The Matra 530 (or M530), built by the French engineering group Matra, was a sports car created to be more accessible to the ordinary, non-racing public.
The first 530 (badged Matra Sports M530A) was shown to the public on March 7, 1967 at the Geneva Motor Show. It had a 70 DIN hp Ford 1700 cc V4 engine which gave the car a top speed of 175 km/h (109 mph). 4-speed manual. It entered production a month later, incorporating modifications that included the addition of a chrome bumper bar, a modest reshaping of the dashboard to give the passenger a little more knee room, and the repositioning of the ignition key to facilitate access. The engine bay of the early model 530 was accessible by removing the acrylic glass rear window. Unusual features of the 530 were its targa top roof, pop-up headlights and, most notably, the outstanding avant-garde design.
In 1970 the Matra Simca M530LX by Michelotti, which was a minor redesign of the M530A, was introduced. The most notable changes were the rear hatch (now made of glass and opens with struts like a hatchback) and the front bumper. 530's production ceased in 1973, after a total of 9,609 cars. (wikipedia)
Matra Sports M530
French artist Sonia Delaunay painted a 530A at special request of
Matra's CEO Jean-Luc Lagardère in 1968.
Matra's CEO Jean-Luc Lagardère in 1968.
Matra Simca M530LX
Designed by Michelotti. The most notable changes were the rear hatch
(now made of glass and opens with struts like a hatchback) and the front bumper.
Matra Simca 530SX
A budget version of the 530, the Matra Simca 530SX, was introduced in October 1971. The SX lacks the targa top roof and pop-up headlights; instead, there were four fixed headlights mounted on top of the front. The only available colours were orange and white, and the SX featured black bumpers instead of the LX's chrome bumpers. (wikipedia)
(Photos from flickr.com, allsportauto.com, commons.wikimedia.org,
auto.sport.free.fr, anciennes-etang-apigne.over-blog.com, thegegeblog.canalblog.com,
autobild.de, thegegeblog.canalblog.com & oldiesfan67.canalblog.com)
autobild.de, thegegeblog.canalblog.com & oldiesfan67.canalblog.com)