Simca 1300/1500

Simca 1300/1500: which version to buy

The Simca 1300/1500 to buy is not the newest badge in the range. Across two generations (1963–1976) the catalogue lists ten 1.3 MT and 1.5 MT sedan versions, all Gasoline, Manual, 4 speeds, RWD, Inline 4, 2 valves per cylinder, Carburetor, No boost, Front, longitudinal.

The Simca 1300/1500 to buy is not the newest badge in the range. Across two generations (1963–1976) the catalogue lists ten 1.3 MT and 1.5 MT sedan versions, all Gasoline, Manual, 4 speeds, RWD, Inline 4, 2 valves per cylinder, Carburetor, No boost, Front, longitudinal. The spread that actually changes the car is 61–82 hp, 88–122 Nm, 902–1089 kg kerb, 8.3–9.5 compression, 76 or 92 fuel, drum-or-disc fronts, and one measured 0–100 figure. Arithmetic on those numbers is the buying map.

Which generation to buy: 1 generation vs 2 generation

1 generation (1963–1966) is the light car: three versions, sedan, kerb 902 kg where measured, 54 L tank, 140 mm clearance, Drum / Drum brakes. Peak output is 82 hp on 1.5 MT and 63 hp on 1.3 MT.

2 generation (1966–1976) is the long-run car: seven versions, sedan, kerb 1000–1089 kg, tank not measured, clearance 140 mm on the 1.3 cars and not measured on the 1.5 cars, Disc front / Drum rear.

Weight is the generation tax. The lightest 2 generation 1.3 MT (61 hp) is 1000 kg — 98 kg more than 1 generation 1.3 MT (63 hp) at 902 kg. The heaviest 2 generation 1.5 MT (82 hp) is 1089 kg — 187 kg more than 1 generation 1.5 MT (82 hp) at 902 kg. Same 82 hp, 20.7% more mass.

Power did not jump with the second generation. 1 generation 1.3 MT is 63 hp; 2 generation opens at 61 hp (−2 hp) and only later 1.3 tunes reach 67 and 71 hp. 1 generation 1.5 MT is already 82 hp / 122 Nm; 2 generation 1.5 MT peaks at the same 82 hp with 120 Nm (−2 Nm).

What 2 generation does buy is chassis hardware and engine spread: front Disc instead of Drum, four 1.3 power steps instead of one, and the only 0–100 and top-speed figures in the file. What it does not buy is a lighter kerb or a published tank.

Buy 1 generation if mass, tank volume, and 76-octane 1.3 fuel matter more than discs. Buy 2 generation if you want front discs, a 71 hp 1.3, or a 1.5 with a measured 160–161 km/h.

1.3 MT vs 1.5 MT: what the extra displacement buys

Displacement is 1290 vs 1475 — 185 cc, 14.3% more.

1 generation

• 1.3 MT 63 hp / 100 Nm vs 1.5 MT 82 hp / 122 Nm: +19 hp (+30.2%), +22 Nm (+22%). Same 902 kg kerb, same 54 L tank, same 140 mm, same Drum/Drum. Specific output: 63 / 1.290 = 48.8 hp/L vs 82 / 1.475 = 55.6 hp/L. Weight per hp: 902 / 63 = 14.3 kg/hp vs 902 / 82 = 11.0 kg/hp. The 1.5 is the same-mass, higher-output car.
• Fuel: 1.3 MT is 76; both 1.5 MT 82 hp versions are 92. Compression 8.3 vs 9.5.

2 generation

• Weakest 1.3 vs strongest 1.5: 1.3 MT 61 hp / 88 Nm vs 1.5 MT 82 hp / 120 Nm: +21 hp, +32 Nm. Kerb 1000 vs 1018 or 1089 kg.
• Closest apples: 1.3 MT 71 hp / 98 Nm (1080 kg) vs 1.5 MT 71 hp / 108 Nm (1020 kg). Same 71 hp, the 1.5 has +10 Nm and is 60 kg lighter. Torque at 4000 rpm vs 4600 rpm on that 1.3. Specific output: 71 / 1.290 = 55.0 hp/L vs 71 / 1.475 = 48.1 hp/L — the 1.3 is the more stressed engine; the 1.5 makes the same power with more torque and less mass.
• Peak 1.5 vs peak 1.3: 1.5 MT 82 hp vs 1.3 MT 71 hp is +11 hp. Light 82 hp 1.5 at 1018 kg is 12.4 kg/hp; 71 hp 1.3 at 1080 kg is 15.2 kg/hp.

If the question is “1.3 or 1.5?”, the data answer is: in 1 generation the 1.5 is strictly more power at the same weight; in 2 generation a 71 hp 1.5 MT already beats a 71 hp 1.3 MT on torque and kerb, and the 82 hp 1.5 MT is the catalogue peak.

Specs: every 1.3 MT and 1.5 MT version

Bore × stroke is 74 × 75 on every 1.3 and 75.2 × 83 on every 1.5. Compression: 8.3 on 1 generation 1.3 MT; 9.3 on all 2 generation 1.3s and on 2 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp; 8.9 on 2 generation 1.5 MT 71 hp; 9.5 on both 1 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp cars.

Engine choice inside 2 generation 1.3 MT

Four 1.3 MT tunes share 1290 cc, 92 fuel, 9.3 compression, 74 × 75.

1. 1.3 MT 61 hp — 88 Nm @ 4600, 1000 kg, 132 km/h. Lowest power, lowest torque, lightest 2-gen 1.3. 61 / 1.290 = 47.3 hp/L. 1000 / 61 = 16.4 kg/hp. Torque peaks 2000 rpm higher than the 67 hp cars. 2. 1.3 MT 67 hp, 1010 kg — 92 Nm @ 2600. +6 hp and +4 Nm vs 61 hp, +10 kg. Torque at 2600 rpm is the low-rpm 1.3. 1010 / 67 = 15.1 kg/hp. 3. 1.3 MT 67 hp, 1080 kg — same 67 hp / 92 Nm @ 2600 as the 1010 kg car, +70 kg. 1080 / 67 = 16.1 kg/hp, almost the 61 hp car’s ratio. Same engine sheet, worse mass. 4. 1.3 MT 71 hp — 98 Nm @ 4600, 1080 kg. Peak 1.3 power. +10 hp / +10 Nm vs 61 hp; +4 hp / +6 Nm vs either 67 hp. Torque is back at 4600 rpm like the 61 hp car. 1080 / 71 = 15.2 kg/hp. Top speed not measured. 0–100 not measured.

Inside 1.3, the 1010 kg 1.3 MT 67 hp is the better 67: same power as the 1080 kg twin, 70 kg less. The 71 hp 1.3 MT is the most power you can buy in 1290 cc, but it sits on the heavy 1080 kg kerb and makes peak torque high in the rev range.

Engine choice inside 2 generation 1.5 MT

Three 1.5 MT tunes share 1475 cc, 92 fuel, 75.2 × 83.

1. 1.5 MT 71 hp — 108 Nm @ 4000, 8.9 compression, 1020 kg, 0–100 15.1 s, 160 km/h. Only version in the whole 1300/1500 file with a measured 0–100. 1020 / 71 = 14.4 kg/hp. 2. 1.5 MT 82 hp, 1018 kg — 120 Nm @ 4000, 9.3 compression, 161 km/h. +11 hp, +12 Nm, −2 kg vs the 71 hp 1.5. 0–100 not measured. 1018 / 82 = 12.4 kg/hp — best ratio in 2 generation. 3. 1.5 MT 82 hp, 1089 kg — same 82 hp / 120 Nm / 161 km/h as the 1018 kg car, +71 kg. 1089 / 82 = 13.3 kg/hp. 0–100 not measured.

The 71 hp 1.5 MT is the only car you can time from the sheet. The light 82 hp 1.5 MT is the strongest 2 generation car on paper: 1 km/h more than the 71 hp 1.5, 11 hp more, and 2 kg lighter. The 1089 kg 82 hp twin is the same engine on 7.0% more mass — same peak speed listed (161 km/h), worse kg/hp.

Performance and mpg: measured vs not measured

0–100 km/h is not measured on nine of ten versions. The exception is 2 generation 1.5 MT 71 hp: 15.1 s. Do not treat that 15.1 s as a family figure.

Top speed:

• 2 generation 1.3 MT 61 hp: 132 km/h
• 2 generation 1.5 MT 71 hp: 160 km/h (+28 km/h vs the 61 hp 1.3)
• both 2 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp: 161 km/h (+1 km/h vs the 71 hp 1.5, +29 km/h vs the 61 hp 1.3)
• every other version, including all 1 generation cars and 1.3 MT 67 hp / 71 hp: not measured

City, highway, mixed consumption: not measured on every version. CO2: not measured. Eco class: not measured. There is no mpg ranking in this catalogue — only the statement that fuel use was not measured.

Dimensions, weight, tank, wheels

Gross weight: not measured on every version. Wheel sizes: not measured on every version.

Kerb, where measured:

• 1 generation 1.3 MT 63 hp: 902 kg
• 1 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp: 902 kg
• 1 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp (third version): not measured
• 2 generation 1.3 MT 61 hp: 1000 kg
• 2 generation 1.3 MT 67 hp: 1010 kg or 1080 kg
• 2 generation 1.3 MT 71 hp: 1080 kg
• 2 generation 1.5 MT 71 hp: 1020 kg
• 2 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp: 1018 kg or 1089 kg

Ground clearance: 140 mm on all 1 generation cars and on 2 generation 1.3s; not measured on all three 2 generation 1.5s.

Tank: 54 L on all three 1 generation versions; not measured on all seven 2 generation versions. If range from a published tank matters, only 1 generation has the number.

Reliability and problems: what the numbers change

The file does not log failure rates. What it does log is the hardware that changes service and use.

Fuel. 1 generation 1.3 MT is the only 76 car. Every other version is 92. Buying the 63 hp 1.3 is buying a different octane spec, not a cheaper 1.5.

Compression. 8.3 on 1 generation 1.3 MT is the softest; 9.5 on 1 generation 1.5 MT is the hardest; 2 generation sits at 8.9 (71 hp 1.5) or 9.3 (everything else). That is a 1.2-point spread, not a different engine family.

Brakes. 1 generation is Drum front and rear. 2 generation is Disc front, Drum rear. If fade and repeated stops matter, the generation line is the brake line.

Torque rpm. Low-rpm 1.3s are the 1 generation 1.3 MT (100 Nm @ 2600) and both 2 generation 1.3 MT 67 hp (92 Nm @ 2600). High-rpm 1.3s are 61 hp and 71 hp (88 and 98 Nm @ 4600). All 1.5s make peak torque at 3000 (1 generation) or 4000 (2 generation). A 67 hp 1.3 MT is the 2-gen 1.3 that pulls earliest; a 71 hp 1.3 MT is the 1.3 that needs revs.

Identical twins. Two 1 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp rows match on power, torque, rpm, compression, fuel, tank, clearance, and brakes; only kerb is 902 kg vs not measured. Two 2 generation 1.3 MT 67 hp rows match on the engine sheet and differ by 70 kg. Two 2 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp rows match on 82 hp / 120 Nm / 161 km/h and differ by 71 kg. When two rows share the name 1.3 MT or 1.5 MT, sort them by hp first, then by kerb.

Which version to choose

Need the lightest Simca 1300/1500 in the file: 1 generation 1.3 MT 63 hp or 1 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp at 902 kg. Same mass; the 1.5 adds 19 hp and 22 Nm and uses 92 instead of 76. Unless 76 fuel is the point, the 82 hp 1.5 MT is the 1-gen buy. The second 1.5 MT 82 hp is the same engine sheet with kerb not measured — do not assume 902 kg.

Need a published fuel tank: any 1 generation version, 54 L. 2 generation tank is not measured.

Need front discs and a 1966–1976 sedan: 2 generation. Then:

• Least power, lightest 2-gen 1.3: 1.3 MT 61 hp, 1000 kg, 132 km/h. Entry spec, peak torque at 4600 rpm.
• Best 1.3 for low-rpm torque: 1.3 MT 67 hp, 1010 kg (not the 1080 kg twin). 92 Nm @ 2600.
• Most 1.3 power: 1.3 MT 71 hp, 1080 kg, 98 Nm @ 4600. Top speed not measured.
• Only timed car: 1.5 MT 71 hp, 15.1 s, 160 km/h, 1020 kg, 108 Nm. Same 71 hp as the strongest 1.3, 10 Nm more, 60 kg less.
• Most power in 2 generation, light kerb: 1.5 MT 82 hp, 1018 kg, 120 Nm, 161 km/h. Best kg/hp in the generation (12.4). Skip the 1089 kg 82 hp twin unless that row is the car in front of you — it is 71 kg heavier for the same 82 hp and the same 161 km/h.

Cross-generation 82 hp: 1 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp is 902 kg and 122 Nm @ 3000, Drum fronts, 54 L, 9.5 compression. 2 generation 1.5 MT 82 hp is 1018 or 1089 kg, 120 Nm @ 4000, Disc fronts, tank not measured, 9.3 compression, 161 km/h. Same horsepower; the first generation is 116–187 kg lighter with +2 Nm; the second generation is the disc-brake 82 hp with a measured top speed.

Do not choose on mpg. Consumption is not measured. Do not choose on 0–100 except the 71 hp 1.5 MT. Do not invent a third generation — restyling is not listed; there are two generations and ten named versions, all 1.3 MT or 1.5 MT.