Matra Rancho
Matra Simca Rancho (1977-1979)
The Talbot -Matra Rancho was a leisure vehicle of the automobile manufacturer Talbot. The model based on the Simca 1100 pickup was designed in 1976 Matra - planning office of Antonis Volanis. We developed the Simca by fiberglass attachments to a leisure car in SUV look. Was used as the motor 80 hp engine from the Simca Talbot 1308 or 1510. However, the originally thought -wheel drive appeared those responsible expensive, so you finally sample Reserve left with front wheel drive.
Model history
The Matra - Simca Rancho was presented in March 1977 at the Geneva Auto Salon and the public came in the summer of 1977 in the sale.
After the PSA Group had bought Chrysler Europe in the summer of 1978, the vehicle was redistributed from August 1979 to the new owner as a Talbot Matra Rancho. In the spring of 1981 the special model Decouvrable was presented without side and rear windows.
Due to a new partnership with Renault and feared competition with its own sports models had to Matra Murena manufacturing the beginning of the year 1984 set during the production of the Rancho already expired in late 1983.
On the production lines of both models Espace was produced from March 1984, the Renault. This was intended as a successor to the Rancho, but was rejected by the former partner Peugeot. Both Rancho and Espace are the first of their respective vehicle class ( compact SUV, Van ) in Europe.
With the Espace III derived from the autumn of 2001 " Van Coupe " Renault Avantime Renault created in collaboration with Matra another (albeit unsuccessful ) category.
Rear view
Models
All models were equipped with the 1442 -cc four-cylinder engine of the Simca 1308:
- Rancho: simple equipment
- Rancho X: with metallic paint, alloy wheels and rev counter
- Rancho Decouvrable: no glass panels in the rear building
Today's inventory
Despite the relatively high production figure of about 56,000 copies of the Rancho is a rarely occurring vehicle today. The reason for this lies in the susceptibility to rust, in the high stress of the vehicle type for everyday use as well as in the initially low level of popularity among collectors of the combined body.
As with most starting in the late 1970s and produced until the early 1980s vehicles rust protection was poor. Together with the resulting high value resulting in loss of the rust problems often leads to a limited total useful life of the vehicle significantly under ten years. In the mid- 1990s was the Rancho largely disappeared from the streets.
By the SUV boom in recent years and by the retro wave of the 1970s, the Rancho pleased by collectors now again rising in popularity.
While a Rancho is to be found in poor condition for a purchase price of less than 1000 €, well -preserved specimens are now so rare that it warrants a purchase price in the five-figure range, which is still below the cost of a complete restoration of approximately 20,000 €.
Spare part location and club scene
The spare parts situation is unexpectedly good. Several dealers are eager to leave no gaps in the supply of spare parts. Because the mechanism with that of other Matra, Talbot and Simca models largely agrees, is to be expected in this respect hardly the emergence of bottlenecks. Self- Rancho - specific body parts are still available.
Matra drivers found in German-speaking countries a lively club scene with numerous meetings. Even with Simca and Talbot clubs you are welcome with a Rancho.