Talbot Samba Rallye: Даму та қасиеттері

The Sunbeam was originally conceived by Chrysler as a stopgap model, developed to keep the Linwood works running—it was based on the running gear of the earlier Avenger made there—while helping the company to maintain a foothold in the growing small car market. Aware that a more modern design was needed to compete with upcoming front wheel drive rivals, Chrysler undertook some development work on a shortened version of the Chrysler Horizon (which had the development code C2), dubbed C2 short, but it was cut short by the company's financial problems and plans to divest Chrysler Europe. Fitted with the 1219 cc XZ version of the X engine, delivering 66 kilowatt (90 PS), it came in either white or red, with a hood scoop and side stripes. In 1984, a version with the 1360 cc unit producing 59 kilowatt (80 PS) was launched, without the stripes. A special rallye only Group B model, officially called the Peugeot Talbot Sport Samba Rallye preceded the later Peugeot 205 T16, with a 1285 cc, 96 kilowatt engine (130 PS). It proved effective on asphalt. In January 1983, the Samba type SRE was homologated, and two hundred examples were produced by the PTS group mainly aimed at private drivers. While still competitive, the Samba Rallye was considerably less expensive than other brands. Its weight is , thanks to the use of fiberglass body parts (the doors, the rear hatch, the engine cover). Suspension is coil overs, while the brakes are AP Lockheed four piston calipers at the front and aluminum two piston calipers for the rear. Also fitted was an aluminum roll bar, faster steering rack, Makrolon windows, hydraulic handbrake, one piece PTS rims, front and rear anti roll bar, four in two in one exhaust, oil cooler, and a reinforced rear axle. The overhead camshaft engine was increased to 1,285 cc and produced , all coupled to a short gearbox with self locking differential. Talbot Samba Rallye Group B SRE2 evolution
In January 1984 the Samba Rallye evolution type SR2 is homologated. The changes are numerous: increased tracks with wide fenders in polyester, triangulated front axle, new engine cradle, lengthened and reinforced transmission gimbals, fiber front bumper with brake cooling scoops, new anti roll bar, standard triple Y exhaust (4 2 1), adoption of a new generation front and rear AP brake, specific steering rods and the possibility of choosing five different roll cage models (aluminum or steel). The engine increases to 1,296 cc and with the adoption of a more aggressive camshaft and larger intake ducts. Quickly a catalog including all the Samba group B parts is offered by the Peugeot team. This is how some private pilots could have their own Group B Samba built by small workshops like Mathiot, Brozzi, or Bouhier. This has the effect of increasing the number of Samba group B beyond the initial two hundred copies released. The car notably won the 1985 Al Fito Hill Climb, with Spaniard Paulino Diaz. 1,440 and 1,550 cc evolutions
Two engine manufacturers are at the origin of the development of these ultimate evolutions. They are Mathiot and Brozzi, they obtain these displacements by changing the engine bore to 78.50 mm for the 1440 and 80 mm for 1550 cc. These engines were already present on the Peugeot 104 Group 5 as well as on the Citroën Visa Mille Pistes. To fit in with rally regulations, the little Samba had to be ballasted in order to reach the minimum weight required for cars in the 1600 cc class. On the other hand, in hillclimbing, it was at the right weight of 675 kg and in this discipline, it became an even more successful machine.

In 1982, the Talbot Group was merged into Peugeot within PSA, and responsibility for the model was devolved to France. The Whitley design studio was dissolved, and some of the designers crossed over to British Leyland, where they joined their former boss Roy Axe. PSA had by then already started work on a replacement for the Samba, based on the Citroën AX, a few prototypes of which—essentially rebadged AXs—were created in 1983/84. The Samba sold reasonably well throughout 1982 and 1983, after which sales began to suffer, partly because of the model's aging and partly because of competition from the very popular Peugeot 205, which created strong internal competition within PSA for the little Talbot. The Citroën AX was launched without a twin in 1986, and the only other Talbot in development, the Arizona family hatchback, was launched instead as the Peugeot 309 at the end of 1985. Production of the Samba ended in May 1986, by which time 270,555 had been made, signalling the beginning of the end of the Talbot brand for passenger cars,

The Talbot Samba is almost extinct on UK roads with only 12 remaining as of 2018.

In Jeremy Clarkson's 2009 DVD Duel, a 1984 Talbot Samba Cabriolet was destroyed by hurling it from a catapult into a wall, with a speed camera nearby showing that its speed was before it hit the wall and exploded.