The MATRA factory
Matra, founded in 1941 by Marcel Chassagny, first made its mark in the aviation sector, then in armaments from 1947 onwards. The Automobiles Matra saga began in 1964, under the impetus of Jean-Luc Lagardère.
The plant produced the brand’s vehicles (the 530, the Bagheera, the Rancho, etc.) until the end of Matra Automobile in June 2003. From 1984 onwards, the company experienced a real boom with the production of the Espace, an innovative Matra project marketed by Renault.
In January 2000, Matra, the largest private employer in the Loir-et-Cher region, employed 3,000 people in Romorantin, producing 350 vehicles a day.
The vast majority of Matra production vehicles have been built at the Romorantin plant. In all, more than a million vehicles were produced.
MATRA Sports, a French epic
To diversify Matra’s activities and make the name more popular, away from the image hitherto associated with armaments, Jean-Luc Lagardère founded the Matra Sports stable in 1964. He adopted the color “bleu de France” for his sports team, which was based in Vélizy-Villacoublay, while production cars were manufactured in Romorantin.
With resources in no way comparable to those of today’s racing teams, Matra went on to forge one of the world’s finest motorsport records in less than 10 years. From Jean-Pierre Beltoise’s first victory in Reims in Formula 3 in 1965, to 3 consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Matra Sports racked up 124 victories in 334 races, including 104 lap records, i.e. a win every three races. A double Formula 1 world title in 1969 and two World Sports Car Championship titles (the forerunner of the WEC) in 1973 and 1974 further enhanced the reputation of this unusual team.
The MATRA Museum exhibition will feature a dozen of the brand’s iconic vehicles, including :
The Matra-Williams-Renault Espace F1
This experimental vehicle is the only four-seater Formula 1. A unique creation, it was the brainchild of Matra and Renault Sport in 1994, to celebrate 10 years of partnership between the two companies. It is equipped with the rear axle of the Williams FW14 and the V10 engine (820 hp) of the Williams-Renault, several times F1 world champion. The performance achieved is very close to that of an F1 car. It accelerates to 200 km/h in 6.3 seconds and has a top speed of over 300 km/h. Braking is just as impressive: it takes just 80 meters to decelerate from 300 to 70 km/h! Sensations guaranteed for all three passengers.
The Matra MS650 Sport Prototype - chassis n°03
The last sports-prototype car built by Bernard Boyer with a tubular chassis in 1970. Powered by the new V12 MS12 engine. Several MS650s were entered in the 1969 and 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours, but it was their excellent versatility that set them apart. They won the Tour de France Automobile in 1970 and 1971. Its top speed is 325 km/h. Cars 02 and 03 are transformed and homologated to spread the melodious sound of the Matra V12 on the roads of France.
Chassis: multi-tubular
Engine: V12 Matra MS12, 3,000 cc
Weight: 740 kg
La Matra M25 (P38)
Designed to celebrate Matra Automobile’s 25th anniversary in 1989, this car is capable of blistering acceleration to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds (equivalent to a Ferrari Testarossa). The reasons for its performance:
Powerful 16-valve Renault engine with Matra turbocharger.
The lightweight carbon and Kevlar body weighs less than 20 kg.
The total weight of the vehicle does not exceed 650 Kg.
The power-to-weight ratio is 3.5 Kg/Ch.
More surprises await you there!
Discover the Musée MATRA