Talbot Simca Matra Rancho Goes for a Drive

[@camperlustig68]

Oh what Memories.... August 1981 driving down Blackpool promenade facing backwards on the opening night of the illuminations. Living the high life aged 12. My late Dads best company car ever.

[@khew1]

Brilliant memory, thanks for sharing

[@Sevan59]

may God bless their souls .

[@frazzleface753]

THAT right there is what I call a cherished memory. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@Stars_Falling_93]

Adriaantje! The Dutch children's duo Bassie en Adriaan drove a Rancho for a few series in the late 70's. It made the rare Rancho a very famous car in the Netherlands. Even to this day.

[@Populiervogel]

Hahaha, remembered that, after watching the shows of Bassie and Adriaan, it was my most favorite car in my childhood.

[@MIGHTYcbu]

Was looking for this comment 😅

[@JR90.]

They have aged very well. Still looks modern, all these years later. Great video Matt.

[@KarlHamilton]

Holy shit, it looks brand new, and actually actually looks modern!! WHAT THE

[@tjfSIM]

Pretty sure most of us only recognise this because we had the Matchbox or Corgi version as a kid 😂

[@theotherwayofstopping4717]

Yep!!

[@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess]

I found out about this car because I watched a video on a great channel called "Big Car", about the Renault Avantime, and MATRA, and another video on a channel called "World Cars Evolution", about the SIMCA company evolution through time and this car appeared :) It looked so cool and reminded me of the Land rover Discovery 2 that my had used to own, I have many find memories in my childhood from that car so I love this shape of car, this one was around way before the land Rover

[@fredtracy3931]

Since it's a French vehicle, I wonder if there is a Majorette version?

[@MdvK-d6c]

Specifically for Dutch viewers: Bassie & Adriaan ;)

[@thomasbutcher3593]

Owned an orange one in the 90s - really great car let down by being incredibly unreliable. It was on its 3rd gearbox when I owned it.

[@paulspeakman551]

Living in the U.S. this is the first of these I've ever seen and as the driver of a 20 year old Subaru Outback this appeals to me immensely. It can't be any worse to drive than the 1971 VW van I had in the early 80's that was remarkably good on some pretty rough trails despite the shifter and steering being quite vague on the pavement. I love it!

[@user-blaster_2012]

Subaru Outback - good choice sir.

[@eded9202]

i loved my matchbox rancho SO MUCH when i was a kid..

[@vivianemontrealptuy8506]

ikr

[@Alex-the-Great81]

Same here 👍

[@nikonordman7624]

I prefer the corgi version

[@edwinreid8355]

I was gonna say. Only remember playing with the toy car replicas.

[@slagrebi740]

Yep had an orange one, went with me everywhere when I was a little kid.

[@RichieRouge206]

What a whacky but lovely car! It does actually look like a mini Discovery! It’s very appealing and definitely a refreshing difference. It’s actually nicer than any of the tedious modern crossovers. Great video Matt!

[@furiousdriving]

There was a lot of 'idea exchange' between the orininal Range Rover, this and the Discovery

[@L0stJ0hnny]

@@furiousdriving It's a crossover … between a Skoda Yeti and the Popemobile

[@barryroach1980]

My god, i forgot these even existed, a teacher of mine in the 70's had one, in a metallic green colour.......super!

[@VinDieselS70]

My friend's dad had one in the early 80's in brown metallic and must say even today it looks fairly modern 👍🙂

[@lurkster1974]

@@VinDieselS70 I'm guessing (hoping) it had orange dogtooth upholstery...

[@VinDieselS70]

@@lurkster1974 I actually think it had now when you mentioned it. 👍

[@lurkster1974]

@@VinDieselS70 my dad had a brown datsun bluebird estate. The interior definitely had a satsuma hue to it!

[@Steve-hd4tv]

I’d totally forget this gem, I really liked the look these back then , is it just me or does this thing not actually look that dated?

[@adamknopp6631]

My teacher had one in 1982. ( so you were right in saying that every school car park had one. It was bronze) Love it. I’ll take 2 😍

[@rayfordham9230]

I had a Chrysler Alpine 1442 cc, noisy engine, cam shaft made of cream cheese. the jets in the carb kept blocking the local dealer said it was an effort to improve the fuel economy and promptly put bigger jets in, twin choke Webber carb I seem to remember. The dealer told me to change the oil more often than recommended to keep the engine quiet which it did, and I seemed to be changing the brake pads all the time cause they were so small and while I was doing that I had to free up the calipers because they seized a lot, other than that I had it for 12 years no break downs an ran to 120,000 miles. It did not like Champion spark plugs it preferred NGK. The Rancho was basically the same thing with a different body.

[@rovertwonefour]

RAAAAANNNNNCCCHHHHOOOOOOOO!!!! Not even watched it yet but it's my favourite car ever and I'm really excited!

[@davidjames2910]

Thanks for bringing us these obscure cars, and for showing how this was ahead of its time. It would have taken a bold person to pay Volvo money for a 1.5-litre French van with windows!

[@BonuxCouleur]

The African continent is full of 1.5 litre French cars from the 70-80s era that are still going solid. You won't find any Volvo there for a reason...

[@jjs3287]

Always wanted one of these! Ahead of its time. Bought a BMW Gran Coupe yesterday and yet today its this Rancho i am watching videos of....

[@vnorvi]

We had a Simca in the US. It was as though Simca TRIED to make them rust. Many cars rust, but Simca took it to an all new level. Everything rusted. The straw that broke the camels back for my father was that the lights would rust shut, such that you could not change bulbs- Without drilling out the screws.

[@TravelFilming]

In the Netherlands there was a super popular TV kids programma called ‘Bassie & Adriaan’ about a real circus clown and an acrobat for many years and they used this car on their adventures catching ‘bad guys’.

[@frglee]

It looks surprisingly modern and even quite pretty. I suspect if this vehicle was made today (with updated engine and mechanicals ), it would sell very well. I certainly prefer the bodyshell to things like the rather dumpy Dacia Duster.

[@ckm-mkc]

Kinda like the Jimny....

[@OsellaSquadraCorse]

Unfortunately VW cancelled the Skoda Yeti... Which sold well, as basically an updated Rancho.

[@TheRealFobican]

The simca looks pretty flat on the height for being a big vehicle.

[@touraneindanke]

@@OsellaSquadraCorse . My taste exactly 👍

[@losch78]

@@OsellaSquadraCorse I agree, the Yet was infinitely more fun to look at than the broing, plain vanilla VAG standard design Skoda Karoq that replaced it.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Fantastic! My dad nearly bought one of these - he had a friend with one - we thought it was great, and the boot was huge - you could get a drum kit in the back, without dismantling it!

[@evo5dave]

I'm amazed it hasn't rotted away. My parents inherited a Simca hatch this thing is based on and it was a complete rustbucket. My dad used to joke about needing a sledgehammer to engage first gear.

[@horsenuts1831]

In one of my other comments, I mentioned that I had a wealthy second cousin who was something to do with Formula 1, who bought one of these new in the 1970s (before he went on to buy one of Ayrton Senna's old cars - well, he WAS wealthy!). The Rancho was great fun. But, also, my divorced mum also had a Simca 1100 on which this was based, and I used to service it for her in the late 1970s when I was a teenager (when I was slim enough to crawl under one), and it was a total rust-bucket. I don't remember how long it lasted, but not very long.

[@obelic71]

@@horsenuts1831 Those Simca cars lasted about 5-10 years max before they rotted out. Near the Northsea they desintegrated like a sugarcube that gets wet. Remember Simca cars were the cheapest to buy car brand in Europe at that time and also used that Russian steel Fiat and Alfa Romeo used. That Russian steel Fiat got for helping the Soviet union (Lada) was good for construction, not for making sheet steel out of it for car production. Fiat 127, Alfasud, Simca 1100. You jus could hear them rust away. It took Fiat decades afterwards to get rid of the masters in rust stigma. Simca/Talbot was discontinued by PSA to get rid of stigmas. Alfa Romeo went bankrupt due to rust/strikes and Fiat was forced to take over Alfa Romeo by the Italian goverment.

[@arrangrant6037]

This is the review we’ve all been waiting for 👍😎

[@reddermot]

I had a good look around one of these at the Festival of the Unexceptional a couple of years back. Thanks for featuring this vehicle and for bonus wiper test footage with Triangle of Doom.

[@lurkster1974]

Festival of the unexceptional - sounds great! I'll look it up.

[@timelord6540]

Same one

[@stuartsaunders4518]

My Dad had a brand new1979 Dodge Simca high top van as a works vehicle which was very similar to the Matra Rancho, your video brought back memories from the door handles, switch gear and rubber floormat. And of course as probably all car fans had, I had a miniature corgi Rancho model, I'm sure mine is still up in my loft Excellent video Matt

[@henryhol8538]

I have been seeing these even when they were nearly new, and always wanted to know what they drive like! When the Discovery was released, like you, I was immediately reminded of this car.

[@brianwhittington5086]

They drove very well, quick and stable to say they were a small engine chunky car. I dove one around 180 miles the first time in 1981, non stop from central London to Yorkshire. I was quite impressed how good it was at motorway speeds.

[@argonautsuk]

Good morning from Mcr. Niva in Greece where very popular. Lada still exports to Greece and they still make the Nivas as they made them back in the 70s

[@paco3447]

My mother used to drive a Simca 1000 in the late 70s, and a Talbot Horizon in the 80s. The later was a version of Chrysler Horizon and the engine of the former were mounted for a long in the Peugeot 205.

[@harveysmith100]

There was one of these in my street when I was a kid. It looked like the future back then. I guess it was looking at what it has inspired. I was in love with it, it was just so different from everything else on the road. The Rancho and the Range Rover started something big.

[@thelivingdodo2]

Matt: I wasn't planning on doing a wiper test today....Hubnut left the chat

[@660einzylinder]

Ian would have raged over that 'triangle of doom'!

[@seancooke4127]

@@660einzylinder more like a Wedge of Indifference.

[@Teribus13]

I can't help but notice how far the N/S wiper is away from the edge of the windscreen at the top of its sweep. That's a massive unswept area which would be in front of the driver in an LHD example.

[@parreraz]

I saw that too! Cant be right can it,i mean the passenger wont see a thing🤔

[@brianwhittington5086]

I drove an identical X registration one in 1981, that was only a few weeks old. It was my mate's Rancho I drove back to South Yorkshire from King's Cross Station. We had a day at the London Boat Show. Setting off home at midnight with 6 of us in it, it didn't hang about on the deserted M1 drive.

[@markclevedon81]

This is great - thankyou. My dad worked as a service/bodyshop manager in a large Chrysler-Talbot dealership which sold a number of these. The original demonstrator was finished in a mustard colour and was surprisingly capable off road - within reason of course. A popular update is the 5 speed PSA gearbox which is less clunky and was used in the series 2 Horizons, Alpines and Solaras, . The Rancho was ahead of its time in many ways and a lot were converted for wheel chair users due to the rear height advantage.

[@Strike86]

Furious Driving: Today I'm driving a Matra Rancho! Smith & Sniff: *heavy breathing*

[@nuclearlad]

my lord, i've been waiting for a detailed review of one of these for years! I think before you would only find a slideshow on youtube.

[@hammyh1165]

I always wanted my dad to get one of these , the closest we got was when my mum rear ended one with our Renault 16 😂. When I was old enough to buy one they were pretty much all rusted away , so my dream never came true.

[@drd6416]

Nearly bought one of these,but hated the engine noise, and the gear throw that was about a mile in each direction! But in reality, a fab idea and not a bad looker even today....

[@jehib8533]

In the early 80s, both my parents had Simca 1100s, so watching this video is a part-way trip down memory lane for me. The door cards and handles are exactly like I remember them (although in different colours), and the dashboard of my mother's 1976 Simca 1100 is a mirror image (Germany) of this one (my father's 1974 model was pre-facelift, so the dashboard was different). I almost forgot about the top-opening glove-box, but now I fondly remember rummaging in it. The steering wheel, however, was different. The one in this Rancho looks more (but not exactly) like the one in my first car (which was a 1976 Simca 1307 - also known as Chrysler Alpine), which also shared the outer door handles (as did my mother's 1100 - also a facelift change). And I remember those handles causing some minor problems in winter at sub-zero temperatures: sometimes the inner plate was frozen in its position, so you couldn't open the door. And if you managed to press it after all, there was a chance that it got stuck in the opening position, so you couldn't properly close the door until it was unfrozen. I usually don't like SUV-like vehicles, but I've always liked and still do like the Rancho. Maybe because back then it was so unusual, maybe it's just Simca/Chrysler Europe nostalgia. Anyway, thanks for sharing this with us.

[@TK42138]

Friend of mine had one as his first car back in the late 80's in the same colour but missing its reverse gear. Road trips had to be planned carefully 😆

[@manofthehour6856]

LOL, WOW!!! You never cease to amaze me, FD!!!! Although I am American and have never seen one in the metal, I had the Corgi Juniors version (original metallic copper version) along with the Matchbox version that I think was not officially sold in the US market. I just loved that model when SUVs were not de rigeur. Now that SUVs are all the rage here, I still have an affinity for the original, sensible-seized vehicles. Alas, this was never a 4 x 4......

[@mastercylinder1939]

SUV’s today are all generic, soulless people carriers. There’s no comparison with this design icon. They are not desirable or worthy. It’s a shame that these cars didn’t sell in huge numbers.

[@ranjanaluwihare1511]

Probably the most practical car in the world! No Tech, just magic!

[@adrianduffen600]

I always liked the shape of the Rancho, but have never actually been in one. So thankyou for giving me a glimpse of what it is all about.

[@davidmwood560]

I had one of these years ago. It was some sort of development vehicle I think, with an extended rear body and twin rear axles. There was also automatic transmission and power steering. Pretty much all after market I imagine, but all properly done. Mine was still a two door with the clamshell tailgate and when I bought it; had no interior. Not even a driver's seat! I gave it a pair of comfortable leather front seats and tricked out the back as a sort of Day-van. I kept it for a fun-filled summer and eventually sold it to a Dutch guy who planned to go touring in it. I subsequently bought a standard Rancho; a bit heavy to drive but a really good car. Incidentally, those lights up near the A pillars only came on with the engine off because they were designed to be a floof/work light for use when the car was stationary. I always thought they'd have been more practical mounted high up on the A pillar. I've only seen a few at classic car shows and meets in the last 30 odd years but in my opinion the Rancho had the makings of developing into a great and practical all-purpose car. Nice review, thanks.

[@MajorKlanga]

The Espace was developed by Matra but styled at Chrysler's Whitley studio to be based on the Alpine when they were owned by Chrysler and when Peugeot took over they sold Matra to Renault who re-engineered it to be larger and use the underpinnings from the R25. As for the driving dynamics of the Rancho, it's based on a car introduced in 1967.

[@Karl_Burton]

I wasn't sure there were any left. Fabulously looked after

[@gerardbooth40]

Crikey, that’s a blast from the past. Can’t remember when I last saw one pf those. Nice find Mr. Richardson. Can’t help but feel that your friend, Mr. Lloyd, might disappear against those tweed seats. Stealth!

[@alanfaulkner6329]

There is a blast from the past. Bloody loved these.

[@gregkocher5352]

My dad bought a 1968 Simca and it was a fun car. Rear engine really helped for traction. We'd have loved to had this in the US.

[@derekchapman5167]

I can remember when you could pick up a mint Rancho, in the late 80s, for well under a £1k; it was between this and a Renault Fuego for me, the turbo-dialed Renault won.

[@archechme]

"according to Chrysler's press office, this isn't an SUV. This is a multi pursh puss leisure vehicle" bless ya

[@johnmichaelrichards]

My friend, Dave, had one of these back in the early 1980s. I thought it the most amazing vehicle I'd ever seen or been in. Would still love to have one today.

[@davidbakker-wester113]

Wow my dream car. Still have a toy version of this one. Always wanted to soup up the engine, fit a cage, upgrade suspension etc and turn it into a full-blown over lander vehicle.

[@O1Richard]

It’s a beautiful example, I saw one on the autotrader app a few months ago, getting so rare now. I think the same factory made the plastic Renault espace which was I believe a Matra simca prototype. Looks like a small Range Rover and more rugged than it actually is but I’m guessing it’s such a fun car and so 1980’s.

[@Ralph2]

CN if this is still yours, kudos to you for keeping it looking like new all these years. No mean feat. :) RS (I owned its twin back in the 80's you may remember). All the best to you and yours.

[@douglasmorris8364]

I built a kitcar that looked very much like a larger version of the Matra. A Sherwood. Ran it for 5 years. Still got pics of it somewhere

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

Oh my gosh, remember those. They used to exhibit at the NEC I think.

[@alanjackson4646]

Built on a Ford Cortina ?

[@douglasmorris8364]

@@alanjackson4646 yes it was :)

[@shaneweightman]

A local newsagents bought one yrs ago , in a lime green colour , they had a bad rep and were considered abit crap , but they were unique, at the time , nice to see one so clean , cheers Shane uk 🇬🇧

[@nigelbetahpe]

I had a ride in one about 1979 at the Lympne Parachute Club, Pete Warden owned it, lovely looking car. You're right about the rust, this one has had issues in the past, hopefully properly sorted!

[@andrewstones2921]

Woah a ticky Talbot.. Those 1442cc engines were great, but at least in the Alpine/Solara they had a very distinctive ticking noise from the camshaft, this was generally considered to be a consequence of the engine being slanted to fit the low bonnet line of the Alpine. More Alpine nostalgia in that dashboard .

[@mehrzahl2219]

I remember every Simca was ticking like no tomorrow when I was young. Apparently a design weakness.

[@maartenyzer4121]

first drive without licence..great car

[@marcwall7689]

Man I cannot believe it, I know you said it was high on your list to drive this motor when I commented about it but I didn't know if you would be able to find one. Your a bloody legend! This is a perfect end to a long cr@p working week. Bless you mate, top man!!!👍👍👍👍

[@furiousdriving]

It took a while but, yes, found one!

[@mojoe7951]

I remember seeing one of these around Basildon back in the day when I was a kid. Really stood out.

[@GentilsGarage]

Love it. It's a Shame that so few are left. Great review of such a rare car.

[@Pmjs]

I definitely love the Rancho, a wonderful wee car. I see Matra continued to make the Espace 1,2&3.

[@Hairy_Lee]

I've always been fond of these, I remember a neighbour had one when I was a kid and I also had a Corgi toy car of one

[@bpvra]

These cars were a fashion accessory. All show and no go and the reason there are so few left is because they used to dissolve in the rain. Despite all this I like them...but then I do own another Matra....namely a Renault Avantime.... so I must be clinically insane. 🤣

[@timelord6540]

Ah yes, but simple to fix still after 40years............ Avantime ???

[@doktoruzo]

Great review Matt. Not often that I see a vehicle that I knew nothing about. Thanks for sharing this quirky, rare and unusual 'thing'. 'Landes' is the French for 'moors', btw...lol

[@robc5955]

Johnny Smith would love this, me I remember them liked the looks but anything french has me breaking out in hives.

[@robertevans8161]

Fab! Thank you for this trip down memory lane. As a child of the 80s I had a toy one of these. It even had a split level tailgate! I remember these came in some wonderful colours too. Great work from Talbot (Simca?) for daring to be different. Definitely ahead of its time. My Dad had a Talbot Horizon from the same era which had equally heavy steering apparently and awful vinyl seats! Thanks for the review.

[@fraserp2377]

My kid has an old beat up matchbox one of these and I was just looking at it thinking how cool it was. Then I open my phone and see your vid. Love the content 👍

[@markg3506]

I love the shape an quirkiness of the car. It's different from the rest, that makes is special (and wonderful in my opinion). In the past (

[@lecoqjeannot3358]

I had one, exactly the same color, in the 80's in France. Lovely vehicle, with the windsurf board on the roof. The problem with the metallic front and the fiberglass rear was the difference of decoloration over the years.

[@nickhannaford3253]

Always a cool looking motor. Someone had one in our road when I was a kid in the 80’s👍 We never knew the crossover would become so popular 😉.

[@luinpuin4152]

As a kid I always found it a cool car, it still is in a kind of way. Nice to see it back in this video !

[@bobbarker5128]

I worked as a sales manager at a main dealer. We only took one from the factory and it sat in the showroom for over a year! When people saw how poor the build quality was they just left pretty damn quick! Rust was apparent as they came off the lorry.

[@stevecarrington4887]

I seemed to recall the body being predominantly fibreglass....?

[@markgatland977]

One of our family friends had one of these...in beige with brown seats. It was rare even back in the early '80s when I was growing up 😊

[@drewstewart9016]

My dad had a bright green one in late 70's. As a kid I hated it and called it "The Vegetable Van" But in retrospect the concept was decades ahead of its time!

[@ftgoggi4715]

Remember these from whenni was little but could never remember what they were called, was only trying to find what they were online recently. Thanks for the vid, now I know!!

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

What a surprise for today. One of my all time childhood favourite cars. i had so many models of them.

[@charliemansonUK]

I looked at getting one of these after my MG Turbo when I needed a practical car with two toddlers. I loved them but on the test drive I realised it was the same horrendous porridge stirring gearbox as was in the Simca van I'd driven for a while at work....gear selection? More like find a gear, any gear lol My brother had one in Italy for a few years and loved it as a throw the kids and gear in and head to the beach or mountains car, it worked and worked well for him. Peace Charlie 🇬🇧

[@alf155v6]

Great! As a kid I had Matchbox model and it was my favorite. To a point that I wanted to buy real one in my late 20s. Sadly never found a decent example..

[@therealchayd]

I remember someone living on my walk into school had a beige one of these, being a small kid, this seemed massive and impressive at the time what with "MATRA" and "RANCHO" plastered all over it and all the lights, bullbars and windows. In retrospect, I didn't realise how small these were in comparison to an adult (like compared to a rangerover).

[@shanefunnell542]

Me an brother were only talking bout this the week but couldn't remember who made it thank you

[@ajamino4107]

Back in France as a 9 year old, my Uncle had a brand new one of these in Blue metallic. 1) I'd never known anyone to actually own a brand new car! 2) I was in awe of this cartoon-tank of a thing. The rest of France was driving in Renault 5/18/20, banged up Citroens etc and this thing arrived on the scene. A night drive in the countryside where they lived, with those swivel spot lights on top by the windscreen was uber cool !!

[@brianfearn4246]

A blast from the past Matt. I remember owning a simca 1100 and after coming across one of these ranchos in a scrap yard I replaced my dark grey driving seat with a white vinyl one and fitted perfectly. Cheap covers fitted . What a fantastic difference it made. Shame about the rest of the car which was a hand painted rustic reck. Lol

[@maxidyne]

When I was a little kid every Sunday afternoon a Rancho was parked in the street. Little me always thought it was Dakar rally raid car! So cool to see one again! Matra always had very interesting cars. My dad had a Bagheera in yellow with a green interior.

[@dontpanicblink]

i loved the rancho, when i was a young boy had 3 toys ones made by corgi and they were all light brown my dad had a simca 1100 in the mid / late 70s

[@bobmmann3917]

God, haven't seen on of those for years. Really enjoyed this review, something very different from that era. Nice job.

[@spo5egy]

Wow, I loved these and was in the back of a metallic green one in the 70's in a showroom, trying to get my Dad to trade in his Chrysler alpine for it, I'd never seen anything like it back then.

[@drumcorpsinprogres]

Rancho and Bagheera. My two dream cars.

[@ianmiddleton9182]

I had a turquoise one and loved it, fantastic room in the back for 2 bass cabinets and a full drum kit. Unfortunately it rusted it's way to the scrapyard.

[@shafty37]

I remember my dad lusting after this car after seeing Jack Douglas driving one on the ITV Sunday evening tv show Shillingbury Tales back in the ‘80’s.

[@fritsknaken1785]

great video. we had a lumpybumpyoffroady like this in te 80's. terrible but fun to drive. perfect for short trips only :) thanks for showing this car. brings back memories. top

[@bentsignpost]

I had a toy one, in green. I've never seen a real one! Great to see this.

[@juliestonelake7606]

Do you know what? I think I had the very same toy. Can't remember who made it. Could have been matchbox. I also had a blue triumph acclaim. You could push the door mirror in and the front wheels would turn🤣

[@kevinoakes1171]

First one of these I ever saw did belong to a teacher at my school !, I thought it was some kind of weird fibreglass kit car until a couple of years later when it began to rust terribly. A very interesting and, I imagine, very rare car these days. Thanks for the review, very cool car.

[@lesrogers7310]

Fantastic, i really didn't think there were any of these left 'alive'.

[@davidtrail4731]

i had one in 1987 , rubber floor very practical in country .rear headrests just poped out .All the rear seats could be unbolted to make into van , loved it until rust got it . Never had winch and only front wheel drive limited it

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

Talking that ship with such a small rudder up to 55Mph was indeed furious driving! Rather entertaining, cheers.

[@Pfirtzer]

Ian from the Hubnut is wetting himself with joy and envy that you found this gem to test.

[@paulc9588]

Such a cool and innovative car! I really liked these as a youngster and there were quite a few around in the more affluent parts of suburbia in the early 1980s. A neighbour had a pea green one on a V plate . . . this seemed to be the most popular colour and very much of the time.

[@shadow-Sun]

I remember seeing a couple these in the late 1970 s or very early 80s and I realy loved the look and lusted after owning one simply on looks alone there was nothing like it on the roads back then and it just seemed so far ahead of it's time to me as a kid .

[@antman5474]

That Veglia instrument cluster looks mighty familiar, Lotus had a version installed in the series one Esprit. Talbot used it in the hot Sunbeams too.

[@Robert_Wolf]

That is one seriously rare car. Great to see!

[@norbertpecheq3427]

My uncle from Netherland had this car many years and nearly 400 000 kilometres...Finished in sand beige and steering on normal side..When he came at first to visit us,we starred like crazy,what the hell is this?It was absolutely unusual vehicle we ever seen !!! He changed it later for Opel Omega first generation in dark blue...He never had a taste of cars (Renault 4,VW Beetle,Datsun Cherry...)

[@Biggspeed]

I've never seen one of those before. I quite like it. That could be passed as a modern retro design now. Love to see a modern version of that built. It looks cool.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

Our Radio Rentals man in the 80s used to have one of these. I always thought it was really cool looking, and was rather disappointed when he changed it for a Vauxhall Astra Estate. We got an upgrade to an 18 inch Grundig colour television around the same time though, so it wasn't all bad. Great to see one again. Happy memories of happy days.