Oops, I have been silly again (more old car shopping)

[anonymous-user]

Yikes! A 1983 Talbot-Matra Murena, with a 142 BHP engine tweak and a silly exhaust system (which may have to go). Mid engined, three seat, French Chryslerish lunacy. I was tempted by Lancia Montecarlos, but most of those for sale appear bodged, and in any event I have too many cars that are prone to rust already. On a Murena, only the suspension rusts - the rest being plastic or galvanised.




http://www.matrasport.dk/Cars/Murena/history.html

This presses the rare button (in fact the WTF is that button), the RWD button, the mid engined button, the flippy-floppy headlamps button, the room for daughter button, the French button, and the cheap to buy button. I do not yet know whether or not it will press the broken down, unreliable bag of old bolts button, or the spend megabucks on an engine rebuild button. The engine has high mileage, but at least the parts for Talbot lumps are not that hard to find.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 10th May 09:40

[redchina]

awesome, i really hope you dont regret buying that, it looks like great fun!

[Podie]

There's one of these that occasionally parks at the station I use during the summer months.

[fyfe]

That's brilliant. And slightly absurd. But it's good to be a little silly every now and then - it keeps us young at heart. The World would be a very dull place if everyone was sensible all the time.

[johnfm]

That sounds brilliant.

What does it weigh?

Sounds light, so with 150bhp should be fun.

[benjj]

I'm having a weird PH morning. First is the chap potentially offloading a Fiat Dino Coupe - I'm on the hunt for one right now and have got so far as asking a fellow PHer to go and look at the one I've found (in Spain).

Now this. I was looking at them last night as having the potential for a top quality, rare and exciting historic rally car. It meets my 2 main criteria: French and stupid

[anonymous-user]

1050 kgs, but a bit more with pie-eating me on board.

These stats are for the standard version. This one is a bit quicker.

http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/front_webs...

[Rower]

A friend of mine had a Matra Bageera ?? looked very similar , 2 seats in the front and pop up front headlights with dodgy electrics!!

Rower

[Johnboy Mac]

Well done, truly excellent & a very nice change from the usual modern classics. I always had a soft spot for these, but a hard call in someways against the Lanica. Enjoy.

[anonymous-user]

French and stupid is always good. Benji, there is a 1600 version for sale in the Netherlands at the moment. Look in Germany, also, as they seem popular there.

[anonymous-user]

The Bagheera was the predecessor of the Murena. It also had three seats in a row, and a mid engine set up, but was said to lack the oomph to match its handling and looks. The Murena improved on the Bagheera by being more aerodynamic, more powerful, and less chassis-rusty .

http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/car-development/d...

Note the Setright comment:-

"I liked the Bagheera. All God's children liked the Bagheera. If they did not, it must have been because it did not have enough horsepower or enough gears. It was good that car, like a poor man's Uracco. Long serving readers will remember how both the Editor and I were profoundly impressed by the supple ride, sweet steering and incomparable roadholding of the little Lamborghini, and were even more pleased because it was a little one..."

The Murena got more horsepower and another gear.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 10th May 09:45

[bob1179]

I do love your choice in motors.

Being an early eighties car will you be ditching the side burns and gold rimmed specs in favour of a white flannel suit with the sleeves rolled up, a pink round neck t-shirt underneath, some espidrills and Ray-bans? Obviously you'll need some Kraftwerk in the cassette player for the full eighties 'euro' experience.

[benjj]

HA. Today truly is my kismet day. I must do the lottery.

As Breadvan was posting above I was trawling my photos from my Tuscany trip last September. There was a huge classic meet in the square in Volterra one day. 98% Italian, 1 Morgan and this Bagheera:

[anonymous-user]

Classic French horsepower!

[Hooli]

Strange looking thing, explains where a ford based kit car I saw was copied from though. Enjoy it Breadvan.

[anonymous-user]

The Murena is a bit odd, and arguably too similar to my Excel and my Elan Plus Two, but I love mid engined cars, and my Europa only has two seats (and, to be honest, is pretty knackered, at least until I spend a few quid on it). I am glad that I have stayed away from the Montecarlos, as they are underpowered for their looks, only have two seats, are now costing too much to buy, and may rust.

Also, I needed something French in my collection. I love French industrial design almost as much as Italian and British. For example, the French make fabby aeroplanes of all sizes. I am staying out of Germany, in both car and motorbike worlds, mainly on price grounds. I would love an Extra (a German aerobatic hotship aeroplane), but would need a Lottery win for that.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 10th May 11:46

[anonymous-user]

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Patron Secular Saint of my learned profession*, is never wrong:-


http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/477453/P...

• the second oldest profession in the world, and some say related to the oldest.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 10th May 11:58

[lowdrag]

Not seen one in years and recently saw a blue one all covered in dust in the back of a garage not far from here. They seem to be like buses

[benjj]

lowdrag said:

Not seen one in years and recently saw a blue one all covered in dust in the back of a garage not far from here. They seem to be like buses

Ahem. Tip off please!

[dartissimus]

You disappear for a couple of weeks, then come at us, out of nowhere with this bit of financial braveryshowmanship. It's almost more than flesh & blood can take. Keep on entertaining the troops