1969, Silverstone Circuit, England. A 30-year-old Scotsman speeds ahead in his blue and white single-seater, leaving his rivals more than a lap behind. Jackie Stewart has just pulverized the competition at the wheel of a car that no one had seen the year before. A French car. A car built by... a missile company.
Wait, let's rewind. How on earth did a company that makes rocket launchers end up dominating Formula 1? And how did it end up inventing the MPV? Because yes, if you drive an Espace or a Scénic, you have engineers who were tinkering with missiles in the 1940s to thank.
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Today, I'm going to tell you about one of the craziest adventures in French automotive history. The story of Matra, the company that achieved the impossible: transforming military know-how into a sporting triumph, before revolutionizing the family car . And believe me, it all started with a world war.
Missiles in a garage
It's 1941, France is under German occupation. In this unusual context, a certain Marcel Chassagny decides to found a small company. Its name? Matra, for Mécanique Aviation TRAction . At first, it's truly artisanal—we're talking about a garage with a few workers tinkering with precision mechanics.
But Marcel, he's got consistency in his ideas. From the Liberation, he understood that the future was modern weaponry. Missiles, rocket launchers, anything that goes fast and makes noise. In just a few years, Matra became one of France's specialists in cutting-edge military technology. I'll spare you the technical details, but let's just say that when you know how to make a missile that flies at Mach 2, you've mastered a few tricks in aerodynamics and precision mechanics.
And this is where the story gets interesting. In 1962, a certain Jean-Luc Lagardère arrived. A graduate engineer from Supélec, he had cut his teeth at Dassault - you know, the guys who make the Mirage. Lagardère was the visionary of the story . He looked at this arms company and said to himself: "What if we made cars?"
But why? Well, imagine yourself in his shoes. You run a technically ultra-high-performance company, but no one knows your name. The general public doesn't care about your missiles. On the other hand, if you win at Le Mans or Formula 1... then everyone will know Matra.
Lagardère's crazy bet
In 1964, Lagardère made its first big move. It bought René Bonnet, a small manufacturer that made the Djet—a sports car with a mid-mounted Renault engine. Suddenly, Matra had its first car . Well, technically, they bought it, but it was a start.
I have to confess something: at the time, no one in the automotive world knew Matra. Philippe Guédon, the engineer who would design the future 530, later confessed: "I didn't even know what Matra was when I responded to their job advertisement in 1965." And Jackie Stewart, the future world champion? He admitted to having "never heard of Matra" when he first met the team in 1967.
But Lagardère doesn't care. He has a plan. While his teams develop the first real Matra—which will be called the 530, like the company's R.530 missile—he launches another, even more ambitious project: Formula 1 .
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The Formula 1 epic
1967. Matra arrives in Formula 1 with its missile-savvy engineers and their calculators. Facing them? Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren... motorsport icons. And they arrive with their white coats and their expertise in military aerodynamics.
Except that very quickly, it becomes obvious that these guys are up to the task. The Matra MS10, their first F1, is already very decent. But it's the following year that everything explodes with the MS80. And when I say explodes, I literally mean it.
1969: The year of all records
Jackie Stewart at the wheel of the Matra MS80 was unheard of. The guy won by incredible margins: more than two laps at Montjuïc, a minute's lead at Clermont-Ferrand, more than a lap at Silverstone. Stewart would later declare that the MS80 was "the most pleasant-handling Formula 1 car" he had ever driven .
And you know what's crazy? That year, Matra not only won the drivers' championship with Stewart, but also the constructors' championship. France had just won its first world titles in Formula 1. Not bad for a missile company that had been making cars for five years.
But wait, the story is only just beginning. Because while Stewart is doing great in F1, in the Matra design office, a certain Georges Martin is working on something even crazier.
The legendary V12
Georges Martin is the engineer who designed Simca's famous "Poissy engine." A guy who knows mechanics. In 1967, Lagardère gave him carte blanche to create a racing engine. Martin went wild: a 3-liter V12 that developed 388 horsepower on the first try .
This engine, the MS9, would become legendary. Not just for its performance, but for its sound. Have you ever heard a Matra V12 screaming down the straights of Le Mans? It's something that grabs you by the guts. A unique, captivating sound that still gives motorsport fans goosebumps 30 years later.
The Renault 5 was much more than just a people's car - it was a symbol of freedom and independence for an entire generation of French people. When it came out in 1972, no one imagined it would become one of the most iconic cars in France. And you know what? This R5 reminds me why I love miniature cars. Because holding a little 1/43 scale R5 in your hands is a bit like experiencing that whole era all at once. That's why I opened my shop BernardMiniatures.fr. I have more than 1,500 miniatures in stock, mostly 1/43 scale, mainly cars from 1950 to 1999. Okay, I'm not a big site, so I often only have one or two pieces of each model, but that's also part of the charm. I have Matras of course, but also Alpines, Citroëns, Renaults... cars from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, rally cars, F1 cars... a bit of everything. Delivery is free from €75 in France, and I make sure to wrap everything well with bubble wrap because these little cars break easily. Go take a look at bernardminiatures.fr if you're interested - and you'll see, I have a few Matras that are really worth a look.
Now, let's talk a little more about the absolute domination that will follow...
The apotheosis of Le Mans
1972, 1973, 1974. Three years in which Matra literally blew away the competition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the MS670 and its V12 from Georges Martin, they achieved a historic hat trick. Three consecutive victories, two world championship titles for constructors in sports prototypes .
The MS670 is the pinnacle of Matra technology. Everything they've learned about missiles, aerodynamics, and precision engineering, condensed into a racing car. And it works so well that it's almost unfair to the others.
But you know what's even crazier? In 1974, at the height of his fame, Lagardère decided to stop .
The strategic withdrawal
1974, Jean-Luc Lagardère calls a press conference. "Matra is stopping racing," he announces. The journalists can't believe their ears. The team has just won Le Mans for the third consecutive time, they're dominating the world championship... and they're stopping?
Lagardère is blunt in his explanations: "We have achieved all our objectives. We have proven that Matra knows how to make high-tech automobiles. Mission accomplished." In ten years, the Matra Sports team has won 124 victories . Not bad for missile manufacturers.
But this is where the story gets even crazier. Because Lagardère hasn't said his last word. If Matra stops official competition, the V12 will continue to live its life elsewhere.
The return by Ligier
1976. Guy Ligier, a former rugby player turned manufacturer, took over Matra V12 engines to power his Formula 1 cars. And in 1977, at Anderstorp in Sweden, Jacques Laffite gave this engine its first all-French victory in F1 . French chassis, French engine, French driver. Unheard of since... ever, in fact.
The Matra V12 continued to roar in F1 until 1982, delivering a few more victories to Ligier. But meanwhile, in the offices of Vélizy, Matra was preparing its next revolution.
The revolution of everyday life
1970s, early 1980s. Matra had proven they knew how to go fast, now they wanted to tackle the everyday lives of the French. And then they came up with some completely crazy concepts for the time.
The 530, "the car for friends"
In 1967, the first real Matra left the Romorantin workshops. The 530, named after the brand's R.530 missile. Lagardère nicknamed it "the car of friends," which says a lot about the atmosphere he wanted to create around the brand.
With its mid-mounted Ford V4 engine and Philippe Guédon-designed styling, the 530 is sure to make a lasting impression. It's the first time a French car has truly dared to compete in the sports car arena. And it does so with a unique elegance.
Continuous innovation
After the 530, Matra went on to create a series of innovative concepts. The Bagheera in 1973, with its three front seats - something never seen before. The Rancho in 1977, the precursor to modern SUVs. And the anecdote is delicious: when Philippe Guédon presented the idea of the Rancho to Lagardère, the latter replied, "Dear Mr. Guédon, do what you want, but I can't give you a cent!"
Guédon was therefore forced to tinker with an existing Simca 1100 pick-up chassis. And against all expectations, "while we had trouble selling the Bagheera, the Rancho sold like hotcakes," he later admitted.
But the real revolution came in 1982 with an even crazier project: inventing the family car of tomorrow.
The invention of the minivan
1982. In the Matra design office, a team is working on a revolutionary concept for Renault. The idea? A car where the whole family can sit comfortably, with a modular interior and a raised driving position .
The concept made everyone in the automotive industry laugh. "Who's going to want to drive a fridge on wheels?" sneered competitors. Matra ignored it and continued to develop its "Project P23."
In 1984, the Renault Espace was introduced to the public. It was a commercial flop at first—the French didn't understand this strange thing. But little by little, families discovered the pleasure of traveling in a real rolling living room. The Espace would become a huge success and create an entire category: the minivan .
Lagardère's unfinished dream
1993. Jean-Luc Lagardère harbors a crazy dream: to become Renault's largest shareholder during its partial privatization. His idea? To bring Matra Automobile "into the wedding basket" and merge the two companies. A colossal project that would have created a French automotive giant.
But the dream was cut short. Louis Schweitzer, CEO of Renault, and Édouard Balladur, Prime Minister, firmly opposed the project. Lagardère would have to be content with its role as a partner .
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The end of an era
1990s, early 2000s. Matra continues to innovate with projects like the Avantime, a futuristic coupe-MPV. But the market no longer follows. Tastes change, competition intensifies, and above all, the French turn away from innovations that are too avant-garde .
2003. Jean-Luc Lagardère announces the closure of the Romorantin factory. The Avantime, despite its modernity, does not find its audience. After 40 years of automotive adventure, Matra bows out .
It's the end of a unique epic in the history of the French automobile industry. A company born out of war, grown in missiles, flourished in Formula 1, and ultimately revolutionized the family car.
The legacy
Today, when you step into an Espace, a Scénic, or any MPV, you are driving through Matra's heritage. When you hear the V12 of a Ligier JS17 in a historic demonstration, you are hearing the soul of Georges Martin. And when you admire a 530 in a classic car lot, you are contemplating Lagardère's dream: to introduce Matra to the general public .
Mission accomplished, I'd say. Because forty years later, people are still talking about it. This missile company has succeeded in its craziest gamble: to make history in the French automobile industry. From the first missile to the last minivan, Matra has been the symbol of an era when French innovation dared to challenge the entire world.
And you know what? It makes me want to find a little miniature Matra 530 for my collection. Because, deep down, that's the heritage of this brand: cars that make you dream, even at 1/43 scale.
