Background

As an innovative, out-of-the-ordinary vehicle manufacturer, Matra Automobile has for the past 40 years designed cars that have changed the automobile world. The Espace, of course, but also the M530, the Bagheera and the Rancho: all these cars bear witness to our teams’ creative flair.
Today, drawing on this car manufacturing experience, Matra offers high-premium engineering services. Our activities...

• 1964

  1964 - Matra Sports founded

  

  Matra Sports founded, resulting from a merger of René Bonnet Automobiles and Générale Application Plastique (GAP). Matra Sports continues production of the Djet, previously made by the two merged companies.

• 1967

  1967

  

  M530 production begun with a Ford engine.

• 1968

  1968

  

  The merger of Matra Engins SA and Matra Sports, Matra Sports becomes the automobile division of Matra Engins SA.
  First victory of the Matra-Ford team in Formula 1, with Jackie Stewart first and Jean-Pierre Beltoise second in MS10s. Jackie Stewart finishes second in the world F-1 driving championship.

• 1969

  1969

  

  Signature of the Matra-Chrysler deal concerning the marketing, sales and after-sales service for the Matra 530s.
  The Matra-Ford team gets revenge by winning the Formula-one world car-builder's championship and the world F-1 driving championship (Jackie Stewart in a MS80).

• 1972

  1972

  

  Matra receives the motor-car golden palm for the MS530 at the Paris Motor Show.
  A first victory at the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race with the Henri Pescarolo / Graham Hill tandem in a MS670.

• 1973-1974

  1973-1974

  

  1973
  Production of the MS530 stopped; production of the Bagheera begun, with a central Simca transverse engine.
  Another victory at Le Mans. The Matra team wins the world car-builders championship for prototype cars with Henri Pescarolo and Gérard Larousse in a MS670B.
  Acquisition of the center in Theillay for the plastics industry division.
  1974
  Jean-Luc Lagardère retires Matra from racing competition after 124 victories, 4 world titles and 3 consecutive victories at Le Mans.
  At the Geneva Motor Show the Bagheera wins the best body design prize from "Style Auto" magazine.

• 1977

  1977

  

  Introduction of the Matra Simca Rancho, the first "cross-country" saloon car.

• 1980-1983

  1980-1983

  

  1980
  PSA and Matra found a new company: Matra Automobile (55% Matra, 35% Talbot and 10% Peugeot)
  Bagheera production stopped; Murena launched. Construction at Romorantin 3 of a hot-dip galvanising unit. The Murena is the first car to use this revolutionary process.
  1983
  After a protocol of agreement, PSA transfers its share in Matra Automobile capital to Matra.
  Production stopped of the Murena and the Rancho. In 20 years of car production, Matra produced 126,037 vehicles.

• 1984-1990

  1984-1990

  

  1984
  The launch of the Espace in partnership with Renault. Matra Automobile makes radical changes in its industrial tooling to prepare for the production of the Espace.
  Installation of new painting lines, change in chassis tools, new mechanical engineering lines and new filling lines.
  The French automobile press association awards the 1984 Technical innovation prize to Renault and Matra Automobile for the Espace.
  1990
  The Espace P23 (1st generation) is voted car of the decade by Automobile Magazine.

• 1991

  1991

  

  The launch of the second-generation Espace.
  New Romorantin 3 factory opened with new chassis, metal-fitting and painting-preparation units added on to hot-dip galvanisation.

• 1996

  1996

  

  Launch of new-generation Espace.

• 1998

  1998

  

  Louis Schweitzer, chairman and CEO of Renault, and Philippe Guédon, chairman and CEO of Matra Automobile, sign a partnership accord for developing and marketing a new car : the Avantime.

• 2003

  2003

  

  Production of the Avantime is halted. In nearly 40 years of working in the automobile sector, Matra has produced over a million vehicles.
  Pininfarina buys the engineering services business and creates the firm Matra Automobile Engineering.