The Peugeot 309 is a small family car that was manufactured between 1985 and 1994 in France, England and Spain by PSA Peugeot Citroën . It was originally intended to be badged as a Talbot and, as development progressed, to be called the Talbot Arizona .
83-803: It was the replacement for the Talbot Horizon , which had started life as a Chrysler in Britain and a Simca in France, and was also being built in several guises for the market in America. In 1985, the PSA Group decided to discontinue the Talbot brand, with the last passenger vehicle branded as a Talbot to be launched being the Samba of 1981, and to market the car as a Peugeot instead. The Talbot brand
166-621: A Cw of only 0.22. Many of the aerodynamic features from the VERA studies found their way into later production Peugeots. Production in France began at the former Simca plant in Poissy in the end of summer 1985, with the first French customers getting their cars in October of that year; but it was decided that RHD models would be built at the Ryton plant near Coventry, which had previously been owned by
249-456: A DOHC configuration gradually increased after World War II, beginning with sports cars. Iconic DOHC engines of this period include the 1948–1959 Lagonda straight-six engine , the 1949–1992 Jaguar XK straight-six engine and the 1954–1994 Alfa Romeo Twin Cam inline-four engine. The 1966-2000 Fiat Twin Cam inline-four engine was one of the first DOHC engines to use a toothed timing belt instead of
332-464: A DOHC engine was built in 1910. Use of DOHC engines slowly increased from the 1940s, leading to many automobiles by the early 2000s using DOHC engines. In an OHC engine, the camshaft is located at the top of the engine, above the combustion chamber . This contrasts the earlier overhead valve engine (OHV) and flathead engine configurations, where the camshaft is located down in the engine block . The valves in both OHC and OHV engines are located above
415-574: 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. The UK Horizon was available in the following trim levels: Most models were available with 4 or 5-speed gearboxes, which were initially a carry-over of the Simca gearbox, and then later
498-477: A colour-coded, one-piece rear spoiler as opposed to the Phase 1's outdated rubber spoiler which, by then, harked back to early 1980s design practice. Quite importantly a modified gearbox called 'BE3' was introduced, a revision of the original 'BE1' unit, placing reverse in the "down and to the right" position behind fifth gear, as opposed to the earlier "up and to the left" position next to first gear. Retrospectively,
581-451: A contrasting trim strip, red with the white bumpers and silver with the burgundy ones. After the facelift the bumpers also gained a pair of fog lights. A reflective strip panel was also on the options list, that replaced the louvred panel that sits between the rear lights. The 309 Automatic received equipment about on par with the GR, and was available with either the 1.6-liter XU5 or later with
664-608: A fully enclosed-drivetrain), the American Liberty L-12 V12 engine, which closely followed the later Mercedes D.IIIa design's partly-exposed SOHC valvetrain design; and the Max Friz -designed; German BMW IIIa straight-six engine. The DOHC Napier Lion W12 engine was built in Great Britain beginning in 1918. Most of these engines used a shaft to transfer drive from the crankshaft up to the camshaft at
747-449: A large cylinder head to accommodate the camshaft or an extra set of valves to increase the volumetric efficiency , so that with the same displacement as an OHV engine, the OHC engine will end up being the physically larger of the two mostly due to the enlarged cylinder head. The other main advantage of OHC engines is that there is greater flexibility to optimise the size, location and shape of
830-535: A larger engine (of VW , then PSA origins on the early versions, replaced by Chrysler's own 2.2L 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. They also featured larger reinforced aluminum bumpers to comply with stricter US safety legislation . Despite the car's European origins, then Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca played this down, emphasizing that features such as
913-419: A lower-tuned, catalyzed 1.9-liter XU9J1 engine with 105 PS (77 kW; 104 bhp). Specifications varied somewhat depending on the market. The SR Injection, in addition, added alloy wheels, remote controlled central locking, and remote controlled heated door mirrors. The options list included metallic/black paint, front fog lights, a sliding glass sunroof, an automatic gearbox (SR only), and SR decals on
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#1732776744807996-557: A new Talbot Samba based on the forthcoming Citroën AX supermini, but the success of the Peugeot 205 meant that there was little need for a third supermini within the PSA combine, and so the Samba was discontinued in 1986 with no replacement. The larger Alpine hatchback and Solara saloons were also axed in 1986, a year before Peugeot began production of the similar sized 405 , successor to
1079-542: A replacement for their ageing 1100 range . It was introduced to market in summer 1978. In France it was initially sold under the Simca brand, whilst 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 sold under the Talbot brand in all its European markets. The Horizon
1162-668: 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 Datsun Sunny were also proving popular in the early 1980s. The last British Horizons were sold in 1986, soon after the launch of Peugeot 's Ryton-built 309 which had originally been intended for sale as the Talbot Arizona , as
1245-479: 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. 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
1328-407: A total of two camshafts (one for each cylinder bank). Most SOHC engines have two valves per cylinder, one intake valve and one exhaust valve. Motion of the camshaft is usually transferred to the valves either directly (using a tappet) or indirectly via a rocker arm . A dual overhead cam , double overhead cam , or twin-cam engine has two camshafts over each bank of the cylinder head, one for
1411-522: A twinned options pack), a sliding glass sunroof and front fog lights. The 309 XS is now very rare in the United Kingdom. The SX model was not available in the United Kingdom. The GTI came with some features unique to the range, such as the large black boot spoiler, driving lights and fog lights in the front bumper, remote opening rear windows (three-door only), and the Speedline 1.9 GTI alloys -
1494-471: Is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber . This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion chamber in the engine block . Single overhead camshaft (SOHC) engines have one camshaft per bank of cylinders . Dual overhead camshaft (DOHC, also known as "twin-cam" ) engines have two camshafts per bank. The first production car to use
1577-531: Is possible. The first known automotive application of timing belts to drive overhead camshafts was the 1953 Devin-Panhard racing specials built for the SCCA H-modified racing series in the United States. These engines were based on Panhard OHV flat-twin engines, which were converted to SOHC engines using components from Norton motorcycle engines. The first production car to use a timing belt
1660-457: Is that the system used to drive the camshaft (usually a timing chain in modern engines) is more complex in an OHC engine, such as the 4-chain valvetrain of the Audi 3.2 or the 2 meter chain on Ford cammers. Another disadvantage of OHC engines is that during engine repairs where the removal of the cylinder head is required, the camshaft engine timing needs to be reset. In addition, an OHC engine has
1743-546: The 206 in 1998. The notched hatchback design, commonly called as a liftback design, bears an unintentional similarity to the Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance , which were also developed (entirely separately and cut down from a larger [Chrysler K-Car] platform rather than stretched from a smaller one) to replace the Horizon in North America. The initial engine line up in the United Kingdom market consisted of
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#17327767448071826-509: The 305 , but the out of step model number (the next small family car after the 305 should have been named "306" which eventually launched in 1993) was intended to distance it from the larger 305 in the marketplace and to reflect the car's Simca origins. It was also the first Peugeot badged hatchback of this size. With the Talbot brand being phased out on passenger cars, the 309 would succeed the Talbot Horizon. Peugeot had been considering
1909-551: The Duesenberg Model J , which was powered by a DOHC straight-eight engine. The 1931–1935 Stutz DV32 was another early American luxury car to use a DOHC engine. Also in the United States, the DOHC Offenhauser racing engine was introduced in 1933. This inline-four engine dominated North American open-wheel racing from 1934 until the 1970s. Other early SOHC automotive engines were the 1920–1923 Wolseley Ten ,
1992-497: The Rootes Group and then Chrysler Europe before Peugeot took it over in 1978. The first 309 for the British market rolled off the production line at Ryton in October 1985, and sales began the beginning of 1986, although left-hand drive sales of the Poissy built models began in France in October 1985. The only bodywork available originally was the five-door hatchback . The 309 was not intended to replace Peugeot's own model,
2075-449: The Trio / Trio D editions, with 1124/1360 cc TU engines and 1905 cc XUD engines, with unique seat fabric, green seatbelts and side decals down both flanks. The Look , available in blue, white, and very scarce black were fitted with unique seat fabric with a sunroof and coloured bumper inserts. The Green , produced between 1987 and 1991, available in 3/5 doors versions, with
2158-712: The trip computer and electronic ignition were of American design. In the US, many variants were eventually produced, including three-door coupé versions ("Charger" and "TC-3 / Turismo"), economy versions ("America", "Miser"), and high power versions such as the GLH, GLH Turbo, and Shelby GLHS (turbocharged, intercooled, 174 bhp). There was even a small pickup truck based on the Horizon ("Scamp" and "Rampage"). Some of these cars had successful careers in racing venues such as Auto-X, road and endurance racing, and pro rallying. Overhead camshaft An overhead camshaft ( OHC ) engine
2241-676: 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. The trip computer later became an option on lesser models such as the GLS. 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 France until 1981, being sold for
2324-531: The 'BE3' gearboxes are slightly less prone to failure than their earlier counterparts. This was also when Peugeot gradually phased in their, all new, belt driven TU Series overhead camshaft engines, in 1,124 cc and 1,360 cc forms, eventually replacing the trusty Simca units during 1992. The GTi 16 model, featuring the XU9J4 engine from the 405 Mi16, was also introduced at this time; however, these were only sold in mainland Europe. (See Trim levels) Towards
2407-537: The 1903 Marr Auto Car SOHC engine built in the United States. The first DOHC engine was a Peugeot inline-four racing engine which powered the car that won the 1912 French Grand Prix . Another Peugeot with a DOHC engine won the 1913 French Grand Prix , followed by the Mercedes-Benz 18/100 GP with an SOHC engine winning the 1914 French Grand Prix . The Isotta Fraschini Tipo KM — built in Italy from 1910–1914—
2490-427: The 1925-1948 Velocette K series , the 1931-1957 Norton International and the 1947-1962 Norton Manx . In more recent times, the 1950-1974 Ducati Single , 1973-1980 Ducati L-twin engine , 1999-2007 Kawasaki W650 and 2011-2016 Kawasaki W800 motorcycle engines have used bevel shafts. The Crosley four cylinder was the last automotive engine to use the shaft tower design to drive the camshaft, from 1946 to 1952;
2573-417: The 1928-1931 MG 18/80 , the 1926–1935 Singer Junior and the 1928–1929 Alfa Romeo 6C Sport . Early overhead camshaft motorcycles included the 1925–1949 Velocette K Series and the 1927–1939 Norton CS1 . The 1946–1948 Crosley CC Four was arguably the first American mass-produced car to use an SOHC engine. This small mass-production engine powered the winner of the 1950 12 Hours of Sebring . Use of
Peugeot 309 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2656-409: The 1970s. A Talbot Horizon turbo concept car was produced in 1984 with a full cream leather interior and sporty body kit, the car was designed at 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 problems the Horizon is now a rare sight, with just 20 examples still on
2739-407: The 305. The 309's slightly awkward styling (especially when compared with the 205 and 405 of the same era) was due to the decision to reuse the door shells from the 205. The 309 was also originally intended to be differentiated from Peugeot as a Talbot, and was designed "inhouse". Other Peugeot cars of the time were designed by the famed Italian design house Pininfarina , up until the introduction of
2822-420: The 309 being the first car to be fitted with them. Also benefitted from uprated suspension, tinted glass, a deep front airdam, a leather steering wheel and internally adjustable headlights. Items on the options list included central locking/electric windows (as part of a twinned options pack), a sliding glass sunroof, and metallic/black paint. Some notable limited edition models included: The Zest / Zest D and
2905-585: The 309 continuing into 1998. Many special editions were based on the X/GE, such as the Sport model, which came with a spoiler and side decals; and also the Sunseeker model, which came with a pop up sunroof, and side decals. In some markets a diesel E model was also available, using the 1905 cc XUD engine. All diesel models carry the D suffix on the model badge (XLD, GLD). The Special Equipment model available in
2988-670: The Chrysler Europe project developed in tandem with the American-market Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon . While similar in appearance, and in one case even sharing a model name, the European and American Horizons had significant mechanical differences. The Horizon was developed by Chrysler Europe under the codename C2. It was designed in the United Kingdom at the Whitley design studio by Roy Axe and engineered in France at Poissy by Simca as
3071-620: The French domestic market. Chrysler Horizon The Talbot Horizon is a compact hatchback designed by Chrysler Europe and produced from 1978 to 1987. It was sold under the Simca , Chrysler and Talbot nameplates. The successor to both the Simca 1100 and Hillman Avenger , the Horizon adopted a front-wheel drive, transverse-engine layout. The model line was the Chrysler Corporation's first and only world car , with
3154-505: The Horizon earned praise for its crisp styling, supple ride, and competent handling. The SX version which joined the range for the Paris Motor Show , in October 1978, attracted interest for its innovative trip computer. 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
3237-530: 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. Some limited editions were: In 1982 Talbot and Lotus Cars began work on a Group B rally car meant to succeed the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus . Based on the Talbot Horizon, the car
3320-476: The Peugeot 205 1.6 GTI), uprated GTI specification suspension, and a pair of front fog lights. Options on this also included central locking, electric front windows and the Peugeot vacuum operated moonroof, essentially a large glass sliding sunroof. Post facelift 1.3 models and the 1.4 model also have central locking. Curiously, if the GLX was ordered in white, and later burgundy red, the bumpers were body coloured, with
3403-592: 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. 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 had an electronic LED 'econometer' which lit up several lights around
Peugeot 309 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3486-713: The Talbot Arizona. The end of Horizon production early in 1987 also marked the end of the Talbot badge on passenger cars. However, the North American version of the car continued to be produced 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
3569-511: The United Kingdom in 1989 also added a pop up sunroof and a rear wash/wipe to the standard equipment list. The E designation was replaced by the Style designation, which began as a special edition in 1987, but became a part of the range from 1988, to denote the base model, in line with other contemporary Peugeot models of the time (e.g. the Peugeot 205 Style and the Peugeot 405 Style). The Style
3652-477: The United Kingdom, and in 1987, it was joined on the production line by the larger 405. The 309's successor, the 306 , was also built at Ryton, as was the 206, which was the last vehicle in production there when the plant closed in December 2006. As of September 2022, 41 Peugeot 309 GTis remained on the roads in the United Kingdom, with another 313 registered being kept off the road as SORN. The summer of 1989 saw
3735-504: The XUD engines used in Europe, however, Indian-built 309 diesels received the much smaller 1527-cc TUD5 engine with 57 hp (43 kW); an engine also used by Maruti Udyog . Labour and servicing issues were hindering the car in the marketplace, and after Premier formed a second joint venture with Fiat, Peugeot announced the end of their partnership with PAL in November 1997 with sales of
3818-519: The block, and were known as "tower shafts". An early American overhead camshaft production engine was the SOHC straight-eight engine used in the 1921–1926 Duesenberg Model A luxury car. In 1926, the Sunbeam 3 litre Super Sports became the first production car to use a DOHC engine. In the United States, Duesenberg added DOHC engines (alongside their existing SOHC engines) with the 1928 release of
3901-415: The camshaft. Timing belts are inexpensive, produce minimal noise and have no need for lubrication. A disadvantage of timing belts is the need for regular replacement of the belt; recommended belt life typically varies between approximately 50,000–100,000 km (31,000–62,000 mi). If the timing belt is not replaced in time and fails and the engine is an interference engine , major engine damage
3984-424: The chain driven Simca derived 1118 cc (E1A) and 1294 cc (G1A) overhead valve petrol units from the Horizon, and Peugeot provided 1580/1905 cc petrol belt driven overhead camshaft XU units. Spanish-built cars also used the 1442 cc (Y2) and 1592 cc (J2) "Poissy engine" , as seen previously in the Simca 1307 and Solara as well as the Horizon, instead of the 1580 cc OHC. In July 1986
4067-470: The combustion chamber; however an OHV engine requires pushrods and rocker arms to transfer the motion from the camshaft up to the valves, whereas an OHC engine has the valves directly actuated by the camshaft. Compared with OHV engines with the same number of valves, there are fewer reciprocating components and less valvetrain inertia in an OHC engine. This reduced inertia in OHC engines results in less valve float at higher engine speeds (RPM). A downside
4150-466: The crankshaft and the camshaft is commonly used in diesel overhead camshaft engines used in heavy trucks. Gear trains are not commonly used in engines for light trucks or automobiles. Several OHC engines up until the 1950s used a shaft with bevel gears to drive the camshaft. Examples include the 1908–1911 Maudslay 25/30 , the Bentley 3 Litre , the 1917-? Liberty L-12 , the 1929-1932 MG Midget ,
4233-477: The edge of the speedometer dial. There was also an LED tachometer on top-of-the-range models; this horizontal row of green, yellow, and red LEDs was positioned atop the steering column and lit up in 250 rpm intervals. The Horizon was updated again in 1985, with different interior trim and slight changes to instrument dials and door cards to make the car look more modern, but with the Fiat Ritmo /Strada, it
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#17327767448074316-526: The end of 1992, production of the 309 began to wind down in anticipation for the launch of the new Peugeot 306 , returning Peugeot to their normal numbering scheme. In July 1993, the 309 lineup was severely reduced and only the two Vital (petrol or diesel) models remained on sale until December. In total, 1,635,132 Peugeot 309s were built between 1985 and 1993. 18,262 of these were the GTi model, and 5,896 were GTi 16. As of 2018, only 481 Peugeot 309s remained on
4399-504: The first diesels arrived, the 1905 cc, 65 PS (48 kW) PSA XUD engined GLD, GRD, followed by the SRD in 1987. Certain export markets also received a 60 PS (44 kW) 1769-cc version of this engine from the beginning. In France, the smaller diesel option only arrived in 1992. With 305 sales dropping considerably, the 309 range was expanded considerably in February 1987, when
4482-432: The intake and exhaust ports, since there are no pushrods that need to be avoided. This improves the gas flow through the engine, increasing power output and fuel efficiency . The oldest configuration of overhead camshaft engine is the single overhead camshaft (SOHC) design. A SOHC engine has one camshaft per bank of cylinders, therefore a straight engine has a total of one camshaft and a V engine or flat engine has
4565-715: The intake valves and another for the exhaust valves. Therefore there are two camshafts for a straight engine and a total of four camshafts for a V engine or a flat engine. A V engine or flat engine requires four camshafts to function as a DOHC engine, since having two camshafts in total would result in only a single camshaft per cylinder bank for these engine layouts. Some V engines with four camshafts have been marketed as "quad-cam" engines, however technically "quad-cam" would require four camshafts per cylinder bank (i.e. eight camshafts in total), therefore these engines are merely dual overhead camshaft engines. Many DOHC engines have four valves per cylinder. The camshaft usually operates
4648-417: 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 produced 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
4731-421: The introduction of the Phase 2 Peugeot 309. It revised the design of the rear, lowering the boot lip, changing the rear lights to a more 'smoked style' and making slight alterations to the front radiator grille. Also, an updated interior was required to address severe criticisms leveled at the Phase 1's, Talbot-designed multi-piece dashboard which was prone to developing squeaks and rattles. The GTi models received
4814-502: The latter finished production in 1981. After Chrysler Europe collapsed in 1978 and was sold to Peugeot, the Horizon was rebadged as a 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 (which was actually four years older), Opel Kadett / Vauxhall Astra and third generation Ford Escort . The unrefined overhead-valve engines carried over from
4897-515: The new Automatic (only with five doors) and the XA and XAD two-seater vans which arrived in February. The 309 was also significant in that it was the first Peugeot car to be assembled in the former Rootes factory in Ryton-on-Dunsmore , which Peugeot had inherited with its buyout of Chrysler Europe in 1978. Largely due to its partially British origins, the Peugeot 309 became a popular choice in
4980-602: 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. In Britain, it
5063-526: The rear flanks. These were only built in Phase 1 guise and many enthusiasts say that the SR was a better balanced car to drive than the GTI. However, not many SRs remain. It also came with opening rear windows (three door), a digital clock, a black spoiler (painted spoiler from the GTI after the facelift), driving lamps and a load area lamp. Options included alloy wheels, central locking/electric windows (only available as
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#17327767448075146-454: The rights to the Crosley engine format were bought by a few different companies, including General Tire in 1952, followed by Fageol in 1955, Crofton in 1959, Homelite in 1961, and Fisher Pierce in 1966, after Crosley closed the automotive factory doors, and they continued to produce the same engine for several more years. A camshaft drive using three sets of cranks and rods in parallel
5229-810: The road in the UK at the end of 2016. The main Horizon production lines were Poissy in France and PSA Ryton Assembly in England. 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. At the time, British Horizons had 60% British parts content. It was also manufactured in Spain in Villaverde by PSA Peugeot Citroën's Spanish subsidiary, and in Finland by Saab - Valmet from 1979 onwards. The Finnish-made Talbot Horizons integrated many Saab components, especially in
5312-530: The roads in the United Kingdom, with another 1,378 registered being kept off the road as SORN . India's Premier Automobiles Limited (PAL) began local assembly of the long mothballed 309 in 1995, only with five-door bodywork. Originally available only as a petrol-engined GL model powered by the TU3 engine, waitlisted buyers for the GL received the option to choose a diesel engine (GLD) instead, beginning in 1997. Rather than
5395-402: 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. Soon thereafter, however, it started to lose sales in
5478-675: The starting point for both Mercedes' and Rolls-Royce's aircraft engines. Mercedes created a series of six-cylinder engines which culminated in the Mercedes D.III . Rolls-Royce reversed-engineered the Mercedes cylinder head design based on a racing car left in England at the beginning of the war, leading to the Rolls-Royce Eagle V12 engine. Other SOHC designs included the Spanish Hispano-Suiza 8 V8 engine (with
5561-405: The three-door bodystyle was added. In line with Peugeot's naming policy of the time, five-door models generally have equipment levels beginning with the letter G , while three-doors begin with the letter X . Other important new models was the XU 1905 cc-engined high performance GTi version of the 309 using the same 1905 cc XU9 engine as found in the 205 GTi. Other new versions in 1987 were
5644-447: The timing between each camshaft and the crankshaft. This affords better fuel economy by allowing a broader torque curve. Although each major manufacturer has their own trade name for their specific system of variable cam phasing systems, overall they are all classified as variable valve timing . The rotation of a camshaft is driven by a crankshaft . Many 21st century engines use a toothed timing belt made from rubber and kevlar to drive
5727-437: The top of the engine. Large aircraft engines— particularly air-cooled engines— experienced considerable thermal expansion, causing the height of the cylinder block to vary during operating conditions. This expansion caused difficulties for pushrod engines, so an overhead camshaft engine using a shaft drive with sliding spline was the easiest way to allow for this expansion. These bevel shafts were usually in an external tube outside
5810-429: The unique " Blanc Meije " color, white wheel hubs, sunroof, unique decals and " Green " logo in the back, green seatbelts and interior fabric, tinted windows, rear windshield wiper, painted bumpers with a unique green stripe. The Goodwood , Limited Edition for the United Kingdom was a GTI with full black leather interior as standard, and no cost optional wooden steering wheel, gearknob and CD Autochanger. The 309 Goodwood
5893-414: The valves directly via a bucket tappet . A DOHC design permits a wider angle between intake and exhaust valves than in SOHC engines, which improves the air-fuel mixture's flow through the engine. A further benefit is that the spark plug can be placed at the optimum location, which in turn improves combustion efficiency . Another newer benefit of DOHC engine design is the ability to independently change/phase
5976-517: Was also available with the 1124 cc and 1360 cc TU and 1905 cc XUD (Style D) engines, all with five speed gearboxes, after the Simca units were phased out. A three speed automatic option was available with the XU5 engined GL. Later in the production run, the XL model was dropped, and a 1769 cc XUD turbo diesel engine was added to the L range, to become GLDTurbo, which featured alloy wheels (from
6059-624: Was fitted with a mid-mounted Lotus type 911 engine driving the rear wheels. The project was cancelled after two prototypes had been built. Peugeot subsequently began development of their all-wheel drive 205 T16 . The North American versions of the Horizon were the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon . Although they appeared to share the same external bodywork as the European Horizon, the panels were in fact not interchangeable. They were also vastly different mechanically – using
6142-605: Was intended to be a "world car" designed for consumers on both sides of the Atlantic , but in execution, the European and North American versions of the vehicle have very little in common. Born largely out of the need to replace the ageing Simca 1100 in France, the Horizon was essentially a shortened version of the larger 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 "Poissy" OHV engines , 4-speed gearboxes, and torsion-bar suspension,
6225-546: 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. Although it didn't officially replace any of the British Chryslers ;– despite being a similar size to the rear-wheel drive Sunbeam and traditional Hillman Avenger saloon and estates which had been on sale since 1970 – both of
6308-438: Was now one of the oldest mainstream family hatchback on sale in Europe, and faced competition from even more new competitors. Fewer paint colours were available and fewer models. Many of the late cars, which were built between 1985 and 1986, were painted in an unsympathetic pale green or cream. Horizons had initially been available in more adventurous colours including orange, but many of these colours had gone out of fashion after
6391-520: Was one of the first production cars to use an SOHC engine. During World War I, both the Allied and Central Powers ; specifically those of the German Empire 's Luftstreitkräfte air forces, sought to quickly apply the overhead camshaft technology of motor racing engines to military aircraft engines. The SOHC engine from the Mercedes 18/100 GP car (which won the 1914 French Grand Prix) became
6474-570: Was only available in limited numbers for the United Kingdom (only 398 vehicles were constructed) in metallic pinewood green with anthracite Speedline alloy wheels, with a polished metal lip on the outer rim and badging depicting the Goodwood racing circuit on the front wings, tailgate and steering wheel boss. When the Goodwood was launched, the high asking price resulted in some examples not finding homes until 1994, hence some being registered on an 'L' prefix registration. The models listed below are for
6557-528: Was phased out completely when Talbot Express production stopped in 1994. The 309 had been conceived as Projet C28 as a replacement for the Talbot Horizon , and as a result its development had been performed by the former Chrysler/Simca wing of PSA. Styling was the responsibility of the former Chrysler-Rootes design studios in Coventry , whilst much of the engineering was done at the Simca site at Poissy in France. The only stipulation from PSA management
6640-427: Was seen as a modern alternative to the existing Rootes-designed Avenger models, offering buyers a front-wheel drive hatchback alongside the rear-wheel drive saloons and estates. The Avenger was produced alongside it 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
6723-475: Was that the new car had to use as much existing architecture as possible; hence the use of a stretched Peugeot 205 floorpan and door shells, whilst the Simca engines and transmissions from the Horizon were also carried over. The 309's design was presaged by the 1982 Peugeot VERA Plus (followed by the VERA Profil in 1985), which were aerodynamic studies developed by Peugeot at the time. The VERA Plus claimed
6806-472: Was the 1962 Glas 1004 compact coupe. Another camshaft drive method commonly used on modern engines is a timing chain , constructed from one or two rows of metal roller chains . By the early 1960s most production automobile overhead camshaft designs used chains to drive the camshaft(s). Timing chains do not usually require replacement at regular intervals, however the disadvantage is that they are noisier than timing belts. A gear train system between
6889-410: Was used in the 1920–1923 Leyland Eight luxury car built in the United Kingdom. A similar system was used in the 1926-1930 Bentley Speed Six and the 1930-1932 Bentley 8 Litre . A two-rod system with counterweights at both ends was used by many models of the 1958-1973 NSU Prinz . Among the first overhead camshaft engines were the 1902 Maudslay SOHC engine built in the United Kingdom and
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