In the same way the Tata Indica with Rover badges is a classic. Keep one as a curio for some oddball museum and crush every other sorry specimen to save our sanity.........
There is a railway bridge , close to the the former Peugeot/Talbot plant in Linwood , Paisley , that still has an advert for the company clearly visible with “ Home of the Sunbeam & Avenger “ written on it.
Hello Steph, I grew up in the 80s in Birmingham near to Coventry where a lot of Talbots were made. My Dad had a Horizon - not the greatest car in the world, but we liked it! Solara's were a common sight on the streets, but died away pretty quickly while the Cortina carried on. Here's a challenge for you - find a Talbot Tagora , Talbot's Granada equivalent
My dad worked for talbot/peugeot and had one of these as a demonstrator. I then had a Horizon as my first car. This brings back happy memories. Thanks Steph
Its such a shame that this car isn't going to be recommisioned and used again, its in really decent condition and so rare. I always preferred the Solara to the Alpine. (Added later) Steph you do make a valid point there about a few Winter's, so as long as its preserved that's all that matters.
technically speaking it was more Simca that ruined Rootes, Chrysler just managed the books pretty much. Also, coming from someone who owns an Alpine, they're no more tappety than any other pushrod engine from the era & can be tweaked to be near silent
@@GreyTheFloydianSergal I've always wondered about that. What technically speaking made them do that? I don't remember the later ones sounding so bad, but the pre-1980's ones all seemed to do it.
@@GreyTheFloydianSergal Me and my brother had three. We tried the tappets over and over on the worst and couldn't get them to sound OK. It turns out the camshafts and followers would wear prematurely. The clatter was horribly loud. Bluntly they are a _LOT_ worse than other pushrod engines of the time, which is a shame because in many respects (not the gearbox) they were reasonably good cars for their time.
@@GreyTheFloydianSergal How come SIMCA Ruined Rootes? Since SIMCA even in FRANCE, had to follow Chrysler rules. Chrysler didn't let SIMCA do what they wanted to, for instance Chrysler didn't want to launch the 1100, on top of that on those tappety engine, SIMCA back then was about to put a chain tensioner to make it quieter, but Chrysler didn't want that, because it cost 1 dollar per car more.
@@Locost59 that's what I'm saying very noisy tappits, I owned a datsun 120y it was a pushrod engine but so quiet you could only hear a whisper from fan belt movement.
The UK market had so many interesting small cars that were not available here in the USA. I find the unique style of the 1950-1960s British cars the most appealing. Well done Steph!
There’s no denying that it is a good looking car - very clean styling, and for a short while, way ahead of the Cortina and Cavalier. It’s a pity it wasn’t replaced. Nice car.
My memory was a dreadful tappety engine and serial corrosion. I had a Simca 1501 which was a better car but my Dad had a Talbot as a company car and hated it ......he had an Avenger before that which he did like . Great video as always .
Yes the 1301 and the 1501 were far superior cars in every way. I crashed my dads 1301 into the caravan which was wreaked and made into a trailer.. the Simca had a tiny ding on the bonnet and a twist to the bumper.
My dad worked at Chrysler Plymouth dealer in the US that also sold Simcas and English Chryslers (Avenger as a Cricket...). I knew many people who owned them and I was allowed to drive the cars that had been traded in when helping move parts on the back lot of the dealership. I remember when the Solara/Alpine/1510 were new and reading the reviews. Some people loved them but there always seemed to be a dedicated group that hated anything made after Chrysler took over Rootes group/Simca until the end of the Talbot name. I ended up owning a US version of the Horizon as the first car I bought.
I learnt to drive on my father's Solara Minx. A much underrated car that handled pretty well and was extremely comfortable. The biggest issue with them was the Scimca based engines while quite powerful for their capacity had a tendency to get a bit tappety after a few years. That one however sounds quite smooth. When Peugeot carried the 1.3 over to the Talbot Arizona which became the 309 they modified something in the timing gear to make the engine a lot smoother.
I just about remember Solara's. It looks like a cross between an Audi 80, Austin Ambassador/Ford Granada mk2 and a Volvo 360. The Talbot logo was similar to the BT logo at somepoint.
You're right about the "trap" of classic cars. I live in the state of Pennsylvania, USA and our dept of motor vehicles lists a classic car as being 15 years or older, and an antique as 20 years and older. I'm pretty comfortable with that range, so that's what I personally choose to go by. Another thing that I believe alters our perceptions of what's a "classic" is our age. For instance, if you grew up seeing a ton of brand new, we'll say Ford Cortinas on the road, then it's something you've aged with and therefore don't really perceive it as a classic or antique car because you've become accustomed to them being common. I think perhaps it's because we don't want to consider ourselves as classic or antique that we often get the pushback about certain ages of cars and their classifications.
I remember my Solara rev counter needle used to swing from side to side when the indicator was on! Cars don't have that sort of personality anymore.....more's the pity!
I think they had it sorted out by about 1985 - as did everyone else. My 1985 (sorry Fiat Regata) didn't have a drop of rust on it except for a poorly resprayed door panel.
A guy from NZ once explained to me how they gave cars extra rust proofing. In the UK Ziebart rust proofing was an aftermarket treatment. In the early 90s it was very clear to see which ones had been done. The breakthrough year for these cars from the factory in Europe was around 1981. In about 1990 there were almost no 1979 cars left, but plenty of '82s. On a differemt note the last of these were given special edition names the Minx and Rapier in 1986.
my Alpine minx only needed minor welding after ten years off the road in the elements & in any case, all cars rotted before the nineties. Talbots were no worse than any other car from the era
I'm pleased some people have had a more positive experience than myself 👍 (The rot on my car was extreme it didn't seem normal I had never experienced it neither before nor since thank goodness)
my 1.6 gls did 135 mph twin webber carb abd it was the bronze and brown electric windows front and trip computer and central locking dont know the 0to 60
In France, we say that the real last Talbot was ... The Peugeot 309. Even it was never branded Talbot. "The 309 had been conceived as Projet C28 as a replacement for the Talbot Horizon, and as a result its development had been performed by the former Chrysler/Simca wing of PSA. Styling was the responsibility of the former Chrysler-Rootes design studios in Coventry, whilst much of the engineering was done at the Simca site at Poissy in France. The only stipulation from PSA management was that the new car had to use as much existing architecture as possible; hence the use of a stretched Peugeot 205 floorpan and door shells, whilst the Simca engines and transmissions from the Horizon were also carried over."
@@nangar2550 I've read a lot about the Talbot Arizona project, and I certainly agree with you. I think in the long term it was probably better the way it turned out, look how well Peugeot are doing now!
That engine was quieter than I remember,those simca engines gave good performance and economy but were known for sounding quite noisy which put a lot of people off.
My dad had a Solara after he had had an Alpine. He was a hatchback man, so a saloon was a new thing. He had a nice gold HLS model I think it was ( one below top of range SX ). I remember two things: the annoying on board 'computer' that was pointless, and the (for us) revolutionary electric front windows which my mum started a row about after she accused my dad of showing off with them when he used them - "how else I am going to get the bloody windows down...!" came his reply. Silence ensued for rest of journey..... Needless to say a divorce was not many years away 😁.
In the very early 80's I bought a 1.5 litre chrysler alpine in red. TUV 153S was a badly neglected car, 1978 model that in early 1982 when I rescued it from the scrapyard looked 25 years old with 40 years of rust on it. :-( I was only 18 at the time and was excited to own any car at all. A neighbour was scrapping a purple 1.5 alpine so I bought the car off of him for £20.00. The gearbox replaced my bad broken box. They all have trouble selecting first gear. Nearly all the bolts snapped like a carrot when I tried to undo them. I then discovered easy outs for the first time, holes quickly drilled and easy outs did there job of removing the offending bolts made of Swiss cheese I think. Linkage changed too, much better gear change now!!!! Well better than it was before on the broken box, (jumping out of second gear) radiator was swapped too but that leaked just as bad, had the replacement rad re cored as it seamed in the best condition. Alternator was reconditioned as the spare was knackered too. Whole interior including door cards was changed too, immaculate condition and same colour. Garage set the tappets and it sounded quiet for the first time ever I think, actually whistled in a nice way. Garage mechanic told me it would be a quick car but told me inner and outer sills plus sections of the floor where it joined the sill needed replacing. Gave me a fair price of £90.00 to fix all the rust, brakes were borderline so he replaced all the flexi hoses, some of the brake lines, and fitted new pads and rear shoes. Handbrake cable and mechanism. Passed its MOT and was running lovely at last. I did notice how quick a car it was for a 1.5 when I easily pulled away from a friend's 2.0 mk1 Capri. He was gutted my ordinary looking Chrysler Alpine left his gorgeous Capri behind. I was getting the engine oil and filter changed at the garage that did all the work for its MOT, told him how it beat the Capri in the traffic light Grand Prix. He was not surprised and said the engine had an angled cylinder head so the fuel went through better, the standard exhaust was quite sporty too. Also he told me and I took his word for it that the cylinder head was a cross flow head. Standard head but crossflow. :-) I actually loved that car. It ended sadly one night having a drive around the Cronton area, the radiator I had re cored came away from one of the 3 bolts that held it in place (Swiss cheese bolts strike again). It fell onto a part of the wiring loom that ran below it causing a short which caused an engine bay fire, totally burnt out the engine bay before the fire brigade put it out. :-( sad end to my Chrysler Alpine. Rip TUV153S :-( bought a Rover P5 straight 6 after that, proper planetary gear overdrive. 15mpg though. :-( that's another story. Thanks for this vid. :-) Vinny.
The tapping Talbot. I had a 1.3 GL 1978 Chrysler Alpine. No matter what you did, you couldn't silence those tappets. A complete rotbox, but a very reliable car, and would start in any weather condition.
1.6 was plenty of power for these I don't think they would be able to take a 2.0 safely without serious uprating. Actually good cars plenty of room but noisy engine dealers did amazing finance deals in the mid 80's on these.
Julien Bee it was ok no ball of fire but very economical and practical , i also towed my trailer full of disco gear. My sister had a tired 1.3 petrol which she loved but the engine was rubbish.. Btw mine lasted for many years after i sold it .it ran till rust killed it, the pug xud engine was still good
We a bought a brand new 1.6 in 1980, at the time it was a really good looking car but although it never let us down it did have various little problems like coolant leaks, low oil pressure light on and it went when it used to cut our for no apparent reason usually somewhere really inconvenient.
Sorry but I disagree, get it on the road. Wax it, seal it, use it in the dry summer months and cherish it. Above all drive it, that's why it was made 👍
An interesting one this. My dad had one. A 1983 on a A plate. It was a series 2 LS model with the same 1.6 engine. Power steering and a five speed gearbox so well specified for the time. Rust always a problem even when fairly new. The wipers would self park so a fault with the one you showed. Not a bad car and definitely underated.
I had one of these back in the day, as did my next-door neighbour. I'm sure the wipers are faulty on this one, because I'd have remembered them parking where they shouldn't.
I had a Talbot Alpine Rapier (C143RPF), that Peugeot gearbox, also used in the 309, was awful! Demisting the windscreen in winter was torturous. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane!
This was one of my first cars bought before I'd even passed my test. Mine was a similar colour and was a 1.6 (HJX 909W). I killed that godawful engine and I'd sourced a replacement but I scrapped it before I could arrange to have it fitted.
I do love a car with a two tone paint job. My parents owned a 1980 Talbot Horizon 1.3 LS in the late 1980s. I didn't much care for it at the time. An Alpine or Solara would have been more preferable.
Some interesting bits about this car, it has started to have the PSA parts bin grafted on, so you'll notice the period Peugeot 205/305 steering wheel and stalks, the Peugeot 205/305 gearbox and stick too. The Spanish market was still very strong for the Simca/Talbot cars as the Barreiros plant was key in making them, they even had a Solara 1.9D with the XUD motor, where as the UK only got the Horizon diesel, the first car to ever have an XUD engine. I guess the Solara D was to replace the Spanish Taxi favourite of the Chrysler 180 Diesel.
I love that car. Really do. I loved the Alpine from when it first came out as well, it was Car of the Year for 1976 as I recall it being. Love your great car reviews still Steph, you do it a darn sight better than those lunatics Clarkson, Hammond et al.
Both my late Father and I had Talbot Solera's. Mine ended its life, not driven by me against a set of railings in the South East. The gearbox was not the finest as it was very notchy.
Had an alpine & horizon back in 80's. Alpine was OK with 1.4 engine but horizon had the 1.1 which on trips up to Scotland at the time wasnt the best drive. But as Steph says, spot any of them on road today if you can.
Wow, that took me a trip down memory lane. Served part of my apprenticeship at a Peugeot/Talbot dealer. Worked on many a Solara, Alpine, Horizon and Tagora. Yeah, that engine was noisy on the top end. Set the tappets and 500 miles later they'd be rattling like a bag of spanners. Fond memories, cheers for that.
Thanks Steph (: Had one of these in 1987 we had a really bad winter back then and my Solara ploughed on like a tank nothing would stop it Haha. The gear linkage and pushrod Simca engine are pants however car handled well enough though and is roomy. There was a larger Talbot as well called the Tagora don't suppose there will be many of these left either ):
Funnily enough there used to be loads round Coventry! Now? Well they rusted whilst you looked at them and sounded awful compared to their contemporaries. Police used them. My old man recalls the time he had to call for assistance as the engine had detached from the body... Looked ok, but were the product of a failing company that was running out of time.
I’m always impressed how drivers in the UK shift gears with their left hand. I know it’s easy for you guys because that’s how you do it but I can’t imagine even trying it without failing miserably 🤣🤣
It's not even easy, it's just instinct. You subconsciously reach to the left when you hear the engine revving high and such , and the same thing for you guys on the other side of the road But changing side is not much of an issue! Many people drive south and go through the tunnel or ferry to France , and get to drive a left hand drive car , and after reaching into the door a couple times looking for the gearstick in the wrong direction , it becomes easy and natural using your right hand The real issue from left hand drive cars is you're used to sitting on the right when driving, and you align your car in the lane based on your view. Being on the left makes you end up driving very close to the left edge of the lane as your used to the rest of the car being over there
Even on the first lesson it's easy enough so I'm sure you'd get the hang fast enough. Come on over, rent a car and have a go before they all become automatic.
I always thought that the Rapier special edition looked good with the two tone paint and of course the use of the Rootes Sunbeam Rapier name. I drove my Boss's Solara 1.3 a few times in the 80s. It went well and was roomy and comfortable. It was well worn but always seemed to start. She leaned quite a lot in the corners but the steering was quite direct. Oh and in sharper bends increased levels of lean would bring on the oil light, probably your dodgy sensor issue because she always seemed to be ok for oil. The little lift up thing for reverse is usually called a collar, as in reverse lift up collar. I think that the collar lifts up a pin to allow the gearshift to move across the gate to reverse. The pin is in place to avoid accidentally selecting reverse while moving forward. I really think that these are rare enough to be classic nowadays.
As a little kid, I found the Solara very beautiful. An uncle had the Solara Escorial, the loaded model for the Spanish market sold by the end of its life and, while good looking, suspension was quite soft and it had no aircon, being really hot inside! Same for my dad´s 1978 Talbot 150, Alpine in teh UK
The Talbot Solara was introduced as the saloon version of the Talbot Alpine hatchback previously Chrysler. But I would say it was the replacement for the Hillman Hunter. The Hunter was launched in 1966 with the more upmarket Singer Vogue with the bigger engine. In 1967 came the Hillman Minx and Singer Gazelle with the smaller engine, and also the big engined luxury Humber Sceptre and coupe models, Sunbeam Rapier and the cheaper Alpine. By 1970 the Minx and Gazelle were dropped, and the Vogue continued briefly as the Sunbeam Vogue. The Hunter Sceptre and Sunbeam coupes continued until 1976 after the Anglo French Chrysler Alpine appeared called Simca outside Britain, but the Hunter was still available in small numbers as the Chrysler Hunter until 1979. The Chrysler/Talbot Alpine/Solara have almost vanished in Britain, only a handful survive particularly the late 1985 limited edition Minx and Rapier models.
My dad had a hillman hunter for years, resprayed from original light blue to a beautiful deep blue metallic, that car served our wee family so very well.... Sometimes I wish I could go back to those simple carefree days but I'm lucky, I'm just turned 50 and still have both my parents, I dread losing them, I never married but left home at 18,although my folks are divorced 30yrs man I will miss them terribly.... Sorry didn't intend delving so deep.... The hunter was a great car 😊❤
Having been in one and a Talbot Tagora in the 1980’s I can confirm they were comfortable cars, a nice Marta rancho was on sale not long ago. The alpine was copied by Moskvich, a rival to wartburg and lada of their time.
I remember my neighbor had a Simca Chrysler station. As a passenger at the front seat, the oversized gearbox meant I had no legroom. I sat with my left leg bent to the right , which was awkward, and often painful at long rides.
Lovely cars...good review. Had 2 sunbeams, wrote both off☹, then a horizon. Loved them. Horizon could hold the road like no other. Shocking simca gear box tho. Never had the solara or alpine. Ball joints, track rod ends and engine mounting were always a big prob with them. If only u could find a tagora or a rancho. That would be special. I wonder are there surviving in lreland or England
Thank you Steph from another great upload, great presenter and you keep uncovering these forgotten relics from my childhood and it's fascinating. Amazing this survived at all really, I remember growing up as a kid in Surrey and these were usually driven by old ladies with blue rinse hair-dos!
Will watch the video fully later (am working LOL), but have just seen a bit of it. Cars can bring back memories can't they? For me, this Solara's paint job is identical to a car which knocked me off my bike when I was 16 (I broke my leg). Then when I saw the reg "JU", it was a bit weird. This is a Leicestershire reg mark - where I'm from originally and where the accident happened. Sounds a bit of a strange comment, but it is just so odd that when you see a car - it makes your mind jump to events in the past. I would doubt this was the actual car... but that would be funny, wouldn't it? Keep up the good work Steph!
idriveaclassic The main part of the original London Clement Talbot factory became the Warwick Wright car dealership for many years, now refurbished as an event venue. The original generator room was preserved with a huge plaque on the wall, originally marked "Clement Talbot"; the merger with Sunbeam made the company "Sunbeam Talbot", fortunately "Clement" and "Sunbeam" had the same number of letters.
My Dad had 2 company car Solaras! An orange 1980 and then a 1984 (registered 1985) red Solara Minx B810 WNC. I learnt to drive in the Minx. it was a 1.6 with 90bhp Peugeot twin choke Weber carb engine (XU5 I think) and would keep up with XR2s! So possible sub 10s to 60mph and got 110/115mph top end It had torsion bar front suspension and power steering. No rear anti roll bar and found it cornered flatter with the handbrake slightly applied. The idle jets on the carb used to block regularly so it cut out when pushing the clutch in, so you lost the power steering going round corners. Sold it at over 160k miles on the clock. Brings back memories from nearly 30 years ago! Love the glass coolant expansion tank!
Back in the day I worked for a car hire company and we had some Solaras and Alpines on test. We didn't buy any. They were very light with a reasonable power-to-weight ratio and so were zippy to drive. But the quality of the interiors was truly terrible, especially the switch gear. Also, the rear-view mirror was glues to the windscreen such poor glue that the mirror would fall off if you tried to adjust it. The gear-change was terrible and the indicator stalks would snap off. These were brand new cars! They did drive well, but is was a horrible experience. They failed because they were bad cars. A shame.
My first car was a 1984 Talbot Alpine (hatchback of Solara). My father bought it new and gifted it to me 9 years later. With 105k on the clock I still have it garaged and awaiting a tidy up! The engine noise in the video was quite normal, the joyful sound of a high ish reving pushrod engine that suffered from tappet wear. Curiously those air vents weren't so adjustable, the middle two only being fresh air delivered by ram effect with no temp control.
Ahhh my first motor was a 1980 solara. I absolutely loved it, did some crazy miles in it. The styling appealed to me then like it does today, clean, sharp and lots of glass. It was comfy too, despite it's tappety engine, and floppy gear change. It never actually left us stranded though. I only ever saw one Tagora in the flesh, in about 1990, it was the top car in a stack of four in a scrap yard :(
I had a Talbot Alpine Sunbeam which is a slightly different but ever much the same which was given to me by my Grandad (I think I owed him £100 for it tbh he was kinda going to scrap it anyway but anyway RIP Grandad who passed away 5 years ago @ 94 followed by my Nan same age 4 DAYS LATER). Thanks for this upload I'm aware that a lot of Talbot badged cars are rare I part exchanged mu one for an Xr2 back in 1999 (Mark 2 XR2) which turned out to be in worse shape than the Talbot Sunbeam Rapier (I'm sure that mine was made by Chrysler though? Something else to research). It's ironic you mentioned the Avenger my Grandad also owned a HILLMAN AVENGER in a beautiful gold colour on the old K plate (1970 at a guess) which he parted company with in or around 1988 -ish but that car which was 1300 cc was SUPERB and very stylish imo. I'm a FORD nut and a Capri lover but an Avenger is a car I'd own "as well as" alongside any Ford I happen to own . (Sorry I'm adding extra text to my comment as the video runs SUBSCRIBED) :)
Hi steph, I don't get why you think this is too new to be a classic on a b reg it's older than the protons and various other stuff on the channel? It's a shame it's not going to get tested and be used and enjoyed regularly as sitting around does cars as much harm as using them and it looks to me like it'd make a lot more than a few winters with a bit of money on a good bodyshop or with the right person that car has another life left in it yet. I've seen morris minors return to the road that where basically a pile of dust on A workshop floor so this is nothing 🙂
@@idriveaclassic take no notice steph, your channel, you base it on what you consider classic, anything over the age of 25 or 20 at a push and earlier that you don't see many of because there's a few left has every right to be considered, I don't understand people's issues with such things , it's when people in brand new jags and cars considered 'premium' turn up at classic shows thinking that gives them a right to enter a classic show and that people will want to see them, and the organisers let them in! where a genuine older car could've had that spot, that irritates me. Other than that do your own thing steph, genuine folk will understand and appreciate your opinion on a classic they don't have to share it, it's nicer to see a show with cars spanning for early days to atleast 1996 at shows to get some variety, not everyone just wants to see a field full of 50s stuff as nice as it is.
My 'Daily Mail MOTOR SHOW REVIEW illustrated ABC guide to the 1985 models' gives performance figures for the 1.6 Solara as 103mph and 0-60 in 13.4 secs. Unfortunately I can't verify the figures by comparison of the 1.3 figures you quoted because it states that the 1.3 has been dropped by 1985!
I remember the cars from seeing them years ago, a mate of the uncle had one back in 84/85, wipers didn't return down automatically, same as with the talbot horizon & samba... peugeot owned talbot at the time the A & B reg cars were built.
A guy I worked with purchased one of these of an old couple....as he needed cheap car fast, He paid $200 for it and it was absolutely immaculate with only 26,000 miles on it, They must have taken great care of it as it was an A Reg Light met-Blue with powder-Blue valour interior n brown plastic fittings. When me and my mates where young we used to laugh at anything that was not Ford,Vaxhall,Rover, Peugeot ect.... You know not mainstream ?? But I love to see cars like this get rescued now, I would love a hot little Sunbeam now. Thanks......(:
They sounded like those new Porsche 718 boxster things....Nasty....Talbot did a lot of 2tone cars,Alpine Minx and Horizon Pullman (i think)Shame they were so poorly made.Samba,Rancho,Sunbeam and Tagora they are all so rare nowadays.Sad our car industry has dwindled to so little now.
Great - thanks for that - filled a nostalgia need ! I learned to drive on a blue Y -plate (GL I think). Eventually my folks let me have it (it was about 8-10 years old by then I think) and so it was my first car. Drove over 100K miles on it (over 200K in total for the car - 2 learner drivers and still the original clutch) before eventually I had to change it.... Definitely a classic !
Well done on excellent and comprehensive research!! Now to drive....err...you might find out why so few have survived. Dreadful rust got most of them but the gritty and horrid gear change was a problem and the engine suffered dreadful tappet and cam follower noise...it sounds like a bag of angry nails. It had merits...a good ride and plenty of goodies but the build quality was terrible...I toured the factory 1979...it was frightening to see the standard of work. A rare car...worth saving but don’t buy one!!!!!😨😨😨😀😀😀😀
Owned an Alpine bought new and drove from Sicily to Portsmouth in 24 hours only used motorway to Naples. Good reliable car with good performance. Mine had the 1450 engine. Only minor comment - very tapety.
Nice car, it would be ideal to star as an extra in the upcoming rise of the footsoldier movie as they are looking for any car built between 1980 and 1990 to be used as an extra.
I've always liked seemingly innocuous eighties saloons - the Volvo 340, the Ford Orion, and these. Disappointed to see that there's so few left, I'd found one for sale in the last couple of years but didn't go for it. Also on the hunt for a Fiat Regata to add go my Volvo 340 and 360, but I know they're just as rare as the Solara is. Was good seeing this one.
Had one for my first and second cars, first one a 1977 R registration in poo brown and the second one a 1978 T registration in metallic blue with WHITE bumpers. Boy did I have some fun in them, this was mid 80s, me and my mates went all over the place in it, then when i met my girlfriend it became our passion wagon. Great Times blasting out Lloyd Cole and the commotion, the smiths and Duran Duran. It rattled like two skeletons bonking, smoked like a chimney and was as rotten as a pear but your first car is always a special car and I remember it with fondness.
My dad's retirement car in this livery1983 y reg top of line 3 speed automatic with trip computer velure upholstery cruse control central locking and leccy windows. Had an unfortunate resonance about 63 to 75 mph which made motorway crusing not great below or above that it was ok. Don't know if manual gearbox did the same.
I once owned one of these cars in the '80's. I had the 1600GL model. it has got to be one of the most comfortable cars I've ever owned but sadly it suffered from many reliability issues. It was frequently breaking down despite two or three garages looking at it and non of them including a Talbot specialist could trace the fault. It seemed jinxed. The gear change linkage came adrift and the gear lever collapsed on the way home from work one day leaving me stuck all the way home in 2nd gear. I got it fixed only for reverse gear which was unable to be selected and I had to push the car out of my drive. It was a real pain in the butt. The heater never worked properly despite changing the matrix a couple of times. You had to wear an overcoat and gloves in the winter. On the fewer good points was pretty outstanding fuel economy for a 1600cc when it was actually running between breakdowns!! and of cause as I said earlier it had lovely plush seats. A great shame as it was quite a good looking car and very spacious. Very noisy engines though and no power steering.
Typically ugly 80's styling , exactly how I remember 🤦Still, good to see a survivor and in such good condition. I know some people would think it proper to get it back in use on the road , but you're absolutely correct , 2 or 3 years and this car would be toast inside & out , that's why there as so few left afterall 😉👍
The Alpines were a common sight on the roads at the time, the Solara not so much. I think these came out later. It’s just an Alpine with a boot. I much prefer the Alpines style. I nearly bought an Alpine 1980, I am glad I didn’t, as somebody has already said these engines sound very tappety after a few years. I bought Japanese instead!! Keep up the good work and stay safe.
My dad inherited a Horizon from my grandad which was trouble free for about 7 years, then he bought a 1.3 Alpine and he hated it! No power and it broke down, a lot! Had it about a year and bought a Carlton from work. By the way, he sold his Cortina 1600e for the Horizon!
Lovely car. Surprised it doesn't have electric front windows. The earlier GLS/SX had them, so very surprised that this doesn't. The interior is pure velour splendour though. I'd have this in a second.
Sorry to say I've only Just came across your channel and it's brilliant My parents always only bought Hillmans right through to Talbot Then switched to Rover This and the Horizon were the cars I learned to drive in With my father shouting at me for being to hard on the clutch 😂
I can understand the reasoning behind the Solara - the Avenger was old and due to go out of production, so basing its replacement on what they already had (the Alpine) was a sound move. Though maybe a short-term one, as basing it on a car that had been on the market for 6 years already was always going to leave it looking a little dated from the off. The only puzzling thing was why they didn’t develop an estate version too, as the Avenger estate always seemed to sell well. An estate version of the Solara/Alpine could have been a useful addition to the range, and retained a few loyal Avenger estate customers. I always got the impression that the Alpine and Solara were a kind-of odd in-between size of car; not quite the size and price of a Sierra or Cavalier, but bigger than such things as an Orion, Belmont or Acclaim. A bit like the Datsun Stanza, which seemed to be a partial step down size-wise to the Bluebird.
It is most definitely IS a classic and should be saved.
In the same way the Tata Indica with Rover badges is a classic. Keep one as a curio for some oddball museum and crush every other sorry specimen to save our sanity.........
You should see whether you can find a Talbot Tagora next - its 'executive' car! Now that is a rare beast.
There is a railway bridge , close to the the former Peugeot/Talbot plant in Linwood , Paisley , that still has an advert for the company clearly visible with “ Home of the Sunbeam & Avenger “ written on it.
That's interesting . Thanks for that need to have a look sometime
The causal cigarette in the boot is the most 80s thing ever
Hello Steph, I grew up in the 80s in Birmingham near to Coventry where a lot of Talbots were made. My Dad had a Horizon - not the greatest car in the world, but we liked it! Solara's were a common sight on the streets, but died away pretty quickly while the Cortina carried on. Here's a challenge for you - find a Talbot Tagora , Talbot's Granada equivalent
They rattled like a bag of spanners even when they were brand new...nice vid though...
In my eyes, Solaras are very stylish, especially the two-tone models. It's a real shame that so very few survive these days.
My dad worked for talbot/peugeot and had one of these as a demonstrator. I then had a Horizon as my first car. This brings back happy memories. Thanks Steph
Its such a shame that this car isn't going to be recommisioned and used again, its in really decent condition and so rare. I always preferred the Solara to the Alpine. (Added later) Steph you do make a valid point there about a few Winter's, so as long as its preserved that's all that matters.
@Paulie Gualtieri Well if the rust is kept on top off then there's no reason why not but I suppose so long as it exists thats all that counts.
The engines sounded like a bag of chisels. CHRYSLER RUINED THE ROOTES CAR GROUP.
technically speaking it was more Simca that ruined Rootes, Chrysler just managed the books pretty much. Also, coming from someone who owns an Alpine, they're no more tappety than any other pushrod engine from the era & can be tweaked to be near silent
@@GreyTheFloydianSergal I've always wondered about that. What technically speaking made them do that? I don't remember the later ones sounding so bad, but the pre-1980's ones all seemed to do it.
@@GreyTheFloydianSergal Me and my brother had three. We tried the tappets over and over on the worst and couldn't get them to sound OK. It turns out the camshafts and followers would wear prematurely. The clatter was horribly loud.
Bluntly they are a _LOT_ worse than other pushrod engines of the time, which is a shame because in many respects (not the gearbox) they were reasonably good cars for their time.
@@GreyTheFloydianSergal How come SIMCA Ruined Rootes? Since SIMCA even in FRANCE, had to follow Chrysler rules. Chrysler didn't let SIMCA do what they wanted to, for instance Chrysler didn't want to launch the 1100, on top of that on those tappety engine, SIMCA back then was about to put a chain tensioner to make it quieter, but Chrysler didn't want that, because it cost 1 dollar per car more.
@@Locost59 that's what I'm saying very noisy tappits, I owned a datsun 120y it was a pushrod engine but so quiet you could only hear a whisper from fan belt movement.
The UK market had so many interesting small cars that were not available here in the USA. I find the unique style of the 1950-1960s British cars the most appealing. Well done Steph!
There’s no denying that it is a good looking car - very clean styling, and for a short while, way ahead of the Cortina and Cavalier. It’s a pity it wasn’t replaced. Nice car.
My memory was a dreadful tappety engine and serial corrosion. I had a Simca 1501 which was a better car but my Dad had a Talbot as a company car and hated it ......he had an Avenger before that which he did like . Great video as always .
Yes the 1301 and the 1501 were far superior cars in every way. I crashed my dads 1301 into the caravan which was wreaked and made into a trailer.. the Simca had a tiny ding on the bonnet and a twist to the bumper.
@@alanhunter2051 I don't think they had better comfort, road handling, and performance, and even better safety, than the 1307/Alpine.......
My dad worked at Chrysler Plymouth dealer in the US that also sold Simcas and English Chryslers (Avenger as a Cricket...). I knew many people who owned them and I was allowed to drive the cars that had been traded in when helping move parts on the back lot of the dealership. I remember when the Solara/Alpine/1510 were new and reading the reviews. Some people loved them but there always seemed to be a dedicated group that hated anything made after Chrysler took over Rootes group/Simca until the end of the Talbot name. I ended up owning a US version of the Horizon as the first car I bought.
I learnt to drive on my father's Solara Minx.
A much underrated car that handled pretty well and was extremely comfortable.
The biggest issue with them was the Scimca based engines while quite powerful for their capacity had a tendency to get a bit tappety after a few years.
That one however sounds quite smooth.
When Peugeot carried the 1.3 over to the Talbot Arizona which became the 309 they modified something in the timing gear to make the engine a lot smoother.
I just about remember Solara's. It looks like a cross between an Audi 80, Austin Ambassador/Ford Granada mk2 and a Volvo 360. The Talbot logo was similar to the BT logo at somepoint.
Every car needs to Remembered just one turning of the page in the history of the car
The engine sounded like a skeleton in a dustbin ,but they were dead reliable ,a nice motor back in the day.
You're right about the "trap" of classic cars. I live in the state of Pennsylvania, USA and our dept of motor vehicles lists a classic car as being 15 years or older, and an antique as 20 years and older. I'm pretty comfortable with that range, so that's what I personally choose to go by. Another thing that I believe alters our perceptions of what's a "classic" is our age. For instance, if you grew up seeing a ton of brand new, we'll say Ford Cortinas on the road, then it's something you've aged with and therefore don't really perceive it as a classic or antique car because you've become accustomed to them being common. I think perhaps it's because we don't want to consider ourselves as classic or antique that we often get the pushback about certain ages of cars and their classifications.
I remember my Solara rev counter needle used to swing from side to side when the indicator was on! Cars don't have that sort of personality anymore.....more's the pity!
I think McLaren have taken up the mantle for quality issues now 🤓
Wiper self-park definitely faulty. Nearly everything from 1960 on, had self-parking wipers. Certainly after Ford Prefect was gone !!
I'm in total shock it hasn't rotted away, them Talbot's used to see water and desolve , it's astonishing ☺
I think they had it sorted out by about 1985 - as did everyone else. My 1985 (sorry Fiat Regata) didn't have a drop of rust on it except for a poorly resprayed door panel.
I live in New Zealand, the rustproofing was very good, Even today you still find rust free Alpines
A guy from NZ once explained to me how they gave cars extra rust proofing. In the UK Ziebart rust proofing was an aftermarket treatment. In the early 90s it was very clear to see which ones had been done. The breakthrough year for these cars from the factory in Europe was around 1981. In about 1990 there were almost no 1979 cars left, but plenty of '82s. On a differemt note the last of these were given special edition names the Minx and Rapier in 1986.
my Alpine minx only needed minor welding after ten years off the road in the elements & in any case, all cars rotted before the nineties. Talbots were no worse than any other car from the era
I'm pleased some people have had a more positive experience than myself 👍 (The rot on my car was extreme it didn't seem normal I had never experienced it neither before nor since thank goodness)
my 1.6 gls did 135 mph twin webber carb abd it was the bronze and brown electric windows front and trip computer and central locking dont know the 0to 60
The old mechanical speedos were a bit optimistic weren't they? Apparently at the very top they could be out by 25%.
*I think the last Talbot badged car was the Peugeot 104 based Samba that lasted up until 1986
Your correct about the Samba wearing the badge, however the body was not the same as it had a different skin on the 104Z shell.
In France, we say that the real last Talbot was ... The Peugeot 309. Even it was never branded Talbot.
"The 309 had been conceived as Projet C28 as a replacement for the Talbot Horizon, and as a result its development had been performed by the former Chrysler/Simca wing of PSA. Styling was the responsibility of the former Chrysler-Rootes design studios in Coventry, whilst much of the engineering was done at the Simca site at Poissy in France.
The only stipulation from PSA management was that the new car had to use as much existing architecture as possible; hence the use of a stretched Peugeot 205 floorpan and door shells, whilst the Simca engines and transmissions from the Horizon were also carried over."
@@nangar2550 I've read a lot about the Talbot Arizona project, and I certainly agree with you. I think in the long term it was probably better the way it turned out, look how well Peugeot are doing now!
I got one, but you should come to the Netherlands to drive it. A Talbot Solara GLS of 23-12-1980. With even SIMCA on the trunk. Original.
That engine was quieter than I remember,those simca engines gave good performance and economy but were known for sounding quite noisy which put a lot of people off.
yip the tappets needed doing all the time
Yes, I remember mine was rattley, but it never stopped it going 🤣
@@pit_stop77 very true
My dad had a Solara after he had had an Alpine. He was a hatchback man, so a saloon was a new thing. He had a nice gold HLS model I think it was ( one below top of range SX ). I remember two things: the annoying on board 'computer' that was pointless, and the (for us) revolutionary electric front windows which my mum started a row about after she accused my dad of showing off with them when he used them - "how else I am going to get the bloody windows down...!" came his reply. Silence ensued for rest of journey..... Needless to say a divorce was not many years away 😁.
In the very early 80's I bought a 1.5 litre chrysler alpine in red. TUV 153S was a badly neglected car, 1978 model that in early 1982 when I rescued it from the scrapyard looked 25 years old with 40 years of rust on it. :-( I was only 18 at the time and was excited to own any car at all. A neighbour was scrapping a purple 1.5 alpine so I bought the car off of him for £20.00. The gearbox replaced my bad broken box. They all have trouble selecting first gear. Nearly all the bolts snapped like a carrot when I tried to undo them. I then discovered easy outs for the first time, holes quickly drilled and easy outs did there job of removing the offending bolts made of Swiss cheese I think. Linkage changed too, much better gear change now!!!! Well better than it was before on the broken box, (jumping out of second gear) radiator was swapped too but that leaked just as bad, had the replacement rad re cored as it seamed in the best condition. Alternator was reconditioned as the spare was knackered too. Whole interior including door cards was changed too, immaculate condition and same colour. Garage set the tappets and it sounded quiet for the first time ever I think, actually whistled in a nice way. Garage mechanic told me it would be a quick car but told me inner and outer sills plus sections of the floor where it joined the sill needed replacing. Gave me a fair price of £90.00 to fix all the rust, brakes were borderline so he replaced all the flexi hoses, some of the brake lines, and fitted new pads and rear shoes. Handbrake cable and mechanism. Passed its MOT and was running lovely at last. I did notice how quick a car it was for a 1.5 when I easily pulled away from a friend's 2.0 mk1 Capri. He was gutted my ordinary looking Chrysler Alpine left his gorgeous Capri behind. I was getting the engine oil and filter changed at the garage that did all the work for its MOT, told him how it beat the Capri in the traffic light Grand Prix. He was not surprised and said the engine had an angled cylinder head so the fuel went through better, the standard exhaust was quite sporty too. Also he told me and I took his word for it that the cylinder head was a cross flow head. Standard head but crossflow. :-) I actually loved that car. It ended sadly one night having a drive around the Cronton area, the radiator I had re cored came away from one of the 3 bolts that held it in place (Swiss cheese bolts strike again). It fell onto a part of the wiring loom that ran below it causing a short which caused an engine bay fire, totally burnt out the engine bay before the fire brigade put it out. :-( sad end to my Chrysler Alpine. Rip TUV153S :-( bought a Rover P5 straight 6 after that, proper planetary gear overdrive. 15mpg though. :-( that's another story. Thanks for this vid. :-) Vinny.
The tapping Talbot. I had a 1.3 GL 1978 Chrysler Alpine. No matter what you did, you couldn't silence those tappets. A complete rotbox, but a very reliable car, and would start in any weather condition.
Thanks Steph, this brings back good childhood memories!
I love the Retro 80s squareness of this! Also the two tone paint work 👌♥️🚗
1.6 was plenty of power for these I don't think they would be able to take a 2.0 safely without serious uprating. Actually good cars plenty of room but noisy engine dealers did amazing finance deals in the mid 80's on these.
As an American Chrysler fan, these cars are fascinating. I'd love to have a Solara, Tagora, and Horizon to play with!
And to think this might have been ours in lieu of the Plymouth Reliant.
I had a horizon thankfully mine had the pug 1.9 non turbo engine, it was quieter than the petrols and had great economy
@@eggy1962 was it fun to drive ?
Julien Bee it was ok no ball of fire but very economical and practical , i also towed my trailer full of disco gear. My sister had a tired 1.3 petrol which she loved but the engine was rubbish.. Btw mine lasted for many years after i sold it .it ran till rust killed it, the pug xud engine was still good
I have both a Solara AND a Tagora. Driven the Tagora today.
We a bought a brand new 1.6 in 1980, at the time it was a really good looking car but although it never let us down it did have various little problems like coolant leaks, low oil pressure light on and it went when it used to cut our for no apparent reason usually somewhere really inconvenient.
Sorry but I disagree, get it on the road. Wax it, seal it, use it in the dry summer months and cherish it. Above all drive it, that's why it was made 👍
An interesting one this. My dad had one. A 1983 on a A plate.
It was a series 2 LS model with the same 1.6 engine. Power steering and a five speed gearbox so well specified for the time. Rust always a problem even when fairly new. The wipers would self park so a fault with the one you showed. Not a bad car and definitely underated.
I had one of these back in the day, as did my next-door neighbour. I'm sure the wipers are faulty on this one, because I'd have remembered them parking where they shouldn't.
Grey The Floydian Sergal, the owner of Annie the Alpine will be able to confirm this.
No - they’re faulty. Pretty well every mainstream brand, built after 1960, had self-parking wipers.
@@MGBetts1 Why am I not surprised to see Grey's name appear in a video about an old Talbot? 😂
@@Howlingd0g Because Annie the Alpine is famous!
@@MGBetts1 Oh really? I didn't know that but I'm glad to hear it all the same!
I had a Talbot Alpine Rapier (C143RPF), that Peugeot gearbox, also used in the 309, was awful! Demisting the windscreen in winter was torturous. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane!
How about another Rootes Group car like a Hillman Imp or a Humber Super Snipe?
I've not seen one of these in a while - what a great find!!
This was one of my first cars bought before I'd even passed my test. Mine was a similar colour and was a 1.6 (HJX 909W). I killed that godawful engine and I'd sourced a replacement but I scrapped it before I could arrange to have it fitted.
Don't forget the Talbot Arizona :)
A neighbor had one a alpine in red on a t reg 79. Think they were Chryslers also.at one time.?
Survived a lot better than most 80,s cars
I do love a car with a two tone paint job.
My parents owned a 1980 Talbot Horizon 1.3 LS in the late 1980s. I didn't much care for it at the time. An Alpine or Solara would have been more preferable.
Some interesting bits about this car, it has started to have the PSA parts bin grafted on, so you'll notice the period Peugeot 205/305 steering wheel and stalks, the Peugeot 205/305 gearbox and stick too. The Spanish market was still very strong for the Simca/Talbot cars as the Barreiros plant was key in making them, they even had a Solara 1.9D with the XUD motor, where as the UK only got the Horizon diesel, the first car to ever have an XUD engine. I guess the Solara D was to replace the Spanish Taxi favourite of the Chrysler 180 Diesel.
never knew that (Solara D), XUD was far & away the best Diesel of its time and for many years afterwards. Still run an XUD (405) as my Daily
It was probably the only car where the diesel was less rattly than the petrol.
According to how many left site , 9 are licensed, 44 are SORN.
I love that car. Really do. I loved the Alpine from when it first came out as well, it was Car of the Year for 1976 as I recall it being. Love your great car reviews still Steph, you do it a darn sight better than those lunatics Clarkson, Hammond et al.
Both my late Father and I had Talbot Solera's. Mine ended its life, not driven by me against a set of railings in the South East. The gearbox was not the finest as it was very notchy.
Had a Peugeot 309 and used to joke it was like stirring a soup 🍜 pot with the gearstick
It's a classic car for sure.
Had an alpine & horizon back in 80's. Alpine was OK with 1.4 engine but horizon had the 1.1 which on trips up to Scotland at the time wasnt the best drive. But as Steph says, spot any of them on road today if you can.
Interesting review , you mentioned the Avenger in it, we had 3 of them be good to see a review of one of those, very popular cars back in the 70s.
Wow, that took me a trip down memory lane. Served part of my apprenticeship at a Peugeot/Talbot dealer. Worked on many a Solara, Alpine, Horizon and Tagora.
Yeah, that engine was noisy on the top end. Set the tappets and 500 miles later they'd be rattling like a bag of spanners.
Fond memories, cheers for that.
Thanks Steph (: Had one of these in 1987 we had a really bad winter back then and my Solara ploughed on like a tank nothing would stop it Haha. The gear linkage and pushrod Simca engine are pants however car handled well enough though and is roomy.
There was a larger Talbot as well called the Tagora don't suppose there will be many of these left either ):
Ain't seen a Tagora for years
Nearly bought a Tagora in 1987 - it was about £800. Loved the styling of that car.
Funnily enough there used to be loads round Coventry! Now? Well they rusted whilst you looked at them and sounded awful compared to their contemporaries.
Police used them. My old man recalls the time he had to call for assistance as the engine had detached from the body...
Looked ok, but were the product of a failing company that was running out of time.
By what I mean “Talbot” as a brand
We had a Talbot Tagora
Same gearstick as the old Peugeot 205 309 range
Same steering wheel style as the early 205 aswell
I have a Chrysler simca 1508 GT from 1979 with a original sunroof here in Sweden 👍🙂 i drive it everyday
Such memories. My first ( and second) cars were red 1.6 Talbot Solaras. Y reg 4 speed, then B reg 5 speed. Both LS models.
I’m always impressed how drivers in the UK shift gears with their left hand. I know it’s easy for you guys because that’s how you do it but I can’t imagine even trying it without failing miserably 🤣🤣
That had to be very difficult for the Americans driving around the track on Top Gear.
It's not even easy, it's just instinct. You subconsciously reach to the left when you hear the engine revving high and such , and the same thing for you guys on the other side of the road
But changing side is not much of an issue! Many people drive south and go through the tunnel or ferry to France , and get to drive a left hand drive car , and after reaching into the door a couple times looking for the gearstick in the wrong direction , it becomes easy and natural using your right hand
The real issue from left hand drive cars is you're used to sitting on the right when driving, and you align your car in the lane based on your view. Being on the left makes you end up driving very close to the left edge of the lane as your used to the rest of the car being over there
Even on the first lesson it's easy enough so I'm sure you'd get the hang fast enough. Come on over, rent a car and have a go before they all become automatic.
I always thought that the Rapier special edition looked good with the two tone paint and of course the use of the Rootes Sunbeam Rapier name. I drove my Boss's Solara 1.3 a few times in the 80s. It went well and was roomy and comfortable. It was well worn but always seemed to start. She leaned quite a lot in the corners but the steering was quite direct. Oh and in sharper bends increased levels of lean would bring on the oil light, probably your dodgy sensor issue because she always seemed to be ok for oil. The little lift up thing for reverse is usually called a collar, as in reverse lift up collar. I think that the collar lifts up a pin to allow the gearshift to move across the gate to reverse. The pin is in place to avoid accidentally selecting reverse while moving forward. I really think that these are rare enough to be classic nowadays.
As a little kid, I found the Solara very beautiful. An uncle had the Solara Escorial, the loaded model for the Spanish market sold by the end of its life and, while good looking, suspension was quite soft and it had no aircon, being really hot inside! Same for my dad´s 1978 Talbot 150, Alpine in teh UK
The Talbot Solara was introduced as the saloon version of the Talbot Alpine hatchback previously Chrysler. But I would say it was the replacement for the Hillman Hunter. The Hunter was launched in 1966 with the more upmarket Singer Vogue with the bigger engine. In 1967 came the Hillman Minx and Singer Gazelle with the smaller engine, and also the big engined luxury Humber Sceptre and coupe models, Sunbeam Rapier and the cheaper Alpine. By 1970 the Minx and Gazelle were dropped, and the Vogue continued briefly as the Sunbeam Vogue. The Hunter Sceptre and Sunbeam coupes continued until 1976 after the Anglo French Chrysler Alpine appeared called Simca outside Britain, but the Hunter was still available in small numbers as the Chrysler Hunter until 1979.
The Chrysler/Talbot Alpine/Solara have almost vanished in Britain, only a handful survive particularly the late 1985 limited edition Minx and Rapier models.
My dad had a hillman hunter for years, resprayed from original light blue to a beautiful deep blue metallic, that car served our wee family so very well.... Sometimes I wish I could go back to those simple carefree days but I'm lucky, I'm just turned 50 and still have both my parents, I dread losing them, I never married but left home at 18,although my folks are divorced 30yrs man I will miss them terribly.... Sorry didn't intend delving so deep.... The hunter was a great car 😊❤
Having been in one and a Talbot Tagora in the 1980’s I can confirm they were comfortable cars, a nice Marta rancho was on sale not long ago. The alpine was copied by Moskvich, a rival to wartburg and lada of their time.
I remember my neighbor had a Simca Chrysler station. As a passenger at the front seat, the oversized gearbox meant I had no legroom. I sat with my left leg bent to the right , which was awkward, and often painful at long rides.
Really lovely to see it! So incredibly rare! Great and sympathetic test Steph!
Lovely cars...good review. Had 2 sunbeams, wrote both off☹, then a horizon. Loved them. Horizon could hold the road like no other. Shocking simca gear box tho. Never had the solara or alpine. Ball joints, track rod ends and engine mounting were always a big prob with them. If only u could find a tagora or a rancho. That would be special. I wonder are there surviving in lreland or England
Thank you Steph from another great upload, great presenter and you keep uncovering these forgotten relics from my childhood and it's fascinating.
Amazing this survived at all really, I remember growing up as a kid in Surrey and these were usually driven by old ladies with blue rinse hair-dos!
Will watch the video fully later (am working LOL), but have just seen a bit of it. Cars can bring back memories can't they? For me, this Solara's paint job is identical to a car which knocked me off my bike when I was 16 (I broke my leg). Then when I saw the reg "JU", it was a bit weird. This is a Leicestershire reg mark - where I'm from originally and where the accident happened. Sounds a bit of a strange comment, but it is just so odd that when you see a car - it makes your mind jump to events in the past. I would doubt this was the actual car... but that would be funny, wouldn't it?
Keep up the good work Steph!
idriveaclassic The main part of the original London Clement Talbot factory became the Warwick Wright car dealership for many years, now refurbished as an event venue. The original generator room was preserved with a huge plaque on the wall, originally marked "Clement Talbot"; the merger with Sunbeam made the company "Sunbeam Talbot", fortunately "Clement" and "Sunbeam" had the same number of letters.
My Dad had 2 company car Solaras! An orange 1980 and then a 1984 (registered 1985) red Solara Minx B810 WNC. I learnt to drive in the Minx. it was a 1.6 with 90bhp Peugeot twin choke Weber carb engine (XU5 I think) and would keep up with XR2s! So possible sub 10s to 60mph and got 110/115mph top end It had torsion bar front suspension and power steering. No rear anti roll bar and found it cornered flatter with the handbrake slightly applied. The idle jets on the carb used to block regularly so it cut out when pushing the clutch in, so you lost the power steering going round corners. Sold it at over 160k miles on the clock. Brings back memories from nearly 30 years ago! Love the glass coolant expansion tank!
Back in the day I worked for a car hire company and we had some Solaras and Alpines on test. We didn't buy any. They were very light with a reasonable power-to-weight ratio and so were zippy to drive. But the quality of the interiors was truly terrible, especially the switch gear. Also, the rear-view mirror was glues to the windscreen such poor glue that the mirror would fall off if you tried to adjust it. The gear-change was terrible and the indicator stalks would snap off. These were brand new cars! They did drive well, but is was a horrible experience. They failed because they were bad cars. A shame.
My first car was a 1984 Talbot Alpine (hatchback of Solara). My father bought it new and gifted it to me 9 years later. With 105k on the clock I still have it garaged and awaiting a tidy up! The engine noise in the video was quite normal, the joyful sound of a high ish reving pushrod engine that suffered from tappet wear. Curiously those air vents weren't so adjustable, the middle two only being fresh air delivered by ram effect with no temp control.
Ahhh my first motor was a 1980 solara. I absolutely loved it, did some crazy miles in it. The styling appealed to me then like it does today, clean, sharp and lots of glass. It was comfy too, despite it's tappety engine, and floppy gear change. It never actually left us stranded though. I only ever saw one Tagora in the flesh, in about 1990, it was the top car in a stack of four in a scrap yard :(
I had a Talbot Alpine Sunbeam which is a slightly different but ever much the same which was given to me by my Grandad (I think I owed him £100 for it tbh he was kinda going to scrap it anyway but anyway RIP Grandad who passed away 5 years ago @ 94 followed by my Nan same age 4 DAYS LATER).
Thanks for this upload I'm aware that a lot of Talbot badged cars are rare I part exchanged mu one for an Xr2 back in 1999 (Mark 2 XR2) which turned out to be in worse shape than the Talbot Sunbeam Rapier (I'm sure that mine was made by Chrysler though? Something else to research).
It's ironic you mentioned the Avenger my Grandad also owned a HILLMAN AVENGER in a beautiful gold colour on the old K plate (1970 at a guess) which he parted company with in or around 1988 -ish but that car which was 1300 cc was SUPERB and very stylish imo. I'm a FORD nut and a Capri lover but an Avenger is a car I'd own "as well as" alongside any Ford I happen to own . (Sorry I'm adding extra text to my comment as the video runs SUBSCRIBED) :)
Hi steph, I don't get why you think this is too new to be a classic on a b reg it's older than the protons and various other stuff on the channel?
It's a shame it's not going to get tested and be used and enjoyed regularly as sitting around does cars as much harm as using them and it looks to me like it'd make a lot more than a few winters with a bit of money on a good bodyshop or with the right person that car has another life left in it yet.
I've seen morris minors return to the road that where basically a pile of dust on A workshop floor so this is nothing 🙂
You wouldn’t believe the complaints I get featuring anything made after 1980!
@@idriveaclassic take no notice steph, your channel, you base it on what you consider classic, anything over the age of 25 or 20 at a push and earlier that you don't see many of because there's a few left has every right to be considered, I don't understand people's issues with such things , it's when people in brand new jags and cars considered 'premium' turn up at classic shows thinking that gives them a right to enter a classic show and that people will want to see them, and the organisers let them in! where a genuine older car could've had that spot, that irritates me. Other than that do your own thing steph, genuine folk will understand and appreciate your opinion on a classic they don't have to share it, it's nicer to see a show with cars spanning for early days to atleast 1996 at shows to get some variety, not everyone just wants to see a field full of 50s stuff as nice as it is.
My 'Daily Mail MOTOR SHOW REVIEW illustrated ABC guide to the 1985 models' gives performance figures for the 1.6 Solara as 103mph and 0-60 in 13.4 secs. Unfortunately I can't verify the figures by comparison of the 1.3 figures you quoted because it states that the 1.3 has been dropped by 1985!
I remember the cars from seeing them years ago, a mate of the uncle had one back in 84/85, wipers didn't return down automatically, same as with the talbot horizon & samba... peugeot owned talbot at the time the A & B reg cars were built.
There's still a few Talbot Solaras in Finland. Ultra rare though as expected
A guy I worked with purchased one of these of an old couple....as he needed cheap car fast, He paid $200 for it and it was absolutely immaculate with only 26,000 miles on it, They must have taken great care of it as it was an A Reg Light met-Blue with powder-Blue valour interior n brown plastic fittings.
When me and my mates where young we used to laugh at anything that was not Ford,Vaxhall,Rover, Peugeot ect.... You know not mainstream ?? But I love to see cars like this get rescued now, I would love a hot little Sunbeam now.
Thanks......(:
My first car was a 1979 chrysler alpine ls, which I owned from 1990 till 2001!!!... It was wardance orange... Shame nobody ever saved any of these...
(Hillman) MINX, (Sunbeam) RAPIER & (Humber) SCEPTRE are all names used by the previous Rootes Group.
They sounded like those new Porsche 718 boxster things....Nasty....Talbot did a lot of 2tone cars,Alpine Minx and Horizon Pullman (i think)Shame they were so poorly made.Samba,Rancho,Sunbeam and Tagora they are all so rare nowadays.Sad our car industry has dwindled to so little now.
Great - thanks for that - filled a nostalgia need ! I learned to drive on a blue Y -plate (GL I think). Eventually my folks let me have it (it was about 8-10 years old by then I think) and so it was my first car. Drove over 100K miles on it (over 200K in total for the car - 2 learner drivers and still the original clutch) before eventually I had to change it....
Definitely a classic !
Well done on excellent and comprehensive research!! Now to drive....err...you might find out why so few have survived. Dreadful rust got most of them but the gritty and horrid gear change was a problem and the engine suffered dreadful tappet and cam follower noise...it sounds like a bag of angry nails. It had merits...a good ride and plenty of goodies but the build quality was terrible...I toured the factory 1979...it was frightening to see the standard of work. A rare car...worth saving but don’t buy one!!!!!😨😨😨😀😀😀😀
Owned an Alpine bought new and drove from Sicily to Portsmouth in 24 hours only used motorway to Naples. Good reliable car with good performance. Mine had the 1450 engine. Only minor comment - very tapety.
Nice car, it would be ideal to star as an extra in the upcoming rise of the footsoldier movie as they are looking for any car built between 1980 and 1990 to be used as an extra.
Check out Chris Goffey's old Top Gear. Forget the year but he talks about sales of 34,000 for the Solar against 140,000 Corrina sales...not a chance !
I've always liked seemingly innocuous eighties saloons - the Volvo 340, the Ford Orion, and these. Disappointed to see that there's so few left, I'd found one for sale in the last couple of years but didn't go for it. Also on the hunt for a Fiat Regata to add go my Volvo 340 and 360, but I know they're just as rare as the Solara is. Was good seeing this one.
My first car back in 1988 was a 1982 Talbot Alpine 1.5 GLS, I paid £187.00 for it. Oh the adventures I had in it Lol.
Had one for my first and second cars, first one a 1977 R registration in poo brown and the second one a 1978 T registration in metallic blue with WHITE bumpers. Boy did I have some fun in them, this was mid 80s, me and my mates went all over the place in it, then when i met my girlfriend it became our passion wagon. Great Times blasting out Lloyd Cole and the commotion, the smiths and Duran Duran. It rattled like two skeletons bonking, smoked like a chimney and was as rotten as a pear but your first car is always a special car and I remember it with fondness.
My dad's retirement car in this livery1983 y reg top of line 3 speed automatic with trip computer velure upholstery cruse control central locking and leccy windows. Had an unfortunate resonance about 63 to 75 mph which made motorway crusing not great below or above that it was ok. Don't know if manual gearbox did the same.
I once owned one of these cars in the '80's. I had the 1600GL model. it has got to be one of the most comfortable cars I've ever owned but sadly it suffered from many reliability issues. It was frequently breaking down despite two or three garages looking at it and non of them including a Talbot specialist could trace the fault. It seemed jinxed. The gear change linkage came adrift and the gear lever collapsed on the way home from work one day leaving me stuck all the way home in 2nd gear. I got it fixed only for reverse gear which was unable to be selected and I had to push the car out of my drive. It was a real pain in the butt. The heater never worked properly despite changing the matrix a couple of times. You had to wear an overcoat and gloves in the winter. On the fewer good points was pretty outstanding fuel economy for a 1600cc when it was actually running between breakdowns!! and of cause as I said earlier it had lovely plush seats. A great shame as it was quite a good looking car and very spacious. Very noisy engines though and no power steering.
Typically ugly 80's styling , exactly how I remember 🤦Still, good to see a survivor and in such good condition. I know some people would think it proper to get it back in use on the road , but you're absolutely correct , 2 or 3 years and this car would be toast inside & out , that's why there as so few left afterall 😉👍
The Alpines were a common sight on the roads at the time, the Solara not so much. I think these came out later. It’s just an Alpine with a boot. I much prefer the Alpines style. I nearly bought an Alpine 1980, I am glad I didn’t, as somebody has already said these engines sound very tappety after a few years. I bought Japanese instead!! Keep up the good work and stay safe.
My dad inherited a Horizon from my grandad which was trouble free for about 7 years, then he bought a 1.3 Alpine and he hated it! No power and it broke down, a lot! Had it about a year and bought a Carlton from work. By the way, he sold his Cortina 1600e for the Horizon!
Engines too small to compete with Cortina etc. Reps wanted a 1.6 minimum, with a 2.0 option to aspire to. Absolutely agree with your analysis
Lovely car. Surprised it doesn't have electric front windows. The earlier GLS/SX had them, so very surprised that this doesn't. The interior is pure velour splendour though. I'd have this in a second.
Sorry to say I've only Just came across your channel and it's brilliant My parents always only bought Hillmans right through to Talbot Then switched to Rover This and the Horizon were the cars I learned to drive in With my father shouting at me for being to hard on the clutch 😂
I can understand the reasoning behind the Solara - the Avenger was old and due to go out of production, so basing its replacement on what they already had (the Alpine) was a sound move. Though maybe a short-term one, as basing it on a car that had been on the market for 6 years already was always going to leave it looking a little dated from the off. The only puzzling thing was why they didn’t develop an estate version too, as the Avenger estate always seemed to sell well. An estate version of the Solara/Alpine could have been a useful addition to the range, and retained a few loyal Avenger estate customers.
I always got the impression that the Alpine and Solara were a kind-of odd in-between size of car; not quite the size and price of a Sierra or Cavalier, but bigger than such things as an Orion, Belmont or Acclaim. A bit like the Datsun Stanza, which seemed to be a partial step down size-wise to the Bluebird.