The restoration of our Simca Aronde A90 Elysee at SAVA in Rioz

Found again in 2022, our second Aronde A90 Elysee first stayed on the road after the necessary checks. In September 2024, we entrusted it to Garage SAVA in Rioz for a complete restoration led by Julien and Laetitia.

This page follows the work as it actually happened: first the diagnosis, then safety, then mechanics, bodywork, upholstery and finishing details.

Key facts. Car bought in spring 2022. Restoration started at Garage SAVA in September 2024. Julien handles mechanics and bodywork, Laetitia the upholstery and interior trim.

A Simca Aronde restored by Garage SAVA

Driving it first to understand it properly

When we collected this Aronde in 2022, it was already running, started well and offered a decent basis. The interior was tired and some details of presentation were only approximate, but the car deserved more than a quick verdict. We therefore preferred to use it for some time before deciding on a heavier restoration.

Those two years on the road were useful. They allowed us to understand how the car behaved, to separate ordinary maintenance from the work that clearly called for a deeper project.

Our Aronde arriving at Garage SAVA
Our Aronde on arrival at Garage SAVA.

September 2024, the assessment in Rioz

Arrival at Garage SAVA changed the scale of the job. Julien and Laetitia began with a complete inspection: shell, floors, braking system, running gear, electrics, engine, trim, headliner and door cards. The aim was not to dismantle for the sake of it, but to know exactly what could be kept, rebuilt or corrected.

That first diagnosis quickly confirmed that the car required a full restoration, even if every element was not in the same condition. Some parts could be saved; others had to be redone properly.

The Flash engine after overhaul
The Flash engine after overhaul.

Mechanics and safety first

As usual, safety came before appearance. Brakes, cylinders, cables, drums and suspension parts were checked or rebuilt. The floor, steering and rear axle were also reviewed so that the car could return to a sound basis before anyone worried about cosmetics.

The Flash engine was then removed and examined together with its main ancillaries. Radiator, water pump, fuel supply, ignition, starter, dynamo, gearbox and control cable were cleaned, checked or rebuilt according to what disassembly revealed. The logic stayed very concrete: restart from a reliable car, not only from a presentable one.

Bodywork, paint and the two-tone line

The bodywork stage tackled the weak spots expected on an Aronde of this age: sills, battery support, rear valance, corroded areas around the rear running gear and some wheel-arch repairs. Damaged metal was cut out and replaced before the whole shell was prepared for paint.

The repaint was not chosen for effect alone. We decided to recover the visual reading of our first Aronde, especially in the position of the two-tone line, so that a visible link would remain between the two cars. The wheels, some engine accessories and various presentation parts were also refinished to make the whole car clean, coherent and durable.

The rear bench after restoration
The rear bench after restoration.

Upholstery and finishing work

Inside the car, the work was almost total. Seats, door cards, armrests, headliner, sun visors and various trim pieces were remade by Laetitia with the aim of staying as close as possible to the original spirit. When a part could be saved, such as some floor mats after cleaning, it was kept.

The finishing details matter as much as the heavy work: lenses, dashboard, handles, hubcaps and small parts often consume considerable time. They are also what give the restoration its final tone. For us, this project matters twice over: it puts a known car back on the road and it documents the very concrete beginnings of Garage SAVA.

Sources