Rumours of a collaborative agreement between Abarth and the French company of Simca began to circulate in 1961.

The French company had begun to assemble assorted Fiat models under licence in France, intending to provide the French motoring market with low-price utility cars.

Upon Simca's establishment in 1935 a plant producing Fiat 508 Balillas was set-up at Nanterre, and the Simca Cinq began production the following year, exactly replicating the contemporary Fiat 500.

Late in 1961 the Simca company – which had been founded by Italian entrepreneur Enrico Teodoro Pigozzi, launched its most successful model – the Simca 1000.

This was its first rear-engined car and a neat four-door saloon which became the direct competitor of the contemporary Renault Dauphine.

The power unit was Fiat 600 derived, emerging as a 944cc 4-cylinder providing 35bhp in standard form.

The Simca 1000 was larger, more roomy, more powerful and faster than the contemporary Fiat 600D, and after its launch at the...