What is matra-simca bagheera?

The Matra-Simca Bagheera is a sports car which was produced by Matra and then by its successor, Matra-Simca, from 1973 to 1980. It was designed by Greek engineer Antonis Volanis and was named after the Bagheera character from The Jungle Book. It featured a transverse mid-engine layout and a distinctive three-abreast seating arrangement, with the driver positioned centrally.

The car was powered by a range of engines, including a 1.3-litre and 1.4-litre Simca engines, as well as a 1.6-litre, 1.7-litre, and 2.2-litre engines from Matra. The most powerful version, the Bagheera S, used a turbocharged 2.2-litre engine that produced 168 horsepower.

Despite its performance capabilities, the Bagheera was ultimately unsuccessful due to quality control issues and Matra's decision to focus on the production of commercial vehicles instead of sports cars. Only around 47,802 Bagheeras were produced over the course of its seven-year production run. Today, the Bagheera is considered a rare and unique collector's car.