The Talbot Tagora
The Talbot Tagora was launched in an uncertain time for Talbot following the takeover by Peugeot (PSA) in 1978. The firm's UK chief of marketing, Filmer Paradise, said that the Tagora would sell alongside the similar Peugeot 604, and the company should “let the best man win.” The Tagora's production run, which spanned just over four years and 19,400 cars, shows that the Peugeot 604 won.
The Tagora replaced the Chrysler 180 and 2-Liter models, which were not selling well. The 180/2-Litre were the first Rootes/SIMCA models to sell in all the company’s markets. The 180 range (called the Chrysler-SIMCA 1609/1610/2L in France) was not the success that Chrysler would have hoped; it sank in the UK as well.
The Tagora was an entirely SIMCA (Chrysler Europe) creation in terms of engineering, save for a last-minute substitution of Peugeot parts that might have detracted from the car’s ride and cornering and sealed its fate; though the use of the PRV V-6 was certainly a selling point. The Tagora also used a SIMCA four-cylinder engine which was mechanically completely unrelated to the similar-output Peugeot fours.
The Talbot Tagora begins as the Chrysler C9
Chrysler wanted its European arm to further move into the rapidly expanding executive car sector, and decided to press ahead with a replacement for the 180. The effects of the 1973/74 energy crisis were becoming a memory, and all of the major European players were all moving into this market; the market was proving such rich pickings for Ford (the Granada), Audi (the 100), Rover (the SD1) and so on that Chrysler wanted a slice of the action, and wanted to bury the current car as quickly as possible.
The new project was christened the C9, and as with the Horizon and Alpine before it, the technical development took place in France, whilst the styling was created in the UK. The company soon devised a modern, glassy three-box saloon, which sat atop a generous 109-inch wheelbase. Engines would be something of an issue, because rivals were moving towards larger six-cylinder models (and even a V8 in the case of Leyland's Rover SD1) for their range toppers, backed up with entry level models pitched in the 2-litre class. The C9 would receive its predecessor’s inline fours, but as the group offered nothing larger, an alternative had to be drawn up.
Burton Bouwkamp remembered, “Our American management challenged the expense of the IRS [independent rear suspension] feature on the C9. (I think the basis for their position was that more expensive American cars did not have IRS and the current Chrysler 2 Litre model did not have IRS.) For their evaluation Joe Farnham Chrysler France's Technical Director) prepared two C9's - one with IRS rear suspension and one with the carryover Chrysler 2 Litre rear suspension. He then had them drive the IRS car around a Belgium block unbanked oval track at Chrysler France's Proving Ground at 100 KM/hr. Joe then challenged them to drive the c/o rear suspension C9 on the same course at the same speed. They could not keep the car on the track in the turns. The C9 got IRS!”
Initially, Chrysler considered a Mitsubishi straight-six, but it soon became apparent that the Mitsu lacked the power, torque, and refinement needed; the PRV V6 "Douvrin" engine (at the time in use in the Peugeot 604, Renault 30 and Volvo 264/265) looked to be the best solution, as it was compact, light and reasonably powerful, but it seemed doubtful that Chrysler would gain access to it, as Peugeot (PSA) raised concerns about it being used in a direct - French produced - competitor. However, this engine was indeed used when the PSA takeover of Chrysler Europe in 1978 made the argument moot.
Styling-wise, the C9 story was British ... initially. The style was defined early, and remained reasonably unchanged throughout development. The early concepts produced at Whitley under the direction of Art Blakeslee possessed an interesting frontal treatment (lights and number plate housed behind a glass cover), but other than that, the shape did not change radically between 1977 and 1980. However, Chrysler's management in the USA got involved more than in the past, and watered down the more interesting details in order to produce a more mainstream car.
Despite the C180's non-performance in the executive sector, Chrysler Europe planned for a 60,000-70,000 per annum production run, and production was set for Poissy only. According to Burton Bouwkamp, Chrysler Europe's Executive Director of Product Development at the time, "The C9 programme approval by Chrysler Corporation management was for more than $60 million for special tools. This did not include product development costs which were expensed - rather than capitalized. Product development costs were covered in our annual budget and so were not part of the C9 programme submission. In my presentation to top management I forecast that with the C9 our annual sales in the European luxury car market would increase from 30,000 Chrysler 2-Litre cars to 60,000 C9s. This was only 5 per cent penetration of that market segment but on this basis the C9 program was profitable and was approved. (Chrysler - Europe's overall passenger car penetration was 7 per cent, so 5 per cent of this segment seemed like a reasonable forecast.)"
Sadly, by the time C9 would appear on the market, Europe would be suffering badly from the effects of the second oil crisis on 1979, which affected all large car sales, and threw off the estimates.
Peugeot's executive conundrum: what to do with the Chrysler C9?
When Chrysler's European operation was sold to PSA in 1978, the C9 story changed somewhat.
On January 1st 1979, all Chrysler management left Poissy. Peugeot felt that C9 was far too advanced to put on ice, and decided to continue its development. The PRV V6 version could go ahead, even though it would push the C9 range towards the Peugeot 604. In those closing months, the policy of using as many PSA parts as possible was executed.
Burton Bouwkamp explained the changes that took place after Peugeot took over C9: "Peugeot delayed the production date of the C9 to make changes to install their V6 engine and to increase the feature and appointment level - and the price. I think they moved the front wheels forward about 2 inches to accommodate the engine. I think the addition of the V6 and the wheel movement actually helped the C9. I think it failed in the marketplace because PSA did not need the car. They already had two cars (Peugeot 604 and Citroen CX) in this 1,200,000 to 1,500,000 market segment. It seemed to me that the C9 - which we named Tagora - should have been a new model of the 604."
Because of anticipated production volumes, the entry-level C9 would continue with an enlarged version of the SIMCA conceived engine, found in the 180 range. This engine had exactly the same engine capacity as the 2.2-litre version of the all-aluminium "Douvrin" engine, found in the later Renault 25 and Citroen CX Phase 2, but was otherwise unrelated. The Peugeot turbodiesel found in the 604 and 505 went straight into the C9, some time after the original press launch.
Despite the ownership change, the launch date of the C9 only slipped a matter of months, and although it was not quite production ready, it was showcased at the Paris Salon in 1980. The appearance of the Talbot Tagora in Paris should be noted as an impressive achievement.
Despite the interesting politics behind the Tagora, it failed to make much of an impact on Paris showgoers, who felt that although it was quite an imposing car, it lacked any real charisma. There was also the issue of how it would fare in relation with the Peugeot 604 in the PSA lineup given their closeness in size and price. In the UK, the story was different, and the Tagora was seen very much as a rival to the Ford Granada, which could help Talbot to become established in the UK as a solid "number four" behind Ford, BL and Vauxhall.
When journalists got their hands on the Tagora for the first time at the Morocco launch in March 1981, the problem was chassis and engine competence, overshadowed by a lack of visual charisma. Many commentators compared the Tagora to an upscaled Solara; a car which, in the minds of the press, also lacked real flair. It has to be said that these initial reservations were not unfounded: the Tagora was a pleasant enough design in the whole, but it was seriously let down by the detailing. The rear wheels were set far too inboard of the flanks, which completely destroyed the Tagora's stance on the road; it may not have been designed this way, but this is what emerged when the narrower-tracked Peugeot 505 rear axle was used. There were other issues, of course, but again, it was all in the detailing - small design errors that ended up damaging this make-or-break car.
Talbot Tagor production
When launched in the UK, the Tagora came in three trim variations: GL, GLS and SX - and prices were competitive with Talbot's stated number one rival, the Ford Granada.
Road testers were mixed. CAR’s LJK Setright drove the Tagora at the Morocco launch and spent most of the time waxing lyrical about the SX version's Michelin TRX tyres. He liked the way the V6 performed though: "With admirable traction, even on mountain roads filmed with freshly falling snow, the SX seems more to profit than to suffer by the high ratios of its transmission, and it climbs up the speedometer with an eagerness that must put all of its class rivals in the shade." When What Car? tested the V6 SX the following year, it posted an impressive set of performance figures (0-30mph, 2.9secs, 0-60mph, 7.9secs, maximum speed, 122mph), which explained Setright's set-of-the-pants impressions.
He liked the way it handled too: "In many ways the SX is a better car than the 604, with which it might appear to be most earnestly in overall competition. I am not sure that I would not choose the 604, because I liked the alacrity of its response and the sureness of its grip on TRX tyres, whereas the Tagora SX is, if to a lesser extent than the GL/GLS because of its superior tyres, a softer and more slowly-responding machine, admirably stable but as it were heavily damped to ensure that the driver is never taken by surprise. That does not mean it cannot be hustled: it can, and I took enormous pleasure in leaving the entire press-test convoy behind after a late start. On road surfaces that were sometimes superb and sometimes non-existent, amounting in the latter case to loose stones and sand that had merely been levelled by a grader, the Tagora was always safe and secure, always competent, never at a loss for the right gear or the necessary grip."
If after reading that glowing prose, one was under the impression that Talbot had produced a world-beating machine, then think again. Setright summed-up the car in the same way that many buyers did: it was OK, but not outstanding enough to rise to the top of anyone's list. "After driving it, I can see that it has its place, even though there may be very little in the way of individual details to pick out for praise or even mere analysis: if one accepts the kind of cars that it represents, it is a car that is very difficult to fault - and there must be plenty of call for cars like that."
What Car? went further: "The Tagora is a car of the strangest contradictions, not least of which is its very existence on the market. The SX presented is spacious, comfortable and, thanks to its abundant power (163bhp at 6000rpm, thanks to its triple-carb set-up) and speed, quite fun to drive at times. But in ways it is too rapid for its own good, the power highlighting wet-weather handling vices, which make any BMW seem well-mannered. The Tagora is also inexcusably badly ventilated, its interior is hardly even in the cheap hatchback class and perhaps most importantly, it has such a complete blandness of style as to disqualify it instantly in a market where character and status count for so much."
The Talbot Tagora disappears as quickly as it came
The Tagora's failure came because it offered nothing over and above its more established rivals, and as a result, it was not good enough to entice buyers away from their Fords, Rovers, Peugeots, and Audis. That is to say that the Tagora was not without its charms; its bluff styling may not have been an unqualified success, but it did possess a certain presence. And that large body should be indebted having given the Tagora an absolutely huge interior. It was also fast and handled nicely... but that was not enough, and as a result, the Tagora sold in tiny numbers.
That was a sad end to the 1970s Chrysler corporate plan. In 1975, it looked so different: the rag-bag of SIMCA and Rootes cars would be replaced by a Chrysler range of cars that took the best from France and the UK, and offered a logical family of cars for the buyer to choose from. Alas, it was not to be... and C9 died after a mere three years in production and run of less than 20,000 cars. It was not until 1989 that PSA produced anything new in the executive market, with the Peugeot 605 and Citroen XM.
|
Year
|
1980
|
1981
|
1982
|
1983
|
Produced |
145 |
15,368 |
2,566 |
1,310 |
Total: 19,389 (figures courtesy of the SIMCA Club)
Notes from the Chrysler Europe team
Marc Honoré (Director of Product Planning for Chrysler Europe) added:
I believe that the major cause in the failure of the Tagora was the catastrophic re-branding of the Simca range (already perturbed by the intervening addition of Chrysler ): Simca = Simca-Chrysler = Talbot! The majority of the range having remained unchanged, the buyers were left somewhat bemused. You may remember a similar hiatus when Datsun switched (abeit more logically ) to Nissan.
Additionally, the dealership was suffering from a severe crisis of confidence following the arrival of Peugeot. The Paris based Sales division had never quite come to terms with Chrysler ‘European’ products and the prospect of a new regime did little to instill much confidence in their personal futures!
I agree that the Tagora itself had lost something between the studio and the production line, including some twelve months for re-engineering. The narrowing of the rear track to accommodate the Peugeot components pretty well ruined the stance of the vehicle - a size 8 body on a size 6 chassis.
Finally, though very roomy, the interior of the car was by then quite out of step with the growing demand for ‘richness;’ the plain, angular style, constrained by demanding cost targets, made for a lined ‘refrigerator’ look rather than a comfortable ‘lounge.’ I might add that the 604, at launch, had had the same problem - a blown up 504 but not a top of the line car. The Frankfurt show-car interior (leaving aside the gadgets ), was much nearer the mark. Ah well! It reminds me of a styling meeting in which Jean Boillot accused me of trying to sink the company by proposing to trim the B post on the 305 GL instead of leaving it painted!
Burton Bouwkamp added: “ I still think the car would have been a marketing success if it had been merchandised as the new Peugeot 604 instead of a luxury offering from a weak - and disappearing - dealer body.” ... “Marc makes some interesting points:
1. European customers were confused by the brand name transition over 5 years from "Simca" to "Chrysler" to "Talbot". This weakened the nameplate image.
2. Chrysler Europe (renamed "Talbot") had a very weak marketing/merchandizing capability.
3. Revising the C9 design to use Peugeot components helped the product with the availability of a V6 engine but hurt the product by delaying the car 12 months and the narrow rear track appearance hurt the product.
4. The interior was not luxurious enough for that market segment.”
The Talbot Tagora Presidence
The brief was to design a Talbot Tagora with everything, the kind of car that would lure the well-heeled executive away from the more established luxury cars. The result was the Presidence; a £25,000 "one-off" from Talbot's Whitley styling studio. It was stocked with everything from cloth-faced leather seats to a colour television, video recorder and 100-watt stereo system.
The designer behind the project was Sunny Atri, a graduate of California state University, who moved to Coventry. She was told that the changes must be cosmetic and for there to be no engineering changes. The car the Presidence was based upon was the 2.6-litre SX model.
The interior was hand-trimmed in Connolly leather with woollen cloth inserts and a brass inlay for the centre console and gear lever. The ultimate accessory was a matching briefcase in leather and brass! Externally, the Presidence was treated to new alloy wheels and smoked rear lamp lenses.
Office equipment included a telephone, dictaphone, and an in-built television capable of picking up CEEFAX and Oracle text services. The was also a natty electric shaver stowed away in the glovebox for midnight-oil style emergencies. The Presidence was purely built as a styling exercise; a mobile demonstration of what Whitley could do, but the idea was to try and interest governments in the UK and France into following a Talbot buying policy.
Only one was built in the end, and it is still believed to be in existence in France.
A Seattle band has named itself Talbot Tagora.
