MATRA

Matra was established in 1945 and began with a twin-engine aircraft meant to be the fastest propeller plane in the world. In 1951 an aircraft with a Matra-built engine was the first in Europe to break the sound barrier in horizontal flight, and in 1961 the company became prime contractor for the first satellites of the European space programme.

In 1964 Matra bought the car maker Automobiles René Bonnet and founded Matra Automobiles, which produced a limited range of racing and sports cars and worked closely with Renault. Within a decade it had sold its road-car division to Chrysler Europe. Jean-Luc Lagardère was chief executive for about three decades; in 1999 the aerospace and defence arm merged with Aérospatiale, and Matra was declared bankrupt in 2003.