Gagarin's Matra

[Russell Hall]

During a tour of France Yuri Gagarin admired a Matra on a stand at an exhibition. Upon his return to Moscow he was called into the French Embassy where the Ambassador presented him with the car. He liked the car vey much. After his untimely death in 1968 the car was preserved at Star City. After the Soviet collapse in 1990 it was sold to a Lithuanian collector.
Gagarin is still much admired in Russia and an opinion poll published last week made him the most admired person of the Soviet era by a long margin.

 

[4cvgordini]

I imagine that even more than other Djets, this one will be preserved. Then again, if Putin reassimilates Lithuania, who knows what will happen in the fog of war.

cheers! Peter

 

[Russell Hall]

I have no information on the car since 1990 but is there an international register? In thirty years a car can end up anywhere.

 

[4cvgordini]

No doubt Club Djet knows.

 

[Russell Hall]

It's luck if it landed with a proper owner. The perfectly preserved cars of the Kremlin Garage haven't been so lucky and were sold off to anyone. Joe Stalin's Zis limo was stolen last week.
The Matra had a low mileage because Gagarin was a modest bloke but everyone knew the Matra was his and when he drove it around Moscow he attracted a crowd. It stood out in Moscow of the 1960's and people were impressed with its style.

 

[4cvgordini]

Mind you, the Djet's shape was not determined by considerations of style but by considerations of aerodynamic efficiency for racing. Its Cd is an amazing .26 &, given its narrowness, its CdA is dramatically good as well.

 

[Russell Hall]

A suitable car for a Cosmonaut then.

 

[AlexB]

During a tour of France Yuri Gagarin admired a Matra on a stand at an exhibition. Upon his return to Moscow he was called into the French Embassy where the Ambassador presented him with the car. He liked the car vey much. After his untimely death in 1968 the car was preserved at Star City. After the Soviet collapse in 1990 it was sold to a Lithuanian collector.

What an amazing rabbit hole this post has turned into.
There is a quite informative 2011 article Gagarin and his Djet by Bertrand Villeret in French, Russian and English. In it he attributes the vehicle Carnet shown in your post to Copyright Matra -Lagardère, 1965, courtesy of Club René Bonnet - Matra Sports April 2011

http://www.rbms.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=585

The information page on the "Club René Bonnet - Matra Sports" website translates to

"The Club has for each vehicle produced, its full description, engine, options, color. If you want more information about your car, send us a photocopy of your vehicle registration document and we will send you the description of your car."

Apparently the original Gagarin photos were all B&W and someone photoshopped one to Matra Blue but his chassis number is reputed to be
Gris Platine - Platinum Gray.

 

[Russell Hall]

Indeed the other photos of the car near the space obelisk are all in black and white, although one contemporary Soviet news report of the handover did call it blue. A minor motoring footnote.
The gift was not without controversy. Gagarin was visiting the Le Bourget Air Show in 1965 where Matra had a stand of aeronautical equipment and also had their car on display. A Yugoslav publication criticised Gagarin for being more interested in the car than the aeronautical rocket displays. A query from the Central Committee was made but the gift had the support of his Minister and the Ambassador to France.

 

[4cvgordini]

A sort of semi-related aside I suppose: when the RAAF had Mirage 111 fighters, the missiles were by Matra (now part of Airbus).