simca matra
- Thread starter gerry freed
- Start date
That's gorgeous, what is it? A Murena?
What can you tell us about them?
Look what's parked behind it - A "ME".
(SIMCA1100)
What can you tell us about them?
Look what's parked behind it - A "ME".
(SIMCA1100)
Yes, it is a Murena. The history has much in common with Panhard. The famous Le Mans winning DB Panhard team split up and eventually the B half – Claude Bonnet sold his business into the Matra group (Lagardère). They specialised in vehicles based on a cold galvanised steel structure and fibreglass bodies. This car used Talbot mechanicals including an engine from the joint Renault PSA factory that supplied the CX Athena motor.
When Chrysler Simca quit Talbot, PSA acquired the name and this model. They had no particular interest in the car after the SM experience and like the Panhard range, they killed it off.
Matra carried on mainly with Renault until they too quit making cars after the Avantime.
The car itself was again like the Panhard for today's collectors– very specialised engineering, rare components and a masterpeice of inaccesability. It is very expensive to fix because it came from an era when labour was relatively cheap and they enjoyed making things as time consuming as possible.
The engine is mounted transversely just ahead of the rear wheels and was like the Athena 4 pots developing 142bhp in a 2.2 litre version and there was also a 1.6, both with a five speed box. A top speed of 210 kph was claimed for the bigger motor.
The suspension is longitudinal torsion bars at the front and springs at the rear with conventional shock absorbers, upper and lower triangular arms and anti roll bars.
It was designed by Antoine Volanis with a Cd of .32 and as you can see in the photo, it is a very pretty car. Three seats at the front and the motor where the rear seat passengers might have been.
They made about 10,000 between 1980 and 1983 and sales stopped in 1984. The bodywork is typical Matra technology – hot moulded resin fibreglass powder mix that is not easy to reproduce.
I have no idea how many are left, perhaps the French Simca clubs might know.
When Chrysler Simca quit Talbot, PSA acquired the name and this model. They had no particular interest in the car after the SM experience and like the Panhard range, they killed it off.
Matra carried on mainly with Renault until they too quit making cars after the Avantime.
The car itself was again like the Panhard for today's collectors– very specialised engineering, rare components and a masterpeice of inaccesability. It is very expensive to fix because it came from an era when labour was relatively cheap and they enjoyed making things as time consuming as possible.
The engine is mounted transversely just ahead of the rear wheels and was like the Athena 4 pots developing 142bhp in a 2.2 litre version and there was also a 1.6, both with a five speed box. A top speed of 210 kph was claimed for the bigger motor.
The suspension is longitudinal torsion bars at the front and springs at the rear with conventional shock absorbers, upper and lower triangular arms and anti roll bars.
It was designed by Antoine Volanis with a Cd of .32 and as you can see in the photo, it is a very pretty car. Three seats at the front and the motor where the rear seat passengers might have been.
They made about 10,000 between 1980 and 1983 and sales stopped in 1984. The bodywork is typical Matra technology – hot moulded resin fibreglass powder mix that is not easy to reproduce.
I have no idea how many are left, perhaps the French Simca clubs might know.
thanks Gerry, very interesting.
By the way, I have long wondered - how do the French say "1100" in relation to the Simca 1100?
I understand the Simca 1000 was called the "Mille", how do you say "1100", is it "mille cent?"
Thanks
By the way, I have long wondered - how do the French say "1100" in relation to the Simca 1100?
I understand the Simca 1000 was called the "Mille", how do you say "1100", is it "mille cent?"
Thanks
Oui, mille cent.
Similar to dates. Take 1960 - in English, Nineteen Sixty. In good French we say Mille Neuf Cent Soixante. I do hear Dix Neuf Soixante occasionally but it is just part of the anglicisation of the language. While on the subject, visitors sometimes have problems exchanging phone numbers.
Take Oh too for too, too double eight six five nine, my old number in the 'Gong for example.
You would write it as
0242 288 659
In France it would be written as
02 42 28 86 59 and spoken as zéro deux, quarante deux, vingt huit, quatre vingt huit, cinquante neuf if you don't want to confuse a Frenchman.
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matra
You may be surprised to know there is one in Perth ........... but I'm not telling where!!
You may be surprised to know there is one in Perth ........... but I'm not telling where!!
Personally, I always preferred the Bagheera (spelling?). Mind you, both were weak brews after the Djet/Jet.
cheers! Peter
cheers! Peter
520's or Djet all the way for me...of course, they all pale next to any DB or CD-Panhard. Drooool.
By the way, does anyone know the history of the Djet that was an Bonhams 'Motoclassica'? At $50k estimate, seemed on the high side, but not ridiculous...I know it was passed in though.
By the way, does anyone know the history of the Djet that was an Bonhams 'Motoclassica'? At $50k estimate, seemed on the high side, but not ridiculous...I know it was passed in though.
So true, it's funny when I try to give the Mrs a phone number in single digit english to find her confused at times so I revert to two digit in french.