Arguably the most attractive of the sports cars to emerge from Matra’s Romorantin plant was the Murena which replaced the Bagheera, both designed by Antonis Volanis, in 1980.
The Murena used the same chassis as the Bagheera but it differed crucially in now being made from galvanized steel so that it did not rot as the chassis of the Bagheera was renowned for.
Inside the new fibreglass-polyester body there was a row of three seats for the driver and two passengers and the engine was mid mounted both features as per Bagheera.
Two engine sizes were available 70hp 1.6 litre / 97 cui from the Talbot Solara saloon and 115 hp 2.2 litre / 134 cui with a heavy cast iron block from the Talbot Togara saloon the later being available with single or twin carburetors which boosted the power to 142hp.
Production of the Murena only lasted from 1980 to 1983 by which time Renault, to whom Matra were about switch allegiance from Talbot part of the Peugeot Société Anonyme group, asked Matra to desist from building any more Murena’s.
In all 10,680 Murena’s were built before Matra’s Romorantin plant switched to building Renault Espace mini vans.
Thanks for joining me on this “Galvanised Chassis Frame” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !
