Thanks to its neutral road holding, firm chassis and close-ratio four-speed gearbox, the Simca 1500 was just as tempting to drive as the popular Munich products. The engine performance was also on a par with the southern German competition. If only it hadn't been for the clunky gearbox and the lousy workmanship, the Frenchman with the large windows could certainly have won over some BMW customers, as this historical test report shows.