Happy New Year! Welcome to the first Ace Cafe of 2026. Alas after two weeks of rain in the Vega Baja, some immensely heavy, resulting in the presence of just five classic / specialist cars. By 11:15, Johnny left taking his beautiful aguamarine 1997 Mercedes-Benz S202 200DT “C” Class home. Phoenix was now represented by the ever present white, 1992 Citroen AX 1.4D of Jan and Norm. Remaining were two silver Chevrolet Corvette C6´s. Alas not captured on film. The remaining car was, perhaps, the most interesting; a Matra-Simca Bagheera Series I.
The car follows French sportscar tradition of possessing a small engine in a light-weight body, ala Panhard and Alpine, providing decent performance and fuel consumption with a low tax threshold. The body is19 panels of fibreglass reinforced polyester bonded to a pressed steel spaceframe chassis, shaped into a sleerk, aerodynamic [drag coefficient () of 0.33 hatchback with hidden headlights and a rear hatch which opened to access the transversely mounted engine paired to a 4-speed manual transaxle, mounted behind the passenger compartment and a rear luggage space. The unusual three-abreast seating dictated [lhd with two individual passenger seats on the right ala Fiat Multipa] which differs from McLarens [central driver with a passenger to each side] and the UK´s Jowett Jupiter [rhd driver, left hand twin bench]
Matra Bagheera details – Manufactured: all lhd, 1973-80, Series 1: 1973-76. Production: all models 47,802. Engine: i4, 1,294 cc, twin weber carburetors. Power: 84 bhp. Gearbox: 4 speed. Weight: 895 kg. Brakes: 4 wheel discs. Performance: 185kph; 0-100kph: 11.5secs.