Tag Archives: Volanis

Minivan SUV – Talbot Matra Rancho

Having established it’s sports car credentials with Simca on the collaborative Bagheera, Matra’s next joint effort with Simca was to build a front wheel drive off road version of the little 5 door Simca 1100 hatchback which became known as the Rancho.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

The design used the front end of the front wheel drive Simca 1100 fourgonette van with an extended chassis on to which Matra’s fibreglass and polyester body, designed by Antonis Volanis, was grafted.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Unusually the vehicle had three rows of seats not unlike later popular minivans, the interior was largely taken directly from the Simca 1100 parts bins including seats and instrumentation.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

The car’s ground clearance was raised for off road use and an 80 hp 1.4 litre / 87.9 cui version of the Poissey engine shared with the Simca 1307 and Matra Bagheera models was fitted.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

The Matra Simca was launched in 1977 and was rebranded Talbot Matra Rancho in 1979 after Peugeot merged Chrysler Europe’s brands into it’s portfolio, in all 57,792 Rancho’s were built with Minivan SUV, as seen here, detachable canvas and commercial van bodie styles until 1985 when the model was discontinued.

Talbot Matra Rancho, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

Matra went on to develop a Minivan with three row’s of seats for it’s next concept which Peugeot turned down but Renault accepted with open arms leading Matra to becoming part of the Renault industrial complex and the launch of the Renault Espace in 1984.

Thanks for joining me on this “Minivan SUV” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Galvanised Chassis Frame – Talbot Matra Murena

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.

Talbot Matra Murena, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

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.

Talbot Matra Murena, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

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.

Talbot Matra Murena, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

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.

Talbot Matra Murena, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

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.

Talbot Matra Murena, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

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 !

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Baby Urraco – Matra Simca Bagheera

After Matra entered an agreement with Chrysler Europe to distribute it’s Ford V4 powered 530 through the Simca dealer network in 1969 the two companies agreed to work on a new Chrysler Simca powered replacement which became the Matra Simca Bagheera which was launched in 1973.

Matra Simca Bagheera,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Designed by Antonis Volanis the Bagheera, named after Rudyard Kiplings panther character in The Jungle Book, retained the mid engine layout of it’s 530 and Djet antecedents, but unusually featured three seats abreast in the cockpit.

Matra Simca Bagheera,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

Originally the Bagheera was powered by an 84 hp 1294 cc / 78.9 cui 4 cylinder engine, sourced from the Simca 1100 TI 5 door hatchback, which gave the car a top speed of 101 mph, in 1975 a Bagheera S with a 90 bhp version of the Simca 1308 1442cc / 87.9 cui engine raised the top speed up to 109 mph. Three prototype Bagheera’s were built with two transverse engines driving a common prop shaft to make a U configuration, as seen on the Bugatti T45, but never got beyond the evaluation stage

Matra Simca Bagheera,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

British motoring LJK Streight was so impressed with the Bagheera when he tested it that he likened it to a “baby Lamborghini Urraco”, the only downside to the model was that the steel chassis beneath the fibre glass body had no rust protection and was prone to rot.

Matra Simca Bagheera,  Classic Motorshow, NEC, Birmingham

The Bagheera’s body was updated in 1976 and the interior in 1978, the model seen here at the Classic Motor Show was built in 1979, in July 1979 the model was rebranded as a Talbot Matra Bagheera, and was first registered in the UK in April 1984.

In all 47,802 Bagheeras were built between 1973 and 1980 when the model was replaced by the Talbot Matra Murena a model I shall be looking at next Tuesday.

Thanks for joining me on this “Baby Urraco” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be visiting the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham. Don’t forget to come back now !

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