Matra Simca Rancho Brochure
Cover states “Freedom”
Car brochures usually sell cars. This one has bigger ideas.
In Carmalarky Issue One, we explore a remarkable French brochure for the Matra Simca Rancho—a curious piece of automotive marketing that is as much about freedom, escape, and adventure as it is about the vehicle itself.
Because the original brochure is entirely in French, we wanted English-speaking readers to be able to experience more of it than we could reproduce in the magazine. Here, we’ve translated most of the original text and included additional images and references for those who’d like to go deeper.
This is a reading translation rather than an academic one. We’ve aimed to preserve the meaning, character, and occasionally unusual spirit of the original French rather than account for every linguistic nuance.
Consider it a companion to the piece in Issue One—and an opportunity to spend a little more time with one of the more distinctive automotive brochures of its era.
Pages 2-3
The essentials.
I need, said the practical man, a comfortable car. Economical too. A versatile car, as at ease driving my children to school as moving my mother-in-law's piano. With, in addition, the flair to navigate highways and the flexibility to slip through town. I want a car that obeys at the drop of a hat, a docile car that my wife will drive without difficulty. Where will I find such a car? Salesmen rushed over, each with a car, apparently packed with qualities. But this escalation of praise did not satisfy the practical man. He yawned with boredom.
“I need,” said the practical man, “a comfortable car. Economical too. A versatile car, as at ease driving my children to school as moving my mother-in-law’s piano. With, in addition, the flair to navigate highways and the flexibility to slip through town. I want a car that obeys at the drop of a hat, a docile car that my wife will drive without difficulty. Where will I find such a car?” Salesmen rushed over, each with a car, apparently packed with qualities. But this escalation of praise did not satisfy the practical man. He yawned with boredom.
Adventure.
“I want a car that will accompany me in my dreams,” said the friend of nature. “A car unlike any other, one that can do without paved roads and carve its own path across fields. I want a car that will make me free and happy.” A few salesmen displayed vehicles designed to fulfill the wildest desires of man who wanted to master nature. But these cars, capable of crossing a ford, were not surrendered at any price. Back to reality, our explorer thought sadly of his children, his vacations, his vanished dream of freedom. “Ah,” he sighed, “why isn’t there a car that really gives me the pleasures I expect...” The salesmen fell silent. Suddenly, a man who had said nothing until then showed him the Rancho.
Pages 4-5 - “The escape car.”
Pages 6-7
The Rancho on the road.
The practical man clears his throat and concludes: it's true that the Rancho is a well-balanced car, as safe and comfortable as it is rational. As far as practicality goes, it compares without embarrassment to the best station wagons. The Rancho has a trunk. I can load up to 500 kilos in it! Enough to give me plenty of ideas for escape. And then, it's clever: its downward-folding tailgate makes it easy to load bulky objects. The bench seat slides away to free up a cargo volume of 2200 dm³. I also like its plush equipment. The imitation leather upholstery that covers the back, not to mention those little refinements like the dashboard clock and the cigarette lighter. The Rancho's maneuverability will delight my wife. With a turning radius of 5.28 m, you can be comfortable in the city!
From the first few kilometers, a sensation of astonishing smoothness appears: the softness of the torsion bar suspension, the smoothness of the ride, light and precise. The driver becomes one with his Rancho, glued to the road, sure of its front-wheel drive, sure of its exceptional stability.
The Rancho travels at 145 km/h. Its safety and comfort make it the car for very nice mid-size cars on the highway. Effortlessly...
So, what's missing from the Rancho? Nothing
The Rancho in nature.
The Rancho, adds the explorer, has a vocation for the great outdoors. It starts to have fun when other cars are forced to stop. Its reinforced suspension and rugged chassis give it solid hamstrings. Its precise steering allows for the fastest maneuvers, and its ground clearance makes it a relaxed "all-terrain" vehicle. With the Rancho, nature becomes accessible. Its gearbox ratios are calculated so that it has plenty of power everywhere: on dirt climbs as well as on asphalt.
The Rancho has been tested on hundreds of thousands of kilometers of roads, highways, paths, and tracks. It has proven its exceptional endurance.
With it, I'm sure I can escape without risk, wherever my fancy takes me. It has a spirit of adventure; we'll get along well.
Pages 8-9
Inside the Rancho.
The wife then spoke. What appeals to me about the Rancho, she said, is that it exudes luxury. Its seats are as deep as couches and have effective headrests. In a few seconds, the luggage space transforms to suit our needs. It also seems that the Rancho offers us uncommon safety features: disc brakes at the front, a power brake supplemented by a dual circuit and pressure distributor, impressive bumpers, extended by protective side shields. The Rancho has a windshield seduced in luxury. Its features, the common space - It seems to have: completed by laminated side windshields, a telescopic steering column and inertia reel seat belts. Nothing like it to feel that with it you have a famous margin of safety! Finally, the Rancho knows how to be welcoming: vanity mirror, illuminated (and lockable) glove box, a large glove compartment, a cigarette lighter, and ashtrays everywhere underline its opulent comfort.
From the first meeting, continued the practical man, something clicked. For the first time, I no longer had to choose between an ordinary car and a worry-so much. The Rancho is both an everyday instrument and a companion for escape, the joy of living differently. It lacks nothing. Its dashboard includes a odometer, a real thermometer, a clock, and even a brake pressure indicator. With its four iodine headlights, the Rancho sees far. It also has a heated rear window, two reversing lights, and a large fog light.
Space? There are few cars capable of carrying so much luggage (there is a roof rack at the front and a tow hook at the rear). Finally, the Rancho can be fitted with numerous optional features that make it even more practical: a winch at the front, controlled from the inside; an additional rear bench seat (folding); fender lights; and a bunk for sleeping in the rear compartment, without removing the luggage. Also optional: metallic paint, tinted windows.
Pages 10-11 -“Technical Specifications”
Back cover - “Rancho. The escape car.”
We’ve left these last pages untranslated, as the technical data falls outside the scope of our article. For readers interested in digging deeper, here are a few helpful resources:
Faux-by-faux: The Matra Rancho Story
A 15-minute video by Big Car, and part of the inspiration for our article.
Talbot Matra Rancho test! Dream moment for me.
A 21-minute road test from the always delightful HubNut.
Geeking out on the daddy of SUV crossovers
An 11-minute video by Grand Thrift Auto, who is restoring his own Rancho.
Matra Rancho on Wikipedia
A good, basic introduction. Check the sources for more.
Seymour Chwast and Push Pin Studios
Biography and examples from the iconic artist who illustrated this brochure.
