The Matra Jet 6 makes the Fiat 500 look like a monster truck. Continue reading
Category Archives: Matra
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Events: the 4th annual Ventabren Retro Passion show
This small, regional show tends to offer an eclectic selection of cars. Continue reading
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Looking back: Assorted pictures from 2014
To end the year, we’ve compiled a gallery of pictures that took in 2014 and didn’t publish for a number of reasons. Continue reading
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The 2014 Avignon Motor Festival
We recently trekked up to the city of Avignon to attend the Motor Festival, an annual car show and swap meet that stands out as one of the biggest events of its kind in the region. It poured rain during most of the show but that didn’t stop enthusiasts from all over the south of … Continue reading
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Walking through nine decades of Le Mans racers
The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (AOC) quietly displayed twenty-one influential Le Mans racers built over the last nine decades on the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show. Located on the bottom floor of the Palexpo Convention Center, the display aims to showcase how the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the cars that compete in … Continue reading
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Color-coded advertising: Brown
Although brown cars have been around for decades, their heyday was undeniably the 1970s when companies from all over the automotive galaxy offered at least one shade of it. In retrospect, brown went remarkably well with cars that were often laden with emissions equipment such as air pumps and 5-mph bumpers. Brown largely fell out … Continue reading
1960s / 1970s / 1980s / American / Austin / Autobianchi / British / Citroen / French / German / Honda / International Harvester / Italian / Japanese / Jeep / Matra / Mercedes-Benz / Opel / Porsche / Russian / Toyota / UAZ / Volkswagen / ZAZ
Color-coded advertising: Yellow
Yellow has never been a popular car color anywhere in the world. Not only is it one of the least discreet colors out there, it is typically associated with vehicles that belong to fleets like postal services (in Germany and in France, for example) or taxi cabs – everyone has heard of New York City’s … Continue reading
Rust in peace: Abandoned cars in an abandoned quarry
Ostensibly billed as visual and environmental pollution, most abandoned cars are quickly removed by local governments and sent to the nearest scrap yard. Generally speaking, upscale towns are far less tolerant of derelict vehicles because they have a certain image to preserve for the sake of their residents or of their tourism industry. Continue reading
Endangered species: Matra-Simca Rancho
There is a traditional recipe in France called “pain perdu,” a name that literally translates to “lost bread.” In the old days, it helped families cook a last-minute meal by putting together common ingredients such as sugar, eggs, milk and generally stale bread. The result is a slightly more elaborate version of toast. Continue reading
1960s / 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / Alfa Romeo / BMW / Citroen / Fiat / French / German / Italian / Lancia / Matra / Mercedes-Benz / Opel / Peugeot / Porsche / Renault / Volkswagen
The 2nd annual Ventabren Retro Passion show
Ventabren Rétro Passion, a burgeoning car club that hails from a small village outside of Aix-en-Provence, France, held its second annual car show and swap meet last weekend. Unlike the Avignon Auto-Moto Retro show that took place at the same time, the show in Ventabren was informal and fairly small; there was no entry fee … Continue reading
Ran When Parked 