Talbot makes a comeback?

Peugeot-Citroen may resurrect the Talbot badge for a series of low-cost cars, the French press has reported. The sources say that PSA is considering building a range of back-to-basics vehicles in developing nations, which would then be imported for sale in western European markets. According to the newspaper reports, PSA would like to enter the budget car market, but does not want to tarnish its existing brands by using them on a low-cost car. PSA has also seen the success of Renault's Dacia project, which has seen three different models based on the old-model Clio, go into production around the world, as well as being a sales success in western Europe. Renault claims that eventually 1 million Dacias could be built each year. The project plans are said not be well advanced, with the idea still at "consideration" stage. It's possible that the low-cost car project will eventually replace the Toyota-based Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1. The history of the Talbot brand is long and complex. It was originally applied to imported French cars in 1905 by a British company, which was financially underpinned by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury. The British Rootes group took the name over in 1935 and combined to Sunbeam-Talbot in 1938. The Talbot badge was also simultaneously in use in France as Talbot-Lago. Simca bought the brand in 1958 and Chrysler took over Simca in 1967. In 1978 Peugeot took over the Chrylser Europe operation and revived the Talbot name to create the re-badged Talbot Horizon hatch, Talbot Samba (based on the Peugeot 104) and the large boxy Talbot Tagora executive car. Talbot cars died off in 1986 although a Talbot Express van lived on until 1992.