All this talk about old Rootes Group cars has got me wondering.
I too almost bought a Sunbeam as my first "sports" car, but I
got sold instead a French car (horrors!) It was a Simca (Ociane?)
It had a hand-made (Facilia) body, reclining seats and a really
gutless engine. Mine was black (Fleur Noir) and very pretty.
Also more unreliable than anything British, if you can believe
that. I really enjoyed it as my Stanford car and used it to
get to and fro between L.A., where I lived, and Palo Alto,
where I *lived*! :-) Does anyone on the list remember this
car? There can't have been many imported.
- Dale
ps I guess I owe you the "end of the story." The car overheated
one trip on the Grapevine and had to be towed (it had an aluminium
head and NO temp gauge -- can you say French?) By the time I
got after it, the cylinders had begun to rust from the head
gasket leak (actually due to WARPing of the head!) I repaired
it, using only simple hand tools (we wuz poor), and sold it.
It ran but even poorer than when I drove it as my only car...
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