Miguel Sánchez
On July 1, 1989, one of the most memorable moments of the Tour de France took place. And it is that, wearing the yellow jersey, Perico Delgado was two minutes and forty seconds late at the start of a key time trial to ensure his leadership. According to some commentators, it appears that he became disoriented while warming up in the area. According to himself, the promotion watch that he wore on his wrist played a trick on him. Since its hands marked the time in a confusing way. In any case, be that as it may, the truth is that those almost three minutes meant that Perico Delgado could only finish third overall despite a superb performance.
A mistake that the protagonist has always had the sympathy that characterizes him, but that made him lose nothing more and nothing less than a Tour de France. The queen of stage cycling. Something like if in motorsport you managed to have a gap at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans but… Finally something happened that prevented you from being there. Just what happened to the Deblon / Daguet duo, who failed to arrive in time to place their Simca Estager Barquette on the starting grid at Le Mans 1951.
Simca 8. Without central pillar and with suicide opening doors
Something about which the reasons are still unclear, but that made it impossible for them to be part of that day dominated by the Walter / Whitehead Jaguar C-Type. Undoubtedly, what would have been the climax within the sporting record of this exclusive barchetta that, however, is based on one of the most common automobiles in French history: the Simca 8. A utility that was neither more nor less than the Fiat 508 "ballilla”Manufactured under license at the French factory in Nanterre. Actually a very good basis for developing something as light and competitive as this 1951 Simca Estager Barquette.
SIMCA BARQUETTE. TO THE RACES USING A UTILITY AS A BASE
In the XNUMXs, fiberglass made it easy for small teams to build cheap bodies. And in the sixties the tubular chassis even gave them the possibility of having their own base; as it was clear with him Abarth 1000SP scored by Mario Colucci. Formulas that appeared too late for the French coach Jean Estager, who in 1950 had no choice but to pull inventiveness and contacts in Italy. Regarding inventiveness, it was mainly limited to the chassis and mechanics. While regarding the contacts in Italy it all comes down to his relationship with the bodybuilder Rocco Motto.
Responsible for his own company created in 1932, Motto was a small Turinese coachbuilder who even worked with Raimond Loewy and his peculiar vision of the Lancia Flaminia. However, most of its turnover was based on serving as an auxiliary workshop for Ghia, Pininfarina and Lancia. Silent works on alien designs that have never been as exciting as the racing world. Just the area in which Motto specialized in manufacturing small barchettas raised on the basis of the FIAT 500 "Topolino" and 508 "ballilla".
Two models that were the basis of most of the Italian barchettas made by small workshops such as Moretti and now known as “etceterini". A base also well known by French modifiers such as Gordini or Estager, who repeatedly used the Simca 8 chassis for their competition barquettes. Precisely the 508 "ballilla”Built in France by Simca under a FIAT license. A point of union between the French and the transalpine motorsport, as is the one established between Spain and Italy with the different versions of the FIAT and SEAT 124 for rally.
FROM CRAFT WORK TO FINISH ABANDONED IN A WAREHOUSE
Simca is often associated with the production of vehicles such as the Aronde or the Simca 1000. Models designed to power the middle classes with moderate performance and day-to-day use. Nevertheless, the ease of handling them made them a perfect base for a multitude of fans with the pretense of an occasional pilot. A fact that in Spain we know very well due to the Simca 1000 manufactured by Barreiros in Villaverde, of which hundreds of units were adapted to rallies. Anyway, as we go further back it begins to be strange to find Simca models with sports whims.
As standard, perhaps the most representative is the Simca 8 Sport Cabriolet. A shortage that is even more accentuated in the units born by and for the competition. That is why it is striking how This Simca Estager Barquette was lost for decades until it was rescued in 2000 from a warehouse. Even more so when, examining the figures that it has reached in the successive auctions produced after its restoration, we see figures that exceed 160.000 euros. Something that undoubtedly comes from its exclusivity, being a unique piece mounted on chassis number 145063.
Base for the installation of a four-cylinder 1089cc overhead valve engine prepared in the XNUMXs by specialist Roger Deho. Improved during the last restoration with the addition of an Abarth exhaust manifold and an increased displacement to 1220cc. A perfect base to use this Simca Stager Barquette as a vehicle in all kinds of competitions and races for classics. What its latest and brand new owner will surely have in mind, as it was auctioned by Bonhams in Monaco on April 23.
Photographs: Bonhams / Simca
