An exceptional model car: the burgundy Simca 5 from 1936
This magnificent 1:43 scale reproduction of the burgundy 1936 Simca 5 is a true gem for any French model car enthusiast. With its elegant burgundy livery and authentic label on the base, this model car perfectly captures the essence of one of the most iconic popular cars of the interwar period.
A true collector's item , this piece is a must-have for anyone wishing to relive the golden era of French automobiles, when national manufacturers competed in ingenuity to democratize motorization.
Characteristics of the model car
- Model: Simca 5
- Brand: Simca
- Year: 1936
- Scale: 1/43rd
- Color: Burgundy
- Protective case included: Yes
The real Simca 5: the French people's car
Launched in 1936, the Simca 5 represented Henri Théodore Pigozzi's ambition to democratize the automobile in France. Based on the Italian Fiat Topolino but adapted to French tastes, this small 569 cc city car developed 13 horsepower, enough to carry four people at a top speed of 85 km/h.
With its compact dimensions (3.22 meters long) and featherweight of 535 kg, the Simca 5 revolutionized French urban mobility. Its rounded design, typical of the 1930s, and its innovative monocoque body made it a modern model for the time.
It was an immediate success: more than 46,000 units were produced until 1949, making the Simca 5 one of the best-selling French popular cars before the Second World War.
Simca: the epic story of a French brand with an Italian temperament
Founded in 1934 by Henri Théodore Pigozzi, Simca (Société Industrielle de Mécanique et Carrosserie Automobile) was born from a partnership with the Italian manufacturer Fiat. The objective was clear: to produce affordable automobiles in France, inspired by transalpine models but adapted to the French market.
When the Simca 5 was launched in 1936, the brand was still young but ambitious. Pigozzi, a visionary businessman of Italian origin who had become a French citizen, perfectly understood the expectations of the French market at the time. France was emerging from the economic crisis of the 1930s and aspired to democratic motorization .
This period marked the promising beginnings of a brand that would become, in the following decades, one of the pillars of the French automobile industry, notably with iconic models such as the Aronde and the 1000.
Anecdote: when the Simca 5 revolutionized French Sundays
The arrival of the Simca 5 in 1936 perfectly matched the new social habits established by the Popular Front. With the introduction of paid holidays that same year, the French suddenly discovered the pleasures of leisure and Sunday getaways.
The little Simca 5, with its affordable price of 16,900 francs (around 15,000 euros today), quickly became the ideal companion for the first motorized family outings . Its capacity to carry four people, despite its modest dimensions, made it the perfect vehicle for picnics in the Paris suburbs or trips to the Normandy coast.
A tasty anecdote tells that in 1937, during the first long Pentecost weekend with paid holidays, the roads leading to the beaches were literally invaded by hundreds of Simca 5s . The gendarmes of the time, unaccustomed to such traffic jams, were completely overwhelmed by this unprecedented phenomenon of mass automobile migration.
This small burgundy car thus symbolized much more than a simple means of transport: it embodied democratic access to leisure and freedom of movement , fundamental values of the changing French society of the 1930s.
Complete your collection of exceptional French model cars
This burgundy 1936 Simca 5 naturally finds its place at the heart of a collection dedicated to French model cars from the interwar period. It sits perfectly alongside other iconic models from this golden era, notably the Citroën Traction Avant and the contemporary Peugeot 202 .
For collectors wishing to explore the Simca universe more broadly, this piece is an excellent starting point towards the Simca Aronde of the 1950s or the Simca 1000 and 1100 of the following decades.
This model car will also appeal to vintage car enthusiasts and will find its place in a thematic collection dedicated to the 1930s . Those passionate about French social history will find here an authentic testimony to a pivotal era, when the automobile ceased to be a luxury and became accessible to the greatest number.
