Real Road Test: Talbot Solara! Is it a Simca? 

This guy knows his stuff. Refreshing that someone is so enthusiastic about a car like this.

Yet again ian you find cars that were fogetable. now remembered 👍..well done much better viewing than all those supercars at goodwood .....no disrespect to all concerned at goodwood..cheers from dave

Exactly how my grandfather had it in the early eighties 🙂

My first proper car a solara 1.6sx with trip computer electric windows, central locking, veluuur seats, headlamp wash wipe action, super comfy and I loved it!

I always remember Talbots of this era by their sound, they were quite distinctively tappety - even as a child it was very obvious!

I remember the talbots back in the day which were easily identified with their trademark tappety engines you could hear coming down the street.

Fantastic! My Dad had one (1.6) as a company car 1980-81, when he was dating my mum. Replaced with an Opel Ascona 2.0 S, as a wedding present from his boss!

Bought a 3 year old Solara cheaply from the Austin Rover dealership I worked at for my father. This was because the engine was really noisy and the clutch slipped. I adjusted the tappets and put a clutch in it after work. When the sales manager saw it once it was done, he was really peed off, as he realised that he had sold it too cheap. My dad had it for about five years without any real problems.

Nice to see this rare Simca badged Solara. My father had a Talbot Solara GLS in 1983 complete with its two-tone red and silver paintwork. In addition to the two-tone paintwork, the GLS had power steering, the electric front windows, trip computer etc, all quite rare standard fit items at the time

That is the tidiest Solara I've seen since the 80's! My mate's mum had an Alpine 1500S. Superbly comfortable car and suprisingly quick. Suprisingly solid as well for a ten year old specimen. Engine sounded like it was about to fly apart but it just kept on going. Loving these videos Ian, top quality job as always from you.

Re comfort could not agree more, I’m sure all the manufacturers make the cars ‘handle’ like a race car to keep the journalists happy, when reality is most of us mere mortals just want something to be quiet and not fall over. Enjoyable as ever.

I remember the days! Samba, Horizon, Alpine, Solara, Tagora and Rancho. Great range of cars. How could I forget the Sunbeam Lotus??

I had a red Simca 1300 saloon in the late 1970s when I was married with 2 young girls. It was a very comfortable family car that never let me down. Sadly it eventually succumbed to rust. The girls cried and so did I.

Cheers for another great one Ian, loving the Croatia series and Congrats on 40 thousand! It’s been fun watching the subscribers grow over the years just keep hubnutting and they’ll keep coming 👍

BRING BACK VELOUR! I think there should be a nationwide or ever worldwide campaign, to get manufacturers to return to using velour for their car interiors...and not just bland black either...

My late father had one of these, lovely to see one again. Still looks good

I'm with you on the comfy ride. With today's roads what's the point of hard suspension and 35 profile tyres? All you get is headache, backache and buckled wheels.

An absolute joy to watch as always. Superb insight and entertainingly delivered.

Nice to film this in my home country with this wonderful car. My father had one, and the previous also were Simca's/Talbots. I love them all, especially the 1100 and 1308 and Rancho/Bagheera/Mureno..

My dad had an Alpine. It was the first of his cars I drove. You couldn't hear the tappets over the noisy diff! The gearbox was on its last legs as it needed double declutching to engage second,a skill I rapidly learned! Nice video,keep up the good work.

My father had a Chrysler Alpine and then a red Talbot Solara SX. Loved those cars as a kid!!

My knowledge of forgotten cars just keeps growing with each of your videos. This was close to being one my first car in 1983 but for 50 quid less I bought a Marina instead. If you could turn back time .........

Ian I don't care about the sandals but absolutely love the oil encrusted finger nails! Shows you are a true car nut! And your dedication to Elly!

Hi Ian I loved those things when I was a Y.T.S. mechanic because they NEVER broke down. Literally it's like they were built in a naval dockyard. Not very exiting to drive but got to be a contender for the most reliable car EVER.

The color of the Solara is camouflage grass green at the end. Nice that there are enthusiasts who keep this type of car alive.

Great. Not seen one in years, think I remember my uncle having a beige Solara in about 1987. Nice too see, cheers essdeewon.

Following my comment the other day, I dutifully ordered HubNut beanie hat and car sticker. They came in literally a couple of days, super service. Sticker now proudly in the car and hat ready to be worn 👏🏻👏🏻. Great service Ian/whoever has been left in charge of the shop in your absence

OMG my dad's car! Thank you so much for reviewing it! He had a red Solara SX

Nice footage, brought back a few memory's, I had actually forgotten my Dad owned a mid Blue Alpine GLS, everything you pointed out rang true about his car especially comfortable suspension and seating. Also had a mate who worked as a Talbot junior salesman for a while, and regularly used part ex cars or demo cars as his company transport, I remember he had a mk1 Alpine for a quite a few weeks, brown metallic with cream vinyl roof " I know !!, very tasty looking motor ", If I recall correctly my Dads power steering mount broke, he was told it was a common fault, not sure of the validity of that fact though . Have fun and keep up the good work

It reminds me of a used Plymouth TC3 I bought in the early 90's. It had been designed by Simca. It was the most comfortable car I ever owned. Plenty of suspension travel combined with single-action gas shocks made it a pleasure to ride.

I had the Alpine 1.5, one journey was Sicily to Portsmouth in 22 hours. Great performance, great ride, best new car I ever bought

Yet another first class review!

Thanks for bringing back memories of these when I a kid in the 80's. :)

Wow , great car . I never knew the history , so thanks. My brother had a couple of ailing Simca 1000's as daily transport in the late 70's and my neice had one as her first car ,circa 1985 which she loved !

Had one of therein 1987 the 1.6 le if I remember correctly. We had one of the worst winters I can remember but nothing stopped the Solara just ploughed through it. Gear leaver not good infact the linkage came off as I remember. Nice one. Thank you 🙂

Seems like you are having a really enjoyable road trip, very jealous, great video yet again

Body roll is brilliant and hilarious. We need more, not less! During the 1990’s there was a car called a Citroen Xantia Activa that apparently almost eliminated body roll. I thought ‘Why the hell would you want that. No fun at all!’ 😂😂

A Talbot. A first for me and I want it. So simple and elegant, what a way to drive to work.😀

Some slight detail correction - the 5speed gearbox in this era of Solara was taken from the Citroën Cx, the Peugeot BE1 box arrived in 1982. This being a GLS - it would have one level below the top Sx spec which would have had the front headlamp wipers as standard. Very underated cars which suffered ultimately from a lack of continual development due to its complicated parantage.

That metallic green looks surprisingly gorgeous out in the sun.

What a nice car. Surely everything you need in a family vehicle. Nice example too and a good review as always Mr HubNut. (Liked the child-powered windmill as well.)

I had 3 alpines and a solara in the 1980's, all were the 1442cc engine with the distinctive "ticky Talbot" rattle. The first one cost me 200 pounds and lasted a year till it failed its MOT big time, the second I kept for a few months and traded in for a Princess... then the third Alpine was a brown GLS model that I kept 2 years until it failed the MOT and was uneconomic to repair.... the last of all I had a Solara in metallic red. I sold it to my mate who wrote it off in a head on collision in which nobody was seriously hurt. Lots of memories in these, they were easy to service and reliable.

I was lucky enough to have a ride in a solara back in the 80’s. My mum once did consider buying a Talbot-Matra Rancho as it did look like a rugged 4x4 but was actually just a 2wd with a funky body kit and spotlights, She ended up deciding on a MK2 escort which turned up to be full of filler. The Talbot was no worse than most cars on the road in the 80’s and it’s a real shame it’s such a rare site here today.

awesome to see a C6 car finally on the channel! I love Solaras even though I've only ever seen one (that said, i do have my Alpine so maybe my love comes from that!). You should definitely keep your eyes peeled for one, they can still be had at decent prices & from my experience restoring Annie, there are plenty of people willing you sell, if not, give you the parts you need to make the car perfect. The Simca club is the best place to go as they are very helpful, they have been to me & I'm not even a paid up member! Maybe that'll change. Wish you all the best with your big adventure!

Talbot that takes me back cushty hope you're having a good trip Ian Good luck 👍

After a relative died my wife was given one in late 80s with 8.000 miles on the clock, kept it for 5yrs one water pump one back exhaust, what a stifling car, if you did the tappets every day lol.

My friend had one the same colour. Took us to many rock concerts, great days. Reminds me for some reason of my dad's old Renault 30tx. Try and find one of those, sure it had 4x headlamp washers.

Hooked on your channel for my daily dose of nostalgia. Brilliant Ian!

This is another car that I'm learning of thanks to Ian -- never saw or heard of it before :). I was impressed by how spacious it was and that it had electric front windows -- I would have thought such feature was fairly uncommon in anything but a premium class car in the beginning of the 80's. I really liked the quirky interior and how spacious the car appears, especially in the back.

Thanks for this one . My first car was an 82 Alpine. Rust got her in the end even after all my tinkering.

Always enjoys your cars and scenery beautiful country nice roads for a drive out keep them coming.

I'll have to watch this again to see the car as I was totally blown away by the beautiful countryside!

Great video. Really loved this.

A great review of a Fine car. 1981, An Excellent Year! Thanks.

Remember my dad having a red Solara when I was a kid. Interesting times.

I bought a Talbot Alpine 1-6 LS from a car auction years ago, it was one of the comfiest cars I ever owned, it went like a bat out of hell and was good on fuel. I think mine was the only one that didn't have any tappet rattle. It would start from cold without problem but once warmed up it could be a problem, I found the best way to do it was to not touch the throttle and spin the engine over and then just ease your foot down and away you'd go. I kept it for ages until the usual rust bug took over and then it had to go. My son still talks about that car with great affection saying it was one of the most comfortable cars we ever had.

Another car I didn't know existed, that's why I love this channel...

Another one I’ve never heard of. I like the way it looks.

Ah, the car of my youth. My father had a red Solara SX. We had many family trips with this car and the Rapido caravan.

Love the funky dash board buttons with the missing lettering

Ian, you have a very listenable, instructional delivery...keep it up! Ta Nige

Hi Ian, another great review, I had a Talbot Horizon in an earlier life and it was a great car, and it is still on my wish list to buy another again. Good luck on the tour with Ellie

My Dad almost got a two tone Alpine when his long serving Hillman Hunter estate came to the end of its many years faithful service. Instead he was tempted by a Toyota Corolla (quite rebellious in the eyes of the local yokels at the time). After noticing the huge leap forward in quality he never regretted his decision and stuck with Toyota for donkeys years.

I always preferred the Solara to the Alpine and that one is a gorgeous example. Can't remeber the last time I saw one here in the UK. The last few days of videos just shows how many beautiful old cars are still about on the continent, thanks for the content.

This channel is amazing, don't stop!

I had one of these and a Horizon they were good cars and a little different. Love the videos keep them coming.

Great review, loved every second ( but the sandals scene). My father drove the first Solara 1.6 LS, same engine but lower specced than the GLS. Great ride, better than the Simca 1308 GLS and the Simca 1307S he drove before. Pulled our 4.5 meter caravan with ease.

Had one of those Glass coolant bottles in my Horizon... It was part of my regular "under the bonnet" detail tasks to empty out the yellowy grey sludge and put fresh water in it... made a big difference LOL !!!

I had a 1985 Talbot Solar Minx. Great car and had power steering that was unusual at the time on a normal saloon. It did 176000 miles before I got rid of it and I always remember how tappitty the 1600 sounded even a couple of hundred miles after they were adjusted. The UK clutch pedal was straight too.

Another great video. Its wonderful seeing all these 70s and 80s cars that some might call unfashionable. Not sure I'll be able to get the sight of those sandals out my mind though 😱🤣

o wow thank you im made up now ,i had 2,a series one like that,which i passed my driving test in,and a series 2 which was pretty amazing ,in metallic blue.The wipers were on the SX,U did a Tagora ,i had one of those too,uve made my day Hubnut ,many thanks,if only id been at butlins earlier.

Love this my dad had an Alpine in orange and a solara very happy memories

Love this Ian, reminds me of my first car a Talbot Horizon 1L..... Ohhh that tap tap tap engine note 😍

My uncle has a couple of these solaras , he ran a Peuegot Talbot dealership that closed in the mid 80`s and has some Peugeots too ths tar being a brand new 305GTX that still has the plastic on the seats !

We used to build these in Finland too. At the SAAB factory in Uusikaupunki. We equipped ours with seats from SAABs. We even made a petroleum fuelled version that stank...

My mums 1978 Alpine ... taught me to double declutch, and how to just put up with noisy tappets. Apparently they were self adjusting using some weird ratchet setup ... which meant actually they could never actually be in adjustment. And that gear lever ... stirring coconuts in a barrel with a broom handle .... but it went like the clappers when I was 17 & it was 6 years old. took all my camping gear and cider to surf trips to north Devon - great memories of the Alpine. And yep ... hideous sandals....

Hi Ian good to hear you're coming to nz . Love your videos .Love the difference . Steve auckland nz .

Quick correction from your friendly car pedant; the 5 speed gearbox was a Citroën CX unit, the more modern Peugeot box was fitted when the car received a mild update in late 82. There was a more luxurious version than the GLS, badged SX which had a trip computer and possibly headlamp wipers. I saw a mint one in Bordeaux recently.

My 2nd car was a Talbot Solara GL (also with 5s gearbox), it was 10 years old when I bought it for only 450 Guilders (about €200) in 1994. I loved it! Comfortable, quite powerful for a 1.6 liter engine and great fuel economy too!

My Dad had an Alpine. Great car. Loads of space - decent turn of speed and good economy. Heavy steering and ropey gearchange though. There is a great Chris Goffey old Top Gear report on these on You Tube - the one featured at the end of that report takes a bit of starting up too !

Loved seeing you test this and you are spot on, it's a real classic. I had an early Alpine in space hopper orange. It was incredibly spacious with the transverse engine and the suspension was fantastic. It had long torsion bars on the front. Iirc the Peugeot 205 was the first car to have anti roll bar drop links. VW copied the Alpine body design to create the Mk1 Passat. But they made it very Germanic under the skin.

My dad had a metallic grey one with the Talbot badge. We borrowed it for skiing holidays and kinda wrecked it in the Ardennes near Bastogne. We limped to a closed nearby garage and spent the night in the two damaged cars ( yes we hit our friend's car). It was m8nus 15°C.....The next morning they mounted some kinda fitting light units and we went on to France. Our dad wasn't too delighted when we returned his car later on. Oh yeah, nice comfy car it had.

Ahh, just seen, in fact you have already done one! Fair play! Will have to think up some other requests

my neighbour had a 1977 alpine in gunmetal grey when i was a kid, remember the tappety engine with a smile!

Love the car, my uncle had one, also a GLS and looked so posh in that time. Many people turned their heads when you passed by. I guess my love for French cars started in that time when my father drove a hatchback Simca 1100 and my auntie a Simca 1000. After Since / Talbot almost half of my family changed either to Renault or Peugeot. What a time.

My uncle had a solara! That’s all I can remember about it😂 Oh, it was purple. That really is all I can remember about it!!! Great video!👍👍👍

Do hope that you will be driving a Dad this weekend. Had two Dad 44's in the family back in the days they were on sale. An amazing little car, and impossible to steal as there was a art to getting them to start and run.😎 Keep up the good work, love your videos

My family used to have a Simca-Chrysler 1308 GT, and it was an amazing car for its time

Great video great car. I always thought I was the only one into these types of vehicles.

My grandfather had Talbot one from 1984 I suppose. Made in valmet automotive here in Finland. The first car I drove by my self around the age of six or seven years old. I remember the funny seatbelts from it that locked just the belt to a hook.

Ride comfort is harsher these days because we use less coils to 'wind up' the spring wire in less movement. We also are using a different type of steel to get away with this... which is also why, unlike in the past, we have to change so many coil springs on modern cars. With the sophistication of suspension geometry we now enjoy, it would be quite easy to return to old fashioned comfort without quite the levels of lean that were extant in these cars.

We bought a new one of these in 1980 with the optional 1.6 litre engine. The DL version and I still have photos off it. They were a nice balanced design. We had it Protectol treated too. It developed quite a few problems and so it had to go.

I had the Simca 1100 in dark metallic green, bought from the local car auction with rent and a ticket for £40!!! Ran it for two years and sold it for £100!! Everyone took the p155 but it was bombproof and took us all over the country.

My father in law had a couple of these late 70s early 80s. The car was years ahead of its time ultra reliable and fantastic to drive. He clocked up many miles in both without any trouble, the only problem I can remember is the engine developing the Simca ‘Pea in a can’ top end rattle which never affected performance or reliability. The last one he had was badged as a Talbot sunbeam and it had Rapier side badges ?? One other thing to this cars credit.. I was an apprentice at Vauxhall motors Luton where they were building Magnums and the like, many Vauxhall employees bought the Alpine even though they were entitled to employee discount at Vauxhall. Great car which like you Ian I regret never owning, mind you at the time I couldnt afford one, spent my time and money keeping my Rover P6 going !!

As an ex Simca owner I thoroughly approve of this Simca badged Solara! Loved the Alpine too.

Lovely allround car, thanks for the nice video. The square blue sign with 50 on it is not the max speed limit but an adviced speed for that road

Great to watch Ian my sister and brother in law had a 1985 Talbot Alpine automatic with very " Frilly" door bottoms! Also an OIld school friends first car was a 1979 Chrysler Alpine Memories of horrible gearchange and Rattly Tappets! lol

My first car was a white Talbot Solara GLS. I remember that it was a dream to drive in the winter too. It stuck to the icy roads like nothing. I also remember starting it up in minus 20 Celsius after it had not been driven for like a week, and the engine started immediately with no issues, which surprised me, really. In the end we had to scrap it because the automatic windows stopped working, and they fell down in an open position, and there was no spare parts to get hold of.

Thank you for your nice words about my Solara Ian. Rpm meter will be repaired next week Saturday I hope. I hope you will return again to testdrive my Peugeot 505 once it is restored, as my Peugeot 605. Regards from a Peugeot / Talbot freak that absoluty loves it that you appreciated my car, though it's old and has a lot of kilometers on it's clock already. For the interested people: Total money invested in this car is approx € 10000,= in total. Not worth it, but I like it too much to just throw it away. It's from 23-12-1980 indeed.

The Solara 1.6 engine also found its way to the Matra Murena. Using a Bagheera inlet manifold with dual carburettors and some tweaking made it happily deliver over 100 bhp.