Vehicle Description
Looking for a unique vehicle, one that you'll probably never see
anywhere else? Look no further than this Talbot-Matra Murena. It is
most likely the lowest mileage in existence. The factory was in
Romorantin-Lanthenay in the state of Loire-et-Cher in central
France. This car has been slumbering in a car museum in Arkansas
most of it's life. We purchased the car from the museum directly.
The car has been recently brought back to life with a tune up and
brake job.
Finished in Beige Gold (code FT), the car's paint and trim are in
very good order. The bodywork is straight and solid and the
body-colored bumpers fit tightly to the body. The car's 12 major
body panels were made of fiberglass-epoxy. According to Matra's
general manager, Jean-Louis Caussin, these body panels were
produced using a manufacturing process known as the "sheet molding
compound" molding process.
'Murena,' which is Italian for moray and this automotive version
has a hatchback body. Engineering of the car was done entirely by
Matra. Greek industrial designer Antonis Volanis, who had
contributed to the interior of the earlier Bagheera, and been
principal designer for the Matra Rancho, headed up the design.
The Murena drew heavily from the corporate parts bin, using engines
from the Talbot Solara and Talbot Tagora, a transaxle from the
Citroen CX and the taillights resemble a blend of Porsche 944 and
third-generation Chevrolet Camaro, a steering rack and front
suspension from the Talbot Horizon, front indicator and running
lights from the Renault 12 and door handles from the Peugeot
505.
This Murena rolls on older Pirelli Cinturato radials, size
185/60HR14 in front and 195/60HR14 in back. Each one is mounted on
factory finned alloy wheels. The wheels are in great shape while
the tires are in very good order. The front suspension was similar
to the Bagheera's, while the rear suspension was a departure. At
the front were upper and lower transverse A-arms with longitudinal
torsion bars and telescopic hydraulic shock-absorbers. An anti-roll
bar was also fitted. At the rear, the Bagheera's torsion bar
suspension was replaced by MacPherson struts and coil springs with
trailing arms and an anti-roll bar.
Under the rear hatch and cover is a 2.2L SOHC transversely-mounted
engine with a single Solex two-barrel carburetor. Backing it is a
five-speed manual transmission derived from the Citroen CX. The car
was recently inspected, tuned and received a complete brake
service.
The Murena's chassis was like the Bagheera, although it was a new
design. In appearance, it was very close to a full unibody. The
differed from the Bagheera's in that the rear cradle was
reconfigured to accommodate a new rear suspension system. The
Murena was the first production car to use galvanized steel for all
chassis parts. The car is in astounding original condition and has
had a comprehensive cleaning and dry ice blasting of the underside
to show how well the car has been preserved.
Even though it used a chassis very similar in principle to the
Bagheera and the same basic body-style, the Murena's styling was
all-new. The final shape was extremely aerodynamic for the time,
with a reported drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.328. The rear hatch
opened to provide access to the engine mounted behind the passenger
compartment and a rear luggage area.
Inside, the seats are upholstered in a dark bronze velour. The
seats look great. A signature feature carried over from the
previous model was the seating arrangement - in the Murena, the
three seats were separate, in contrast to the 2+1 arrangement in
the Bagheera. The center seat folds down when not in use. The brown
carpet is in similar order, as does the brown headliner. There's a
two-spoke steering wheel that looks like it came from a Citroen.
The brown instrument panel features a full array of gauges and the
inner door panels look good. A floor-mounted shift lever completes
the interior.
If you collect eclectic vehicles, if you're looking for a solid
driver that looks like nothing else, this Talbot-Matra Murena
should check all of the boxes for you! Come by MotoeXotica Classic
Cars today to check out this Gallic survivor for yourself.
VIN: VF853C432CX650539
This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis,
Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 3,095 miles. It is
sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title.
GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!
Note: Please see full terms and conditions listed below that
pertain to the purchase of any said vehicle, thank you.
