Rare Rides: Classic Talbot is a Simca or Matra, and Always a Rancho

Today’s Rare Ride was inspired directly by this Question of the Day, where I asked which car brand you’d bring back from the dead if given the chance. Commenter Menlo suggested the oft-forgotten Talbot, and specifically a unique vehicle they used to make.

Now we can all learn about the Matra Rancho.

First, a short dissertation on branding and business. Matra was a French engineering company that produced cars, bikes, planes, and weapons from 1964 until its closure in 2003. The company branded vehicles under the Matra, Simca, and Talbot marques depending on geography and time of day.

Matra also developed the segment-defining Espace (which then-owner Peugeot declined to make, so the company took it to Renault) as successor to the Rancho we see here. When the hammer came down in 2003, Matra had recently completed one final project: a big MPV which would eventually become everyone’s favorite Renault (speaking of future Rare Rides ideas), the Avantime.

Matra’s automotive arm began to wind down in the early 1990s, after the company was made a part of a larger conglomerate. Matra, Hachette & Lagardère (now known simply as Lagardère) was formed in 1992 and gradually narrowed its focus. Attention moved from engineering pursuits to publishing, travel, sports, and entertainment. You’ll notice cars aren’t on that list. Console yourselves with this photo.

In production from 1977 through 1984, the Matra-Simca Rancho launched at the beginning of the new personal off-road vehicle market created by the Range Rover. There appears to be a very French suspension access mode on this example, to assist in loading.

Matra took its offering in a different direction, marketing the Rancho as a low-cost Range Rover alternative to the masses. To that end, it was front-drive only. As the Rancho launched in 1977, Simca was owned by Chrysler Europe. Financial woes forced the company to sell the entire division to Peugeot PSA in 1978. At that time, Simca was rebranded as Talbot, and the model became the Talbot Matra Rancho.

There were a wide range of options for the Rancho. An electric winch, roof racks with spare wheels, or a limited-slip differential were available. There was also a variant with removable fabric panels at the rear, turning the vehicle into an open-air exploring machine. This one has some lovely plaid seats.

While not equipped on this specific 1983 example, a third row seat was also an option, making this a seven-seat family vehicle.

According to Wikipedia, Matra produced nearly 58,000 Ranchos. While that production figure sounds fairly high, we’re talking about a very old French car, with no examples sold in North America. Learning about this Talbot makes me think we could use a Ford Transit Rancho right about now.

As a side note, KGF Classic Cars has a link on their page to many high quality Flickr images and video of this vehicle – I thoroughly recommend you check it out.

[Images: KGF Classic Cars]