{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Infobox automobile | name = Chrysler Horizon | image = 1983 Talbot Horizon GLS 1.4 Front.jpg | caption = 1983 Talbot Horizon | manufacturer = [[Chrysler Europe]]<br/>[[Peugeot]] | production = 1978–1987 | assembly = {{unbulleted list |Finland: [[Uusikaupunki]] ([[Saab Automobile|Saab]]-[[Valmet]])|France: [[Poissy]] ([[Peugeot]])|Spain: [[Madrid]] |United Kingdom: [[Ryton-on-Dunsmore|Ryton]] ([[Ryton plant]])}} | designer = [[Peter Horbury]], [[Roy Axe]] | class = [[Compact car|Compact]] ([[C-segment|C]]) | layout = [[Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout|FF layout]] | platform = [[Chrysler L platform|L-body]] | body_style = 5-door [[Hatchback]] | engine = {{ubl | '''[[Petrol engine|petrol]]:''' | 1118 cc ''[[Simca Poissy engine#1118 cc|Poissy]]'' [[Straight-four engine|I4]] | 1294 cc ''[[Simca Poissy engine#1294 cc|Poissy]]'' I4 | 1442 cc ''[[Simca Poissy engine#1442 cc|Poissy]]'' I4 | '''[[Diesel engine|diesel]]:''' | 1905 cc ''[[PSA XUD#XUD9|XUD9]]'' I4 }} | predecessor = [[Simca 1100]] <br />[[Hillman Avenger]] | successor = [[Peugeot 309]] | aka = Chrysler Horizon (UK: 1978–1979) <br> Chrysler Simca Horizon<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190130091544/http://www.autolit.com/Store/1978-1979-chrysler-simca-germany-horizon-large-brochure-german.html 1978 1979 Chrysler Simca Horizon, Large Brochure, German, www.autolit.com, as archived at web.archive.org]</ref> <br> Talbot Horizon (Europe: 1979–1986) | related = [[Plymouth Horizon]] }}
The '''Chrysler Horizon''' is a [[Compact car|compact]] hatchback designed by [[Chrysler Europe]], manufactured and marketed for model years 1978-1987 under the [[Simca]], [[Chrysler Europe|Chrysler]] and [[Talbot (automobile)|Talbot]] brands, succeeding both the [[Simca 1100]] and [[Hillman Avenger]], and using a front-wheel drive, transverse-engine layout.
The Horizon became Chrysler Corporation's first successful [[world car]], with the Chrysler Europe project developed in tandem with the American-market [[Dodge Omni|Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon]]. While similar in appearance, and in one case even sharing a model name, the European and American Horizons differed substantially.
The Horizon was voted [[European Car of the Year]] in 1979.<ref name="Honest John">{{cite web |title=Chrysler Horizon (1978 – 1985) Review |url=https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/chrysler/horizon/history |website=Honest John |access-date=12 May 2026}}</ref>
==Origins== The Horizon was developed by Chrysler Europe under the codename C2 in the United Kingdom at the Whitley design studio. Designed by [[Roy Axe]], it was engineered in Poissy, France, by Simca as a replacement for their ageing [[Simca 1100|1100 range]], as well as the [[Hillman Avenger]]. Introduced to market in summer 1978, it was initially marketed in France under the Simca brand, while elsewhere in Europe it was initially badged as a Chrysler. As a result of the acquisition of Chrysler's European car division by [[Peugeot]] in 1978, both the Chrysler and Simca brands were dropped and the car was subsequently marketed under the Talbot brand in all its European markets. [[File:1978 Chrysler Horizon GL Front.jpg|left|thumb|Chrysler Horizon]] [[File:Talbot Horizon profile Chamartin (colour balance adjust).jpg|left|thumb|Talbot Horizon in profile]] [[File:Talbot Horizon (46410492254).jpg|left|thumb|Rear view of a Talbot Horizon]]
The Horizon was intended to be a "world car" designed for consumers on both sides of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], but in execution, the European and North American versions of the vehicle differed substantially. Born largely out of the need to replace the ageing [[Simca 1100]] and [[Hillman Avenger]], the Horizon was essentially a shortened version of the larger [[Chrysler/Simca Alpine|Alpine]] model, giving the vehicle an unusually wide track for its length. Featuring transversely mounted Simca-designed 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5-litre [[Simca Poissy engine|"Poissy"]] [[overhead valve|OHV]] [[engine]]s, 4-speed gearboxes, and [[torsion-bar]] suspension, the Horizon was praised for its crisp styling, supple ride, and competent handling.
The SX version that joined the range for the [[Paris Motor Show]] in October 1978 attracted interest for its innovative trip computer.<ref name=Automobilia1979>{{cite journal| first = René | last = Bellu | journal = Automobilia | ref = RB1 | title = Toutes les voitures françaises 1979 | number = 84 | page = 12 | orig-year = first published October 1978 | date = 2006 |publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref> The device took information from three sources, a clock, a "débitmètre" mounted on the fuel feed to the carburetor, and distance information from the feed for the [[odometer]]. Using these three pieces of information the "computer" was able to report current fuel consumption and average speeds as well as information on distances and times, in either metric or imperial units.<ref name=Automobilia1979/> The trip computer later became an option on lesser models such as the GLS.<ref name=AC4459a>{{cite magazine | ref = RH1 | magazine = [[Autocar (magazine)|Autocar]] | title = Talbot Horizon 1.5GLS: Economical performer | editor-first = Ray | editor-last = Hutton | publisher = IPC Business Press Ltd. | page = 38 | date = 1982-06-05 | volume = 156 | number = 4459 }}</ref> [[File:1978 Chrysler Horizon GL Interior.jpg|thumb|right|Interior (1978 Chrysler Horizon GL)]]
The Horizon was voted [[European Car of the Year]] in 1979. Initially only available in LS or GL trim, its launch saw the end of the rear-engined [[Simca 1000]]. The [[Simca 1100]] remained in production in [[PSA Poissy Plant|France]] until 1981, being sold for a time as a low cost alternative to the Horizon, but the two cars competed in virtually the same segment and the older car, its model range drastically reduced, saw its sales plummet.<ref name=Automobilia1979Si1100>[[#RB1|Bellu]], p. 10</ref> On the British market, the rear-wheel drive Avenger saloons and estates remained in production alongside it, giving British buyers a full choice of bodystyles in a market where hatchbacks still only accounted for a minority of sales. There was never a three-door version of the Horizon. To fill this niche, the Simca 1100 remained on sale in continental Europe, while the rear-wheel drive [[Chrysler Sunbeam]] was sold alongside the Horizon in the United Kingdom until 1981.
In the end, the Horizon overlapped rather than replaced the British-designed rear-drive Sunbeam and [[Hillman Avenger]] models, which had been on sale since 1970, their production ending in 1981.
==Production life== After Chrysler Europe collapsed in 1978 and was sold to Peugeot, the Horizon was [[rebadge]]d as a [[Talbot (automobile)|Talbot]] in 1979.
In 1981, the revisited models were introduced with minor improvements. By then however, the Horizon was becoming increasingly uncompetitive next to rivals such as the [[Volkswagen Golf Mk1|Volkswagen Golf]] (which was actually four years older), [[Opel Kadett D|Opel Kadett]]/[[Vauxhall Astra#Mark 1|Vauxhall Astra]] and [[Ford Escort (Europe)#Third generation (1980–1986)|third generation Ford Escort]]. The unrefined overhead-valve engines carried over from the Simca 1100 were largely to blame, while body corrosion was a serious issue – at least until the Series II – giving many cars a short service life.
[[File:Cuentarevoluciones.jpg|thumb|left|The LED revolution counter of a series 2 Talbot Horizon]] The series 2 Horizon launched in July 1982 had a 5-speed gearbox, and was badged ''series II 5 speed''. The bumpers were painted black and the backlite was smaller, because the parcel shelf was raised to increase the size of the boot. Some models featured an electronic LED 'econometer' which illuminated several lights around the edge of the speedometer dial. An LED tachometer was available on higher trim levels, the horizontal row of green, yellow, and red LEDs positioned above the steering column, illuminating in 250 rpm intervals.<ref name=AC4459b>[[#RH1|Hutton]], p. 39</ref>
The Horizon was updated again in 1985, with revised interior trim, instrument dials and door cards. Along with the [[Fiat Ritmo]]/Strada, the Horizon became one of the oldest mainstream family hatchback on sale in Europe, and faced enormous competition.
Fewer paint colours and trim levels became available and many examples manufactured between 1985 and 1986, were painted in an unsympathetic pale green or cream — contrasting sharply with the adventurous colors at its introduction.
A Talbot Horizon [[Turbocharger|turbo]] concept car was produced in 1984 with a full cream leather interior and sporty body kit, the car was designed at [[Whitley plant|Whitley]], [[Coventry]]. The Turbo Horizon is very different from those models once seen out on the street and is kept at [[Coventry Transport Museum]], Coventry England.
Due to corrosion issues, Horizons remaining in use are rare, with just 20 examples still on the road in the UK at the end of 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/family/talbot_horizon|title=How Many Left? Talbot Horizon|access-date=2017-06-06}}</ref>
The Horizon was manufactured primarily at [[PSA Poissy Plant|Poissy]] in France and [[Ryton-on-Dunsmore|PSA Ryton Assembly]] in England.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2006/04/18/ryton_history_feature.shtml |title=Coventry and Warwickshire - Features - The history of Ryton |publisher=BBC |access-date=2012-01-12}}</ref> British manufacture commenced on 4 January 1982, and soon thereafter the Ryton plant was working a full five-day week for the first time in sixteen months.<ref name=AC4459a/> At the time, British Horizons had 60% British parts content.<ref name=AC4459a/> It was also manufactured in [[Spain]] in [[Villaverde (Madrid)|Villaverde]] by [[Groupe PSA|PSA Peugeot Citroën's]] Spanish subsidiary, and in [[Finland]] by [[Saab Automobile|Saab]]-[[Valmet]] from 1979 onwards. Finnish-manufactured Talbot Horizons integrated many [[Saab Automobile|Saab]] components, especially in the interior and electrical system. The Saab-Valmet factory also made a series of 2,385 cars that ran on [[kerosene]] or [[turpentine]].
The Horizon was manufactured in France and also Britain (where production had begun in the 1980s) until June 1986, and in Spain and Finland until 1987. Its successor was the [[Peugeot 309]], a car developed in the UK and launched towards the end of 1985, originally destined to be sold as the Talbot Arizona.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://curiositesautomobiles.blogspot.fr/2013/09/talbot-arizona-lhistoire-de-la-peugeot.html |title=Talbot Arizona - The history of Peugeot 309 |access-date=2014-11-22}}</ref> The end of Horizon production early in 1987 also marked the end of the Talbot badge on passenger cars. North American variants continued in production until 1990.
The PSA XUD9 diesel engine of 1905 cc [[diesel engine]] was fitted to certain models of the Horizon, which was the first example of this engine available in the UK. All UK-market diesel Horizons were made in Spain. The British Peugeot-Talbot brochure of October 1984 shows the only diesel Horizon being the LD 1.9, the XUD9 engine only available in the [[Peugeot 305]] GRD as well. The Horizon was not the first diesel in the Talbot family of cars with the [[Chrysler 180]] in Spain having been available with diesel power during the 1970s.
The Peugeot 309 used some of the Horizon range of Simca-based engines for most of its production life, until replaced with the more modern Peugeot TU engine in 1992.
==Horizon in the UK== In Britain, the Horizon was seen as a modern alternative to the existing Rootes-designed [[Chrysler Avenger|Avenger]] models, offering buyers a front-wheel drive hatchback alongside the rear-wheel drive saloons and estates. The Avenger was marketed alongside the Horizon until 1981, by which time the company had come under Peugeot ownership and no new models were launched to replace it, as the front-wheel drive hatchback style was becoming more popular and Peugeot already had the similar-sized 305 saloon and estates in production.
UK sales of the Horizon (which went on sale there in early 1978 and was badged as a Chrysler until 1 August 1979, when it became a Talbot) were initially acceptable, held back by the fact that it was a French import. Sales improved as manufacture was brought to the United Kingdom in 1982.<ref name=AC4459a/> Soon thereafter, however, it started to lose sales in a segment dominated by an increasing number of newer models including the Ford Escort Mark III, Vauxhall Astra, and Austin Maestro. Foreign models like the [[Volkswagen Golf]] and [[Nissan Sunny|Datsun Sunny]] were also proving popular in the early 1980s.
The last British Horizons were marketed in 1986, soon after the launch of [[Peugeot]]'s [[Ryton-on-Dunsmore|Ryton-built]] [[Peugeot 309|309]] which had originally been intended for sale as the '''Talbot Arizona''', as a Talbot-branded successor to the Horizon, and went on sale in January 1986. The 309 continued the Simca heritage by using Simca-derived engines in its smaller models.
The Ryton factory remained open until December 2006.
=== UK Specifications range=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%; text-align: center; width: 50%;" |- |'''Capacity''' |1118–1905 cc |- |'''Power''' |59–90 hp |- |'''Max. speed''' | {{convert|147|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} – {{convert|175|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} |- |'''Acceleration''' |0–60 mp/h: 17.9–11.4 seconds |}
===Models=== The UK Horizon was available in the following trim levels: * 1100 LE, LS, GL, GLE * 1300 LS, GL, LX, GLS * 1500 LS, GL, EX, GLS, S, SX * 1900 LD
Most models were available with 4 or 5-speed gearboxes, which were initially a carry-over of the Simca gearbox, and then later the PSA BE gearbox. An automatic transmission was available on most 1500 models, and was standard equipment on the 1500 SX model. The lowest level LE had very meagre equipment, not even being fitted with a rear parcel shelf.<ref name=AC4459c>[[#RH1|Hutton]], p. 40</ref>
Some limited editions were:
* 1500 "Pullman" top of range model. This had upmarket trim and a design of alloy wheel similar to the [[Talbot Sunbeam Lotus]] and a wider tyre. The Pullman also had radio upgrade with 4 speakers, and rear seatbelts. Most had beige over brown metallic, two-tone paintwork. Around 20% of the Pullman models were two tone silver and blue. * 1300 "Summertime Special" This had red plastic trim in place of the usual black. * 1500/1300 "Ultra" (1985) an upmarket high-spec car in silver metallic, had its name 'ULTRA' on the front wings in black lettering. Ultra had grey velour interior with red piping. The Ultra had been sold in the Netherlands since 1983.<ref name=krant>{{cite journal | journal = Autovisie | date = 1983-12-24 | volume = 28 | number = 26 | publisher = Folio Groep B.V. | location = Hilversum, Netherlands | language = nl | title = Autokrant | trans-title = Car Gazette | editor-last = de Jong | editor-first = Nico | page = 14 | ref = krant }}</ref> * 1500 "Silver Fox" which had two tone paintwork half silver, half blue metallic and fitted with alloy wheels.
==Group B Talbot Horizon== In 1982 Talbot and [[Lotus Cars]] began work on a Group B rally car meant to succeed the [[Talbot Sunbeam Lotus]].<ref name="rootes">{{cite web|url=http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/groupb-horizon.html|title=The Group B Horizon rally cars|work=rootes-chrysler.co.uk}}</ref> Based on the Talbot Horizon, the car was fitted with a [[Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|mid-mounted]] Lotus [[Lotus 900 series#911|type 911]] engine driving the rear wheels.<ref name="groupbshrine">{{cite web|url=https://rallygroupbshrine.org/the-group-b-cars/group-b-prototypes/talbot-horizon/|title=Talbot Horizon - Group B Prototype|work=rallygroupbshrine.org}}</ref> The project was cancelled after two prototypes had been built. Peugeot subsequently began development of their [[all-wheel drive]] [[Peugeot 205#205 Turbo 16 .28T16.29|205 T16]].
==North American variants== {{main|Dodge Omni}} [[File:1981 Dodge Omni 1.7.jpg|thumb|left|1981 Dodge Omni]] North American derivatives of the Horizon were marketed as the [[Dodge Omni]] and [[Plymouth Horizon]], which featured substantial differences despite very similar appearances. External bodywork was in fact not interchangeable, nor were engines, North American models using a larger engine (of [[Volkswagen|VW]], then PSA origins on the early versions, replaced by Chrysler's own 2.2 L OHC "Trenton" I-4 later) and [[MacPherson strut]] suspension at the front instead of the more complex torsion bar system found in the European version. U.S. derivatives also featured larger reinforced aluminum [[Bumper (automobile)|bumper]]s in compliance with US [[automotive safety|safety]] [[legislation]]. Despite the car's European origins, then Chrysler chairman [[Lee Iacocca]] played this down, emphasizing that features such as the [[trip computer]] and electronic [[Ignition system|ignition]] were of American design.
In the US, numerous variants were eventually offered, including three-door hatchback versions (Charger and TC-3 / Turismo); economy trim levels (America, Miser); high-performance versions (GLH, GLH Turbo, and [[Shelby GLHS]]) — as well as a pickup truck variant (Scamp and Rampage). {{clear}}
==Production volume== Chrysler Europe/Peugeot produced 1,070,222 Horizon hatchbacks in Europe,<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.autoencyclopedie.com/production-simca-talbot-horizon.html |title=production |website=www.autoencyclopedia.com |access-date=21 December 2025}}</ref> compared with Chrysler America's 1,639,799 Horizon and Omni hatchbacks plus 573,568 Charger, 024, and TC-3 sports coupé models.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Flammang |first=James M. |title=Standard catalog of American cars, 1976–1999 |date=1999 |publisher=Krause Publications |others=Ron Kowalke |isbn=0-87341-755-0 |edition=3rd |location=Iola, WI |oclc=43301709}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Talbot Horizon}} * [http://www.allpar.com/model/horizon.html The Chrysler Horizon and Simca 1100] * [http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/chry-horizon.html Chrysler Horizon cars] * [http://www.simcatalbotclub.org/ Simca Matra Talbot Club UK.] * [http://passionhorizon.wifeo.com The website of the Simca-Talbot Horizon ] * [http://www.allpar.com/world/talbot.html Talbot Horizon in Finland by Saab-Valmet]
[[Category:Chrysler vehicles|Horizon]] [[Category:Front-wheel-drive vehicles]] [[Category:Subcompact cars]] [[Category:Hatchbacks]] [[Category:1980s cars]] [[Category:Cars introduced in 1978]] [[Category:Cars discontinued in 1987]] [[Category:Cars of Finland]] [[Category:Cars of France]] [[Category:Cars of Spain]]