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| Eric Bailly, Matra Murena on the 2017 Rallye du Pays Avallonnais. |
For more pictures of the 2017 Avallon Rally, click here.
Matra, Romorantin, France. Sometimes called the Talbot-Matra Murena, this was an early eighties mid-engined sports car that was relatively unusual in that it had three seats next to each other with the middle one folding when not in use to become an arm rest. It had a steel chassis and glass fibre coupé body. Just under 11,000 were built between 1980 and 1983. The car had good handling but the engines were not that impressive. The basic model had a 1.6 litre Simca engine and the more powerful version a 2.2 litre Talbot engine. The 1.6 litre had a top speed of around 113mph and a 0-60mph time of just over 11 seconds. The 2.2 litre had a top speed of 122mph and a 0-60moh time of just under 9 seconds. They were rallied in 1981 and 1982 in major rallies such as the RAC and Monte Carlo but without great success. Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Max Mamers drove 4WD versions of them them in the 1982 French rallycross championship, both achieving wins and Max taking the Championship. Jean-Pierre Jaussaud drove one in a European rallycross championship round the same year scoring a class win. These cars continued their successful rallycross careers for some years.
