Talbot Tagora

Talbot Tagora
Talbot Tagora 2.2 saloon
Overview
Manufacturer	PSA
Production	1980–83
Designer	Roy Axe
Body and chassis
Class	Executive car
Body style	4-door saloon
Layout	FR layout
Powertrain
Engine	2.2 L Type 180 I4 2.3 L XD2S turbodiesel I4 2.7 L PRV V6 (2.6)
Transmission	4-speed manual 5-speed manual 3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,808 mm (110.6 in)
Length	4,828 mm (190.1 in)
Width	1,810 mm (71.3 in)
Height	1,444 mm (56.9 in)
Kerb weight	1255–1345 kg (2767–2965 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Chrysler 180/2 litre

The Talbot Tagora is an executive car developed by Chrysler Europe and produced by Peugeot Société Anonyme (PSA). The Tagora was marketed under the Talbot marque after PSA took over Chrysler's European operations in 1979. PSA presented the first production vehicle in 1980 and launched it commercially in 1981. The Tagora fell short of sales expectations, described as a "showroom flop" just a year after its launch, and PSA cancelled the model two years later. Fewer than 20,000 Tagora models were built, all of them at the former Simca factory in Poissy, near Paris, France.

Chrysler Europe began development of the Tagora in 1976, under the code name C9, with the goal of replacing the unsuccessful Chrysler 180 series. Following the same development pattern as with the Horizon and Alpine models, the responsibility for the Tagora's technical development remained in France, while the styling was devised at Chrysler's design centre in the United Kingdom. An early proposal for the name of the car was "Simca 2000".

The original C9 prototype was a modern-styled saloon with a low beltline and large interior dimensions made possible by the long-wheelbase. The British design team initially proposed some stylistic features inspired by the Citroën SM, including a front glass panel between the headlights to accommodate the number plate, round front wheelarches and rear spats. However, Chrysler management in the United States deemed these features too extravagant, so the design of the C9 became more conventional: front and rear wheelarches were squared off and the spats lost, and the license plate was placed on the front bumper as on most cars. To better balance the tall silhouette, the beltline was raised. Over the course of development, the C9 also lost its vertical taillights in favour of more "fashionable" horizontal ones.