue was that they were cheap, with the possible exception of the MB, Volvo and Opels.
They were bad 60 years ago so why anyone would want one today is beyond my imagination.
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Simca was acquired by Chrysler in 67. Until then, it was sold by independent dealers. My mother bought her 67 from an independent dealer in 67, about a month before the acquisition. Not sure the model but it had a 900cc 4 cylinder in the rear. Very slow, but because so much of the weight was behind the rear wheels, it could almost pop a wheelie.
I’m pretty sure that was the 1000 model, which was a real dog. In any event, Chrysler bought a minority interest in Simca in the '50s, and took full ownership in 1970.
I remember seeing a few. Another oldie was the Ford Cortina. My cousin had one of those, which I drove. My first experience with a foreign car.
Yeah, if I’d been the photographer that day I would have sent for a bunch of sand bags.
Unethical?
I would have put one mother-in-law in the backseat.
Unlike sand bags, they’re self-propelled. 
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Here in the “wilds of Wisconsin”, my family had a Ford Cortina, Morris Minor, Austin Cooper S, Austin-Healy Sprite, Triumph TR-3 and 4 (big family and not all at once - though the Sprite and the Triumphs all belonged to the same brother).
On the contrary, The Simca Verdette was promoted by Ch®ysler in 58-59. They had tail fins too.
They sold very poorly because you could get a Plymouth Savoy for about the same price.
My dad was a mechanic at a Buick dealership from the '50s through the '80s. He had to work on Opels, had absolutely nothing good to say about them, except “yeah, they’re real gems alright”.
He had friends that bought a pair of them, we worked on them on weekends. A lot.
As for the “valve in head”, Buicks ALWAYS had overhead valves, from the beginning. Buick was one of the first brands in the General Motors lineup, and never produced a flathead, ever.