CarBrandLogos archive · Talbot · 1981

TalbotTalbot Samba

The last new car to wear a Talbot badge, and a Peugeot 104 underneath.

Photo: Lebrozu · CC0

The story

A defining chapter in Talbot history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Talbot Samba, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

When PSA absorbed Chrysler Europe it inherited a brand, Talbot, and a set of dealers that needed something small to sell. The cheapest route was to take the Peugeot 104 platform, restyle it as a three-door hatchback and call it the Samba. It arrived in 1981, built at Poissy and in Madrid, replacing the rear-wheel-drive Talbot Sunbeam with a modern front-wheel-drive city car.

1984 Talbot Samba Cabrio · davocano · CC BY 2.0

Talbot Samba GL 58 CV 1982 trasera - Spain

Design and engineering

Engines were the PSA-Renault X-series fours in 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.4 litre forms, with four- and five-speed manuals. The most appealing versions were at the two ends of the range: a Pininfarina-built cabriolet, one of very few open small cars available at the time, and the Samba Rallye, a stripped, twin-carburettor homologation model built for Group B's smallest class.

Talbot Samba GL 58 CV 1982 trasera - Spain · Lebrozu · CC0

Talbot Samba GL 58 CV 1982 interior delantero

In production

It sold reasonably but never solved the underlying problem, which was that PSA had no clear role for Talbot next to Peugeot and Citroen. Production ended in 1986 and the Peugeot 205 took the segment. The Samba was the last new passenger car the marque launched.

Talbot Samba GL 58 CV 1982 interior delantero · Lebrozu · CC0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Engine

1.0&nbsp

Body

3-door hatchback

Technical specification

The Talbot Samba, in detail.

Production: 1981–1986
Class: City car (A)
Body style: 3-door hatchback; 2-door cabrio
Layout: FF layout
Engine: 1.0 L PSA-Renault X-Type engine; XV Straight-four engine; I4 ; 1.1 L PSA-Renault X-Type engine; XW I4 ; 1.2 L PSA-Renault X-Type engine; XZ I4 ; 1.4 L PSA-Renault X-Type engine; XY I4
Transmission: 4-speed manual; 5-speed manual
Assembly: France: Poissy (Poissy Plant); Spain: Madrid
Manufacturer: Talbot (PSA Group)