Matra · 1977–1984
Matra Rancho
The Matra Rancho is a leisure activity vehicle created by the French engineering group Matra, in cooperation with the automaker Simca, to capitalize on the off-road trend started by the Range Rover. The Rancho provided an "off-road look" at a lower price.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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History
The Rancho was launched in 1977, and became a popular model, but this did not alleviate larger problems at Chrysler Europe (Simca's parent company at the time). Chrysler finally sold its European arm to PSA in 1978, which was then rebranded as Talbot in 1979. The Matra-Simca Rancho became the Talbot Matra Rancho and production continued until 1984 (although it remained on sale up to January 1985), reaching 57,792 cars in total. Designed by Antonis Volanis, the Rancho was based on the pick-up version of Simca's popular supermini, the Simca 1100, using its front structure and a stretched chassis. The rest of the body was made by Matra from fibreglass and polyester, including the mouldings adorning the body, which made it look more "sturdy". This technology would later be used on the Renault Espace, Europe's first MPV, which was manufactured by Matra. The ground clearance was also increased. Unlike most off-roaders, it was not fitted with all-wheel drive, retaining the 1100s front-wheel drive layout. Other elements retained from the 1100 included the dashboard and front seats (identical to the ones found in the Simca 1100 GLS). The Rancho was powered by the 1,442 cc, 80 hp (59 kW) version of the "Poissy" straight-four engine. During its life, the Rancho was offered in several versions. Apart from the basic Rancho, there was the Grand Raid, fitted with such off-road extras as an electric winch on the front bumper and an extra spare wheel mounted on the roof - as well as a limited-slip differential. It also received undercarriage protection, bronze tinted windows, and was only available in a matte green colour. The Rancho X was the upscale model, with additional standard items such as alloy wheels and metallic paint. The Découvrable model's rear cabin consisted of an open fr
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Matra Rancho
- aka
- Matra-Simca Rancho (1977–1979), Talbot Matra Rancho (1980–1984), Matra-Simca and Talbot-Matra Ranch (Italy)
- Manufacturer
- Matra
- Production
- 1977–1984
- Assembly
- France: Romorantin-Lanthenay
- Class
- Leisure activity vehicle
- Layout
- FF layout
- Body style
- 3-door estate
- Engine
- 1.4 L Type 315 ohv I4
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Length
- 4315 mm
- Width
- 1665 mm
- Height
- 1735 mm
- Kerb weight
- 1130 kg
- Wheelbase
- 2520 mm
- Related
- Simca 1100
- Designer
- Antonis Volanis
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q777782CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matra_RanchoCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1357141609 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1977_Simca_Matra_Rancho.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: unknown, affiliated with Garage de l'Est, uploaded by Bravada · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.