Matra Rancho spotted...

[retrogeezer]

Not seen one of these for a while, at the Arley Hall show today:

 

 

[Negative Creep]

I <3 the Rancho

[CreepingJesus]

Ditto. I 'S2' it too.

After all these years, and looking at the lower pic, am I right in saying that it has Simca saloon doors? It never occurred to me until now . Despite having a couple of models, some brochures and having decided I wanted one, at a Scottish Motor Show when I was a bairn!

[RedSparrow]

I think most of the front end is Simca 1100 based, with a fibreglass back end.

[CreepingJesus]

Right enough; comparing it to the Volvo 245 next to it in the upper pic, it's not as big as I thought it was. That's based on the 30+ years past perspective of a small child!

Still fancy one someday, tho'. Still not sure whether it was a genius idea, years ahead of its' time, or a perverse curiosity in the greater history of cars.

[Guest]

This be porn! Me likey!

[Chip]

Wow! Closest I've been to one of these is a bright green toy one I had in the mid 80s!

[stilo_active]

Wow, fantastic. Love these!

[HillmanImp]

Here is one at the NEC Classic Car show last year:

 

 

And Chip, I think I had (well still have at my Mums) the same toy car. I thought these were epic. I was so gutted when i found out they were not great for LETS OFFROAD!

 

[Disco Fever]

Love the red one at the NEC show. I wonder if the winch was on the original options list? I rather think not...When I was about 10, my folks were chewing over getting one of these and I really really wanted them to buy one but they got a Metro instead

Love the lights at the bottom of the A pillars, seen at night all lit up, you'd never guess what it was.

I don't think I ever really got the desire out of my system as my wife is now subjected to a series 1 L/Rover Disco and I do wonder if it's a Rancho substitute.

[Pillock]

I too thought they were massive, but the last time I remember seeing one was one of my teachers had a bronze/brown example when I was about 6 or 7.... so yeah, they were huge!

[stuboy]

last time i saw one it was rusting in peace on a neighbours drive

[ypsilandra]

We had a red one around 1980 I think. Dad worked for Cibie/SEV Marchal and they had a Rancho as a show car as all the lights were Marchal. Dad would bring it home now and again, alternating between the MD's Opel Monza and his regular company car, a GS Estate. It had an extra set of long range lights mounted on the front edge of the roof and when they were all on it melted the retinas on the bunnies caught in the glare! It also had SEV Marchal sunstrips along the top edges of the large side windows. As you can imagine I was well chuffed being dropped off at school in the Ranchula. I'm still trying to find one of the press pack shots that Dad had done.