26-1605 Charge Utile HS 116 - Unic 1959-1961

Brand: Charge Utile
Series: Special Issue N°116 - Unic 1959-1961

(pages: 84)

In 1959, Unic was at a turning point in its history. With the help of its main shareholder, the Simca group, and the efforts of its boss, the charismatic Henri-Théodore Pigozzi, the brand was back on track. Models were made more reliable and improved, and production facilities were considerably modernized and expanded. But all the models in the range, the ZU, while still more or less holding their own, are beginning to show the effects of age. Faced with increasing national and international competition, it is essential to renew the range.

The Puteaux design offices had already been working on this for several years. The first concrete result of these studies came in the spring of 1960, with the presentation of the first MZU models equipped with new four- and six-cylinder MZ engines. The lightest models also benefited from a new hooded cab from Fiat. This embryonic new range was completed the following year with chassis equipped with an all-new advanced cab, but major reliability problems forced the manufacturer to rethink its plans and introduce new, more reliable engines for the MZ models. Thanks to major after-sales efforts, Unic can now look to the future with greater peace of mind...