 Use of the RR layout was a first for Simca, although leading auto-makers in France and Germany had been applying it to mainstream small cars for more than a decade.In addition to the rear engine, the fuel tank of the Simca 1000 was located in the rear, behind the rear passenger seat.This gave the car a 35/65 front/rear weight distribution, with an extremely light and nimble front end and a responsive oversteer on curvy roads.