1952 Simca 9 Sport Coupé Chassis no. 048315 Engine no. 214006 • Rare coachbuilt Simca • Mille Miglia Storica eligible • Beautifully presented • FIVA Identity Card valid for another eight years Footnotes Introduced in 1952, the Simca 9 Sport Coupé was based on a Pinin Farina design and built by Facel-Métallon, makers of the Facel Vega. Mechanically the car was based on the Simca Aronde but was of unitary construction, unlike the Aronde, while the 1, 221cc overhead-valve engine was up-rated from 45 to 50 horsepower. The Simca 9 was restyled for 1953 with all-new bodywork and then in September 1954 was renamed the Simca Coupé de Ville, which featured a superior level of equipment with less emphasis on sportiness. This example was purchased in 2019 by the vendor for his exclusive private collection from a Ferrari collector, via a specialist classic car dealer in Northern Italy, with the explicit aim of participating in the Mille Miglia in 2020. The vendor had the car thoroughly inspected and a new set of tyres fitted as well as a new battery and a general check of the engine. The car performed very well on the 2020 Mille Miglia, but sadly a defective windscreen wiper motor (since repaired) forced the team to withdraw in torrential rain at Radicofani in Tuscany. After the Mille Miglia, the vendor had some cosmetic work done, restored the dashboard and had the blue leather interior detailed. A most elegant car, even more elegant in the beautiful colour combination of dark blue with matching blue leather interior, this Simca is an interesting proposition for the numerous events it is eligible for, the most important of which is, of course, the Mille Miglia. Representing a relatively inexpensive means of participation in the Mille Miglia and other prestigious events, the car is offered with Italian registration documents, ASI Targa Oro, and the important FIVA Identity Card, the latter valid for another eight years.