Chrysler Sunbeam Lotus

Became Talbot Simca Lotus Sunbeam (1979-’81)

Chrysler’s ex-rootes/simca European operation was teetering on the brink of financial collapse by the mid-1970s. In the UK, Chrysler turned to the government for funding to develop a new entry-level model to replace the venerable Hillman Imp and keep the troubled Linwood plant operational. A stopgap hatchback was developed in a record 18 months, cunningly based around a shortened platform from the larger Avenger.

Launched as the Chrysler Sunbeam, the 1977 hatch enjoyed success, but not enough to stave off Chrysler’s European collapse. In late 1978, saviour PSA (Peugeot/citroën) took over the failed operation, grouping its British and French divisions under the combined Talbot name in July 1979. Ahead of this rebrand, an exciting Lotuspowered ‘hot’ Sunbeam had been revealed to great fanfare at the Geneva show in March; by the time the jointly developed pre-production Chrysler Sunbeam Lotus became a showroom reality, however, it had been rebadged as a Talbot – though still wearing the old Chrysler pentastar emblem on the Sunbeam’s grille. PSA used the Sunbeam Lotus extensively to launch the ‘exciting’ Talbot brand, the model usefully winning the 1981 World Rally Championship manufacturers’ title for the new marque. Anorak fact The Talbot Simca Sunbeam Lotus (four marque names in one model: a record?) joined the Chrysler-developed C9 (Tagora) and Solara, with Renault buying rights to the Espace