Matra Bagheera: three abreast in a mid-engined hatchback

The Matra Bagheera was a mid-engined sports coupé built from 1973 to 1980 in cooperation with Simca. It was sold as the Matra-Simca Bagheera and, in its final year, as the Talbot-Matra Bagheera. Its most unusual feature was seating for three abreast in a low, aerodynamic hatchback body.

Matra Bagheera at a glance

Based on the English Wikipedia article on the Matra Bagheera.

History of the Matra Bagheera

Conception

In December 1969 Matra and Simca agreed a partnership that rebranded Matra’s racing cars as Matra-Simcas and gave Matra access to the Simca dealer network. The first joint project was a replacement for the Matra 530, which had missed both its market and its sales targets. Work began in 1970 under the code M550, led by Matra’s head of engineering Philippe Guédon with Chrysler-Simca product planner Jacques Rousseau. Simca’s strongest market was cars of 1.3 to 1.5 litres, so the new car was sized around that class, and as many components as possible came from the Chrysler-Simca parts bin.

Three abreast

Simca wanted more than two seats. Guédon was not satisfied with the cramped 2+2 of the M530 either; on a long trip in a Ford Taunus estate, with the boot full and three people sitting abreast in front, he found the solution. The M550 sat three abreast: a normal driver’s seat and, on the passenger side, a two-place bench whose individual seatbacks were inspired by a lounge chair Guédon had seen in a Paris shop. The convex body sides made room for it.

Development and launch

Eleven prototypes were tested from Mauritania to Lapland and crash-tested, and development was complete by the end of 1972. The car was built at Romorantin and named after the character in Kipling’s The Jungle Book. It was unveiled to the press at Lake Annecy on 14 April 1973 and to the public at the 24 Heures du Mans, where Simca had arranged 500 yellow cars for its dealers. By late 1973 production reached 65 cars a day, and by June 1974 more than 10,000 had been sold.

Body and chassis

The shape was drawn by Jean Toprieux and refined by Jacques Nochet, with Antonis Volanis contributing the interior, instrument panel and steering wheel. The 19 body panels were made by a low-pressure, high-temperature pressing process called LP, new to Matra and only twelve months old when production began. The finish caused problems and in 1975 the Bagheera received the German ADAC “Silver Lemon” award as the new car with the most faults. The chassis was pressed steel, close to a unitary body; the front suspension came from the Simca 1100, while the rear used Matra-designed trailing arms with transverse torsion bars.

End of production

No right-hand-drive Bagheeras were built by the factory, though some were converted. The car was marketed as the Matra-Simca Bagheera until its final year, when Chrysler Europe’s collapse and PSA’s takeover changed its name to Talbot-Matra Bagheera. It was replaced by the Matra Murena.

Design and features

• Three-abreast seating: a 2+1 layout with a two-place passenger bench.
• Hidden headlamps: a sleek hatchback nose with a Cd of 0.33.
• Mid-mounted Simca 1100 engine: familiar mechanicals behind the cabin.
• Style Auto Award 1973: it beat the Lancia Stratos, Lancia Beta coupé and Ferrari Dino 308 GT4.

Matra Bagheera versions

• Bagheera (1973–1979): the original Matra-Simca car.
• Bagheera S: the better-equipped version.
• Talbot-Matra Bagheera (1980): the final-year name after the PSA takeover.

The Bagheera replaced the Matra 530 and was followed by the Matra Murena. More cars are in the Matra collection.

Sources

• Matra Bagheera, English Wikipedia: development, body, chassis, sales