So is this what the disco was based on originally

[DiscoTDI]

:o
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/03/256.jpg

[Pedro_The_Swift]

:eek:

[DiscoTDI]

It was introduced in 1977 by the french:eek:

Simca Matra Rancho

[Pedro_The_Swift]

sold many did they??:p





some good simcas out there---;)

[shorty943]

My Grandfather drove a Simca, ---







didn't look like that.

Granny said, if I can't find anything nice to say about.....
Maybe, I shouldn't say anything. So those are my thoughts on that car.:eek:

Shorty.

[Outlaw]

it really is a good rip on the front styling of the rangy classics... then obviously LR got there own back

[MacMan]

That's really progressive for a french car. It has 4 wheel nuts.

[72pug]

Remember seeing quite a few of those on the roads back in 'blighty'..........used to rust like B*******.

Were'nt bad looking for the time though....70's.

Pug

[rangieman]

revenge of the french to the pom,s id say

[JDNSW]

Never seen one of them, but the timing would suggest that the styling may well have influenced the Discovery styling, even if unconsciously.

My father used to have a Simca Vedette (quite good), and my brother had an Aronde (didn't stand up to Queensland roads in the sixties - wiped bits off underneath and cracked the body shell) before he bought his Series 2 after borrowing my Series 1.

John

[seqfisho]

If it was made by the french it must have a very strong high speed reverse gear:wasntme:
















:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[DiscoTDI]

The Matra Rancho is a leisure activity vehicle (http://www.answers.com/topic/leisure-activity-vehicle) created by the French (http://www.answers.com/topic/france) engineering group Matra (http://www.answers.com/topic/matra) in cooperation with the automaker Simca (http://www.answers.com/topic/simca) to capitalize on the off-road trend started by the Range Rover (http://www.answers.com/topic/range-rover-2005), but provide the "off-road look" at a lower price. The Rancho was presented in 1977 and became a popular model, but this did not alleviate more general problems Chrysler (http://www.answers.com/topic/chrysler-301) (Simca's parent company) was having at that time. Chrysler finally sold its European arm to PSA (http://www.answers.com/topic/psa-peugeot-citro-n) in 1978, which decided to rebrand all former Chrysler models to Talbots (http://www.answers.com/topic/talbot-1) starting 1979. Thus, the former "Matra-Simca Rancho" became the "Talbot Matra Rancho". Production of the Rancho continued until 1984 (although it remained on sale up to January 1985) and totalled 57,792 cars.[1] (http://www.answers.com/topic/matra-rancho#wp-_note-club)

[McDisco]

Damn!! That thing is UG---LY!!!

[Quiggers]

well done discotdi - i commend you in you research

you picked up where i left off - in my distant memory i vaguely remembered it as a simca - but i spose before the great amalgamation, we could lose sight of the enormous contributions to motoring from talbot matra simca etc.......:twisted:

(dad had a very cute simca? sedan in about 1960 with a 2 litre v8, what was it?)

GQ

[Wortho]

That reminds me of the AU Falcon in that it is just as ugly. I think they said in their ad's for the AU that it was a two year design process, if that is so you'd think that at some point someone would have actually looked at it and said "Hey hang on fellas stop everything, this thing is BUTT UGLY" I wonder if that happened with this monstrosity, are the French embarressed as a nation, they should be.

[UncleHo]

G'day Quiggers :)

That lovely little Simca was the Vedette;) with the pre-war (WW11) Ford sidevalve V8 of 221 Cu Inch, 17 stud head, Simca was owned by Ford prior to WW11, they were a nice comfortable fast car, but the plastic interior trims of the day couldn't take the Australian sun:(
Simca had all but left the Aust motor scene by 1963.

cheers

[Quiggers]

Yeah uncle, twas a very pretty car - dad had it for a few years - and few of his mates had Simcas - the Aronde? looked a bit like an FC Holden?

Dad's Simca went in favour of a Fiat 2300 wagon - flash car in its day i vaguely remember....

They were into car racing and one of his mates raced a Simca - my early memories of Catalina at Katoomba....

;) GQ

[Quiggers]

Tail lights are curiously similar to Disco 1

the Simca strikes again......

[p38arover]

Tail lights are curiously similar to Disco 1

the Simca strikes again......

The Discoi tailights came out of Rover's parts bin (as did many RR and LR parts). They were used on some other vehicle - a van not seen in Australia, I think. We need one of our British lads to answer that.

Ron

[Quiggers]

The Maestro van, Ron.....

GQ

[dullbird]

i wonder if the inside smelt like onions!!! and when you hit the horn it do you think it went like this

he haw he haw.......he haw:eek:

and personly that picture i feel should be sensored there are children on this forum

dullbird

[BigJon]

IIRC , it was only 2WD and the rear roof and side sections were plastic.

[mcrover]

:o
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/03/256.jpg

If the Disco was based on that then the designer was blind because that is an awful looking car no matter what way you look at it.

Maybe he passed one on the motorway while broken down and in that brief flash the idea came to him but that is even a stretch.

[p38arover]

I think that there the Discovery bears quite a resemblance to this eyesore.

I was looking at my Disco in the car park across from work this arvo and I thought, "It isn't a well balanced design. It looks wrong from some angles."

I think the D1 is too tall in relation to it's width. Certainly, I think the RR classic and the P38A are far nicer designs. There's nowt much better than a really good late model classic - they look just right.

I'll give it one thing, though - the turning circle seems better than the P38A - I can get into parking spaces more easily. (Even the P38A isn't as bad as a County or Defender 110 :) ).

Ron

[shorty943]

I'll give it one thing, though - the turning circle seems better than the P38A - I can get into parking spaces more easily. (Even the P38A isn't as bad as a County or Defender 110 :) ).

Ron

Ron, I thought my 79 LWB F100 had turning circle problems, till I got the S3. Now I have to do a 3 point turn to get into my shed. At least the Landy starts every time I want to go somewhere. Bloody high performance &%# Fords.

Shorty.

[BMKal]

My father had a Simca Aronde when I was about 5. We lived in Wollongong then. He lost it somewhere near Bulli Pass - slid under a semi that was jack-knifed across the road. The semi had "TNT" written in big red letters on the side. In those days, Thomas Nationwide Transport was only a fairly new company and not many (including the old man had ever heard of them). The old man worked in the mining industry and had only ever heard of one meaning for "TNT" - he tells me he **** himself just before the Simca went under the trailer.

[JohnE]

I don't know it looks like a practical body shape, for what I don't know.
it looks a bit more aerodynamic than a defender

( i say this as i hide under the table avoiding the defender rock throwers)
i remember seeing something about simcas years ago, maybe it was a sticker on a car,or the adds for them
went something like this, 'Some Car this Simca'
well that describes this thing.
its different.

john

[MacMan]

I wonder if anyone was ever conceived in one of those things?

That would be the ultimate test of whether it is REALLY that ugly.

[Quiggers]

It's design doesn't really worry me - kinda cute in an odd way....

There have been far worse designs than this effort; remember the Triumph Mayflower, the 120Y, that 70s Caddy sedan with its bum cut off, any of the newer (but mostly unseen in Aussie) Ssangyongs...

Apparently there are people out there who don't like the Discovery3, heretics.....


GQ

[Discobunny]

That reminds me of the AU Falcon in that it is just as ugly. I think they said in their ad's for the AU that it was a two year design process, if that is so you'd think that at some point someone would have actually looked at it and said "Hey hang on fellas stop everything, this thing is BUTT UGLY" I wonder if that happened with this monstrosity, are the French embarressed as a nation, they should be.

I know someone who worked for Ford QA at the time and all the market reveiws they did with prospective buyers (previous new Ford buyers) came back saying the car was butt UGLY:thumbsdown: . The designers convinced the execs that the design was ground breaking and Ford Aus could lead the market.
How wrong can you be:oops2:

[UncleHo]

G'day Folks :)

Yes, the sales add, and the rear window sticker, "Some Car This Simca" the "Aronde", with 5 bearing"Flash" motor,the "Elese" with 3 bearing "Rush" motor they all had that plastic interior trim that warped in the heat, and other memorable (forgetable) cars, Renault "Dauphine" Lightburn "Zeta", Go GGo Mob ile (Goggomobile)in both the Sedan,Coupe & Dart:D Vanguard Spacemasters,"Guardsvan Spacewasters" the Morris "Marina", Hillman "Imp" (Aliminuum block, before knowledge of coolants) and the wonderfull, but misunderstood, 1100's 1800 "Landcrabs" a wheel at each corner;) beautiful comfortable cars for their size, but not capable of towing a 16 ft "Chesney" from Melbourne to Cairns :eek:

Gee Quiggers, that was when a car was identifiable, not a computer designed Eco Bubble:(

cheers

[Quiggers]

Yup, you'd never mistake a 120Y for anything else, UncleH!

I don't mind the look of the land crab, typical of the era....

My 13 yo son saw a Citroen DS23 sedan in a tv commercial (for Honda, work that out?) and didn't like it at all.... but I do....

generational, style is soo individual.....

I don't like much of the current stuff, (including the VE C'dore sedan) but some do, apparently.......

Wortho: Owning an AU Futura, it's not the look that's such a worry, but that the interior is noticeably tighter than the E body cars it replaced and the A pillars will smack you in the head if you're not careful......someone should've put decent seats in them tho', the drivers seat is a shocker......

GQ

[Reads90]

Remember seeing quite a few of those on the roads back in 'blighty'..........used to rust like B*******.

Were'nt bad looking for the time though....70's.

Pug


Yeah worse than the TR7 and the alfa's.

[Reads90]

If it was made by the french it must have a very strong high speed reverse gear:wasntme:




:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


Nah you are thinking of the Itians :) :) :) . French would have long gone by the time an invador came along :) :)

[Jamo]

The Matra Rancho is a leisure activity vehicle (http://www.answers.com/topic/leisure-activity-vehicle)

That would make it a LAV! Which is also short for...

[Reads90]

The Maestro van, Ron.....

GQ


This is a Maestro van , but this one has Freelander running gear. It is what Land Rover used to test the freelander running gear with out anyone knowing what was going on

http://www.dunsfoldcollection.co.uk/gallery/full1/MuleP.jpg

And here is a real one with the Disco back lights

http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/press/9-88-2127-c6.jpg

Another classic bit of Crap from Austin Rover , no wonder they are gone

[Quiggers]

Mate, that's bewwwdifullllllll:D :D :D (second pic)

The mule in the first pic is fascinating......

Where's the board racks and deep dish mags?:D

One of those (standard vers) got to Aussie, cause I knew a bloke who had one - he was a total loony.....(not me).

GQ

[Reads90]

Mate, that's bewwwdifullllllll:D :D :D (second pic)

The mule in the first pic is fascinating......

Where's the board racks and deep dish mags?:D

One of those (standard vers) got to Aussie, cause I knew a bloke who had one - he was a total loony.....(not me).

GQ

He must have been if he had one :) :)

[Quiggers]

Reads:

He was also the same guy who 'absolutely knew' that a limited slip disc (sic) was a diff which made one wheel spin wildly while the other one did nothing...:D :D :D

no-one could ever convince him otherwise

also 'knew' that fwd and 4wd was the same thing.......:eek:

there's one in every packet, the guys at Tech actually took pity on him, was known as the house loony - the bloke who has a left handed screwdriver and a can of striped paint....and the worlds best van, a Maestro.....

GQ

[JDNSW]

G'day Quiggers :)

That lovely little Simca was the Vedette;) with the pre-war (WW11) Ford sidevalve V8 of 221 Cu Inch, 17 stud head, Simca was owned by Ford prior to WW11, they were a nice comfortable fast car, but the plastic interior trims of the day couldn't take the Australian sun:(
Simca had all but left the Aust motor scene by 1963.

cheers

Uncle Ho, not quite right - and I know this because my father had one. As you say a nice car - not much bigger than the contemporary Holden, but with vastly better brakes and handling, and better performance, and a huge boot - plus heater and reasonable instrumentation. Very good touring car. Never had any problems with the plastic, but worst problem was the gearshift conversion from LHD.

The Vedette factory was originally the Ford of France works, and the car was the French equivalent of the Zephyr, but retaining the V8 (in two sizes). The French did not buy many of them, and Ford sold the whole lot to Simca (which was originally a Fiat offshoot, or at least building Fiats under licence in France) in about 1955. Simca ditched the big V8, fitted the smaller one with alloy heads and crankcase, which enabled them to raise the compression to 7.5, and producing as much power as the big V8. The lower weight on the front wheels allowed the steering ratio to go from 5:1 to 3:1, they went from 13" to 15" wheels, brakes from 9" to 11", which enabled them to put the lower suspension and steering pivot inside the brake drum, doing wonders for the steering.

They did quite well on the Australian market (assembled with about 50% Australian content by Chrysler), and were a lot more suited to the roads than the Aronde, which went like a rocket but tended to fall to bits. However, when the Valiant appeared they were a direct competitor, and so were axed. The Australian version had spartan trim compared to the French version (similar to other Australian cars of the time) and the overdrive and automatic clutch were never sold here.

John

[cartm58]

you can what you want about the French but nothing beats a Citreon D series for sheer design inspiration and mechancial innovation 50 years ahead of its time

[JDNSW]

you can what you want about the French but nothing beats a Citreon D series for sheer design inspiration and mechancial innovation 50 years ahead of its time

I won't argue with that - I've driven them on and off for 45 years, owned one since 1978 (74 model) - currently have it stored, still in excellent condition, but I couldn't afford to keep three cars on the road, and since it is getting hard to get parts for, it is the one that had to go.

In 1975, when they ceased production, the only changes needed to the 1955 design to meet safety requirements was antiburst door locks and seat belts.

Think about a few of these points compared to current offering - windscreen pillars narrower than the spacing of your eyes - full vision forward with the bonnet open and back with the boot open - a flat tyre does not pull to the side, even under heavy braking with your hands off the wheel - brake pedal movement is zero, and the pedal is closer to the floor than the accelerator - self levelling suspension that doesn't have short lived airbags - long travel suspension - very accurate wheel location (no rubber at all in the suspension, suspension arms are on tapered rollers) means very long tyre life and very precise handling.

On the other side of the coin - by modern standards they are noisy - the long wheelbase and small turning circle means it is very easy to sideswipe things if you aren't careful - the sides are not parallel! makes backing straight an art - special hydraulic fluid is very hard to find - parts hard to find (much harder than Landrovers the same age).

John

[90]

Am I the only person who used to have a Rancho ?

It was a long time ago now but I remember it being metallic blue and the rear body all plastic. The rest of the car rusted at express speed. It was only 2wd despite it's looks. Driver's seating position was quite low with the passesngers in the back sat higher. I remember having fat tyres and driving resonably well (but my memory my be faded). It was parked in the shed one winter's night when the shed blew down and crushed it. Remember towing it to the scrap yard, roof all squashed.

Had a Meastro van as well, absolute shocker, all tinny, under powered and 'hollow' feeling. The Escort van was always the best with the Astra van a bit quicker, but lower roof height and the alloy heads being a bit fragile.

Always wanted to put XR3i engine, gearbox and suspension on an escort van. Never did though, but I bet it would have been quick.

[p38arover]

special hydraulic fluid is very hard to find - parts hard to find (much harder than Landrovers the same age).

European Autocare in Batt St, Penrith has the stuff you need. They have a stack of DS in their yard for spare parts, etc. Denton is a nice bloke, too.

I used them for Peugeot stuff for my daughter's '89 405 (thankfully sold even though it was a very good car to drive).

Ron

[Reads90]

Did you lot know that the Disco Holds the Guness book of records for the quickest car from idea to production.
Cheated really as it was just a new diesel engine and a new body on a range rover running gear :D :D

[Pedro_The_Swift]

saved LR's **** though----;)

[JDNSW]

Did you lot know that the Disco Holds the Guness book of records for the quickest car from idea to production.
Cheated really as it was just a new diesel engine and a new body on a range rover running gear :D :D

Was it faster than the original Landrover? May 1947 the idea, July 1948 first production - and it saved the company's bacon. I suppose you could say they cheated as they used an existing engine and gearbox and copied a lot of the rest from Willys, although the chassis and the bodywork construction methods were both completely new and original; this from a company that had never produced a commercial vehicle, let alone an offroad one.

John

[p38arover]

I <citroen> special hydraulic fluid is very hard to find - parts hard to find (much harder than Landrovers the same age)

See www.penrite.com.au (http://www.penrite.com.au) and select Specialty Products

LHM PLUS

http://www.penrite.com.au/html/images/trans.gif
Citroen hydraulic fluid for vehicles built after April 1964. Use only in vehicles fitted with a reservoir with green lid.
Available in : 1 LT, 2.5 LT, 20 LT, 205 LT,



Ron