Were the heck did you find this one I would think you've got more chance of winning the lottery than stumbling across this rear beast SO CONGRATULATIONS TO MR NUT FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE CHANNEL👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
I absolutely love the styling of these - I remember seeing them in a book when I was a kid, and being extremely fascinated by it. It's incredible how much more modern it looks than the late 70s given what Matra was working with to develop it.
In the early 1990's I owned 2, both second hand. The first one was totalled on the M25 by being rear ended. The second was eventually traded in. I remember being stranded when the electrics failed. The RAC guy showed me what caused it. Under the engin at the front is a spade conneter that can come away and the car won't start. A couple of years later this knowledge came in handy. I was motorcycling home after my night shift, and as I neared home I came accross a Q of traffic at the Robin Hood roundabout. At the head the Q was a stranded Rancho with a perplexed driver with a " WTF do I do" expression. I stopped the bike, took my helmet off and ducked down under the front of the car. Yes, the wire had come off. I refitted it, stood up and indicated to the driver to turn the key. It fired up, the look on his face was priceless.
My Dad worked at a Peugeot /Talbot main dealer and had the branch keys, Talbot's were great cars for pretend driving because the indicators worked without the keys in the ignition 😂 Thanks for bringing some great memories back Ian.
I think every child of a certain age in the UK had a Rancho toy at some point. I have no idea why, it just seemed to be the law. Only one I ever saw in person was one belonging to a someone local, I remember seeing it and thinking "Wow, they actually exist!" haha. EDIT - Just recognised the area you're driving through and wondering if it's the same car, given how uncommon they are!
I love these. When i saw the video notification pop up i was already thinking that so many 80s kids will have grown up with the matchbox and Corgi models of these without probably having the chance to see a real one. Im very much in that camp. So happy you produced a model. There's something I love about a car with loads of roofspace and natural light too.
A friend of mine had a Rancho in the mid 1980’s and was very impressed with its practicality. He said the only real issue he had with it was one of the scuttle mounted lights escaped and was bouncing along behind the car still attached to its unfeasibly long wire. He later had a Murena 1.6 as well. I had two Espaces myself (a mk 2 and a Mk4 both Matra built). As always, its great to see you driving cars that many people have never seen or heard of. Thanks for sharing a very detailed video about a very interesting and extremely rare car.
I have always loved the Rancho - they’re just off the scale - and the one in the video is simply amazing- still looks modern in a retro kind of way . I would love to buy the design and tooling and restart production of these iconic motors - perhaps with 4x4 and of course a more modern powerful engine and switchgear - the amount of people I’ve heard saying they wish they could have one ! You can certainly see where Landrover got the Discovery design cues from - even the rear lights look similar to the Rancho Great vid Mr Hubnut as always 👏⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely. Agree on everyone of your comments. They were way ahead of their time in styling & extras. And yes, you can see, even today. A lot of car companies took?? some of their styling ideas. I would love to see these back on the road. Especially as range rover, discovery, freelander reliability is in the pan. 👏👏And probably 4 times the price of one of these beauties.
I bought one of these in around 1986 second hand. They were known as the poor man's Range Rover. I got it at a reduced price, as it kept randomly jumping out of gear. On inspection, I discovered there were several rod linkages which had a nylon ball and socket joints, which were used to connect the gear shift to the gear box. They were well worn, so I replaced them at a massive cost of about 75p each. I toured around Wales in it with my family and our Doberman dog. After owning it for a year, I sold it on. It was the only vehicle that I ever sold for more than I bought it for. Thanks for the video, brought back lots of good memories!
So excited Ian! ... I learnt to drive in my parents 1978 Matra Simca Rancho as it was badged then. I was the bees knees or at least thought I was.... loved it 😊
The Rancho was a sort of precursor to your Berlingo or the Renault Kangoo - a vehicle with space for family, sports and leisure based on a small utility vehicle. Matra was full of ideas that were far ahead. Here’s a idea to sell to Miss Hubnut - a trip with Bella and Bob to the Loire next year, with a visit to the Matra Museum at Romorantin.
The happiness on your face is brilliant, so glad you liked meeting it in person! It's not always the case but so good when it happens. Definitely a car before it's time, funny that they were ridiculed for ages but now everyone drives cars that are basically the same idea! It's the same story with the Rover Streetwise and Ford Fusion (Fiesta on stilts version), rufty tough superminis that were laughed at when released but now similar cars are everywhere. There was a green one in my town when I was little, on the same estate as the local Invacar. It succumbed to rot though in the late 90's as I remember seeing it on the driveway with the rear sat on the floor and lots of brown bits of metal underneath, was replaced by a Renault Kangoo when it finally disappeared in the early 2000's.
For fellow Dutch viewers this is known as: De Bassie & Adriaan Auto ;) (funny that you are wearing a dutch t-shirt and did not mention the Bassie en Adriaan fun fact) A Rancho was used in a TV-Series for kids with a Clown and Acrobat as main characters. One of the cars they drove is a Red Talbot Matra Rancho with yellow dots on the side. The series started in the late 70's it run in the 80's and 90's but still repeated way into the 00's so a lot of dutch people know that car. They followed it up by a Honda Prelude, but the Rancho is still the most well known of the cars they used.
They had a sponsor deal with Chrysler so that is why a Rancho appeared in the second and third series in 1978-1979 (in the first season they drove a Beetle based Ruska Classica). Unfortunately Bassie & Adriaan are very keen to enforce copyright so very little can be found online, except on their own channel, like this Starsky and Hutch spoof. th-cam.com/video/LfqHiTCI92E/w-d-xo.html
Right from the time I first saw one as a teenager in probably 78, I wanted one. A real design icon I think. Bonded composite construction is so advanced for the period. That the same team came up with the espace should be no surprise I suppose. ❤
I seem to remember seeing one at the NEC show last year and it was immaculate. I guess that was the other one of the two so sadly, this is the worst one currently on UK roads (although still very good and very lovely)
Ian, This is an amazing review and test. A lot of memories here for me as my dad worked for peugeot/talbot. He had one as a demonstrator for a while. I also have a soft spot for talbots as my first car was a Horizon 1.3 LS. Also thankyou for all the fabulous content over the years. Good times.
The child version of me was also fascinated by the Rancho and I stll got my Matchbox-toy car-Rancho! Btw, if modern SUV:s were this down to earth and funky, I would not hate them...
Nice to see a red Talbot Matra Rancho again. I had one exactly like this in the mid 90's. The sad thing was that they were prone to rust in the rear of the chassis and there were hardly any spare plates to buy. I lived centrally in a small town, so I put it outside the garage with a "For sale" sign in the windshield. It took less than a week, when a man in his late 50s came and knocked on my door. Apparently he had been looking for such a car ever since he saw one in a car magazine years ago. The rust was no problem for this man, as he was a tinsmith and blacksmith by trade. Without haggling over the price, he bought it on the spot and picked it up a couple of days later. I was happy, but he was probably even more happy and satisfied, having found his "dream car" 😎👍
In the early 80s i worked for a GEC company and was given a Talbot/Dodge/Simca 1100 van, what these were based on. It was painted in Black and Yellow GEC colours, and looked like a Wasp. As a 19/20 year old, it sounded like a Wasp when i was driving it as well, or a strimmer. My mates were driving Escorts and Viva's, so i was the fastest kid on the block in my Waspy van.
Every time I see one of these in video, I always think the design is timeless. If that had a private plate on it, unless you knew what you were looking at, I would bet people would assume it's much newer than it is! Love these.
I remember seeing one of these in Barmouth with my dad and him being particularly excited by the car+van combination, owning at the time both a car and a van. Sadly the dream died when he spoke to his friend who had had Simcas in the past who told him that they seemed to be constructed from rust, a bad experience with a rusty 4 year old SD1 meant this wasn’t something he wanted to get involved in. So he bought a Renault 18 Estate instead.
AMAZING, when i was a kid i had a matchbox version of one of these in blue. I liked it alot because it had tow hitch. Never seen one since, and never expected to ever see one in real life. How very cool. Hubluv!
The company my dad worked for got one as a pool car, oddly. I remember him bringing it home and I fell in love with it immediately. Ended up with at least one model of it!
As a child, i used to live right oppisite a Talbot dealer and i remember well this car because of the spotlights, they fascinated me. I also remember there was a Talbot Lotus Sunbeam on their forecourt which looked mean.
Much like yourself was always fascinated by these as a child . They always looked so rugged and purposeful. Sadly never knew anyone who owned one. I went on to test drive 4x4’s at Millbrook, Lake District etc, but always wondered if the Rancho was all show and no go. Great film, thanks 😊
Like you I always loved these cars. I agree they were decades ahead of their time. When I was a student at Strawberry Hill (West London) there was one parked on the road a mile from college. I cycled past it every day and it ranked high among my list of desirable future drives. Fantastic looks, great space and an appropriate-sized engine. In reality, a limited-slip front wheel drive is as much as most people need for driving on wet campsites or muddy farm tracks. With modern upgrades (power steering, a nice diesel, etc) you could relaunch it today. Dacia should consider it. Great film, thanks for posting.
Fantastic to see you driving and critiquing a Rancho Ian. I wanted my dad to get one when they were new, but on a Welder’s wage he had to stick with the Talbot Horizon! When I was about 23 (early 90s) a silver one came up in the small ads locally and I snapped it up immediately. I absolutely adored it and with my limited knowledge, set about making it look very presentable. But by God, it caused some trouble mechanically and structurally. Also it’s gear selector was so long and and indecisive, getting in to the desired ratio was never easy! Thanks for the great video ❤
The only time I have seen one of these and this was at the Practical Classics show in March, as you said I think it was a brown one but I have to admit I did get very excited 😂 A excellent review and very scenic roads on the test.
When I was a kid in the early 80s, this was like the coolest thing ever. You actually saw them now and then here in Sweden back then. I was so happy when I got the smaller Corgi toy version of it - but then some time later my twin brother got the Machbox-version that was way cooler... hm... Anyway, I especially remember seeing one at a Norwegian ski hotel in the mid 80s. It just looked so perfect there - talk about the full blown adventure look. Wow! Funny thing is that it took probably 10-15 years before I realised it was based on the (in my eyes back then) little old ladies hatchback of the 60s... another funny thing is that when I saw it's replacement, the Espace, for the first time, it then was the new coolest thing ever...
In 83 we had a couple on the fleet at "Peugeot Talbot Rentals" in London. Not that popular for rent but one guy came down to London each month and I had to meet him at Kings X with the Rancho he insisted on. He loved them and bought two for his estate in Scotland..... great for hay bales apparently. I took one home one weekend and showed a friend. She paused as she considered it and said .... "looks like a red hearse". She had a point! Modern day equivalent? Considering the 2W drive, Land/Range Rovers can be ignored, as can Suburu Foresters etc. But, the Dacia Duster I have is probably the nearest to it in spirit.
I too had the Corgi Rancho model - it was one of my favourites! As for the real thing - my dad used to know a drummer who owned a Rancho - it was vast inside, and swallowed a drum kit, a PA system and an electric piano with ease! My dad always wanted one, but they were quite rare, and eventually he bought a Volvo 240 estate instead. It’s a pity they were so rot prone.
My art teacher at school (a long haired, bearded gentleman) had a green one. Thought it so bizarre at the time, was quite fascinated by it. First time I've seen how the back opened up in this video. Thanks Hubnut
Years ago I saw a production film of the Rancho and I was shocked by the fact that they simply cut away the wheel arch edges of the fenders with nibblers in order to install the plastic widenings. And that without further rust protection.
We had a couple of Simca vans in the company I was an apprentice in. They were great vans, handled well in all weather (including ice/snow) and were fun to drive. When they brought out the Rancho I wanted one as they were so different to what was on the roads at the time...
It's funny how you had this planned when I randomly mentioned this car a few weeks ago. Brilliant review, like you upto this point, I've never so much as touched one but I remember there being a pea green one in my neighbourhood growing up. It's not that out of place today styling wise; could easily be revived and updated and people would like the retro look I think
Wow, what an absolutely fabulous car. I loved these growing up, they looked so incredibly cool and I wanted one for many years, but I can't remember when I last saw one, sadly. So ahead of its time and packed full of innovations. Part of the reason why I so love French classic cars, they each trod their own paths and were more amazing for doing so. Thank you for showing this amazing car, for all of us who will never have a chance to drive such a brilliant vehicle.
Splendid! I am assuming that these were offered as amore affordable option to a Range Rover. I think my dad used to like Matra Ranchos. Closest he came to owning something like this was a 1980 Horizon 1.3. The latter met his criteria for a car with “at least 4 doors“ I also had a Matra Rancho toy car, which I think was a small Matchbox one. It was blue.
What an amazing car, Ian! It seems like lots of auto vlogging has been happening in the New Forest recently. Steph from I Dive A Classic was there in an Austin-Healy 3000.
I saw the Rancho on a car show in Sweden when the car was launched. I was stunned, a memory for life, but I do remember that I was disapointed when it wasn't 4x4.
Amazingly refreshing to see one of these; never had seen one before today, looks immensely practical for a family wagon, or commercial vehicle...I also noted its cheerful color, in contrast w/ so many "shades of gray" cars passing you going the other way...
To say Simca had rust issues is a bit of an understatement. I remember one of the former chairmen of the Scottish branch of the MMOC telling a story about the Simca he owned back in the 1970s. He'd done some repairs, spray painted the panel and the following morning was horrified to discover that the rust was showing through the paint already.
Excellent long awaited review, your enthusiasm is shared by many. My father very nearly traded his Alpine (egged on by me) for an early example, the 1100 engine was the only thing that broke the deal. He eventually did the trade but for a Wartburg Tourist, which I also loved, not so much my mother who was petrified of the freewheeling gearbox. It's a pity more don't survive or nobody made a mold for a kit car. It's as if this was designed by Bill Towns French cousin, brilliant and practical.
I'm ashamed to say that when I was a young man I hated these and thought they were a bit of a joke. Oh how things change, I'd love one now and can appreciate their forward thinking design. 👍
They rusted so quickly that sales would have bombed once people got wise to it. That's certainly what happened to one of my favourite cars, sold in the US and Canada as the '71-'73 Plymouth Cricket. I think a similar thing happened to the contemporary Vauxhall Viva, sold in Canada as a Firenza.
The closest thing would have been the goofy Toyota Tercel wagon. Not sure if it came only with AWD. Waay more rugged and reliable than this. In western Newfoundland A guy I worked with used one to go moose hunting with one. Got the biggest moose I’ve ever seen. www.tflcar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/1984_toyota_tercel_4wd_wagon_4.jpg
You're absolutely right, a very cool car and I'm jealous. I always thought they were much smaller, but it looks very spacious inside with you in it. Thanks so much for bringing this one, a lovely example and an enduring classic.
From the very first video I ever watched with you, I know that this car has been your holy grail. I also grew up with the Matchbox, Majorette and Siku models of this car, but they were not a common site on the roads in the late 70's and early 80's. I think i remember seeing maybe 3 or 4 in real life. So if this car is one of 2 left in the UK, I guess Furious Driving tested the other one which I believe was blue. I actually expected you to go and find that car too, so for you to find the only other running example in the UK is pretty impressive. This was a great review. It makes me miss the Simca and Talbot cars from my childhood. I think I would catergorise this car in the same catergory as the Toyota Tercel 4X4, 1st Gen. Subaru Forester and Volvo 850 AWD. Great video and perfectly reviewed as always.
Six of us went to the 1981 London boat show in a friend's X reg, terracotta coloured Matra Rancho. I drove it home to South Yorkshire, from the car park outside King's Cross station, after the pubs closed. It was only a few weeks old, but it was surprisingly quick, with six adults on board for the journey up the almost deserted M1. It was quiet, spacious, and comfortable to drive at 70mph too. The wipers leaving that large top right area of unswept screen, was very annoying on the rhd model.
I can understand your excitement. Ever since Matchbox came out with one in 1980, when I was 11 years old, in blue, I've loved this vehicle. Such a cool vehicle. Great video
I used to love these cars as a kid, my dad had the Simca hatchback and to me at the time it was the simplest of jobs for him to swap one car for the other yet he never did it!! Fabulous looking cars 👍👍👍
Love the Serck font number plates. I loved seeing one of those outside the primary school gate. Town was sandwiched between two main dealer Peugeot Dealerships Galashiels and Hawick.
Rust and a simce was a marriage made in heaven. My mum paased me on her 1974 simca 1100 estate when in 1981 she bought a brand new zastava 1300, and the dealer offered £50 OFF the zastava if she didnt part exchange it😊 It was my first car and i wasnt old enough to drive, so it might aswell have been a rolls royce or a porsche to me. 1 of my weekly routines was to spray the wings around the headlight bezels with white car spray ,in an attempt to hide the rust.
For the first time ever I am a bit jealous of you (CV2 excepted- still want one). My childhood friend Geoffery's dad had one of those Ranchos in 1971/ 2 , I think. It was the coolest car ever to me, just looked the bizz. Jeff's dad had a metallic mid-blue one. Sadly my friend, Geoffery died tragically when we were kids. He, his sister and family were such lovely people - and his dad didn't mind us climbing up and hanging out in the back of his flat bed/tipper truck. You just brought me back some memories of fond times. Thank you.
Walked past an orange one every day on my way to school back in the later seventies. Thought it was so cool - and, amazingly, still looks great. Land Rover certainly took the design cues! The Skoda Yeti is the great grandchild of this.
Nice to hear these "boring" facts. My first car was a 1984 Spanish Peugeot 205 GT, it had the same 1442 Talbot engine, was terribly noisy but at the same time gave the impression of being more powerful than it was 😊
I remember driving past a green one on the way to work in the early 90's and just loving it. Thanks for reminding me of it and showing me a bit more about them. So sad that there are only 2 survivor's.
Really love this video! I had an RC car of the Rancho when I was young and think it still exists somewhere in my parents house. Always loved that car and still remember them on the streets. Thanks for those wonderful memories!
That is the nicest most sorted Rancho I have ever seen. A credit to the owner.
i remember the new ones, they were never as shinny as this one
Absolutely. Props to the owner. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Were the heck did you find this one I would think you've got more chance of winning the lottery than stumbling across this rear beast SO CONGRATULATIONS TO MR NUT FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE CHANNEL👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
That’s why he needs to drive USA 333S (Kashmir Yellow Vauxhall FE 5-Speeder) take another look at this model. Not drive a tired FE Victor. 👌😉🎁🇬🇧
@@chriswilliams-lilley3069remember that one well a VX490
I absolutely love the styling of these - I remember seeing them in a book when I was a kid, and being extremely fascinated by it. It's incredible how much more modern it looks than the late 70s given what Matra was working with to develop it.
Right? It basically looks late-80s!
Same with me had the matchbox car .
In the early 1990's I owned 2, both second hand. The first one was totalled on the M25 by being rear ended. The second was eventually traded in. I remember being stranded when the electrics failed. The RAC guy showed me what caused it. Under the engin at the front is a spade conneter that can come away and the car won't start. A couple of years later this knowledge came in handy. I was motorcycling home after my night shift, and as I neared home I came accross a Q of traffic at the Robin Hood roundabout. At the head the Q was a stranded Rancho with a perplexed driver with a " WTF do I do" expression. I stopped the bike, took my helmet off and ducked down under the front of the car. Yes, the wire had come off. I refitted it, stood up and indicated to the driver to turn the key. It fired up, the look on his face was priceless.
My Dad worked at a Peugeot /Talbot main dealer and had the branch keys, Talbot's were great cars for pretend driving because the indicators worked without the keys in the ignition 😂 Thanks for bringing some great memories back Ian.
I was always fascinated by these cars as a kid too!!
Brings back memories of 1978 when my dad had an emerald green one. We towed the caravan with it and did loads of long trips. FAB !
If there were ever an example of the direction that land rover should be going today, it is this vehicle right here😊
They did! See this then look at a 3-door original Discovery 😅
I think every child of a certain age in the UK had a Rancho toy at some point. I have no idea why, it just seemed to be the law. Only one I ever saw in person was one belonging to a someone local, I remember seeing it and thinking "Wow, they actually exist!" haha. EDIT - Just recognised the area you're driving through and wondering if it's the same car, given how uncommon they are!
Denmark too ...early 80s
Saw some in the 1990's in stores but never owned one till now. I have a collection of UK made toy cars and there are a few Rancho's in it.
My sports teacher had one (and we have had to Simca 1100 Familiale before) 🙂
Like every tape left in the car would turn into Queen’s greatest hits
I had a Majorette Rancho, metallic gold-brown colour (small-Matchbox size)
I love these. When i saw the video notification pop up i was already thinking that so many 80s kids will have grown up with the matchbox and Corgi models of these without probably having the chance to see a real one. Im very much in that camp. So happy you produced a model.
There's something I love about a car with loads of roofspace and natural light too.
A friend of mine had a Rancho in the mid 1980’s and was very impressed with its practicality. He said the only real issue he had with it was one of the scuttle mounted lights escaped and was bouncing along behind the car still attached to its unfeasibly long wire. He later had a Murena 1.6 as well. I had two Espaces myself (a mk 2 and a Mk4 both Matra built). As always, its great to see you driving cars that many people have never seen or heard of. Thanks for sharing a very detailed video about a very interesting and extremely rare car.
The love I have for these cars knows no bounds. I've actively been looking for one over the last three years at home and abroad. One day.....
I have always loved the Rancho - they’re just off the scale - and the one in the video is simply amazing- still looks modern in a retro kind of way . I would love to buy the design and tooling and restart production of these iconic motors - perhaps with 4x4 and of course a more modern powerful engine and switchgear - the amount of people I’ve heard saying they wish they could have one ! You can certainly see where Landrover got the Discovery design cues from - even the rear lights look similar to the Rancho
Great vid Mr Hubnut as always 👏⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely. Agree on everyone of your comments. They were way ahead of their time in styling & extras. And yes, you can see, even today. A lot of car companies took?? some of their styling ideas. I would love to see these back on the road. Especially as range rover, discovery, freelander reliability is in the pan. 👏👏And probably 4 times the price of one of these beauties.
I bought one of these in around 1986 second hand. They were known as the poor man's Range Rover. I got it at a reduced price, as it kept randomly jumping out of gear. On inspection, I discovered there were several rod linkages which had a nylon ball and socket joints, which were used to connect the gear shift to the gear box. They were well worn, so I replaced them at a massive cost of about 75p each. I toured around Wales in it with my family and our Doberman dog. After owning it for a year, I sold it on. It was the only vehicle that I ever sold for more than I bought it for.
Thanks for the video, brought back lots of good memories!
So excited Ian! ... I learnt to drive in my parents 1978 Matra Simca Rancho as it was badged then. I was the bees knees or at least thought I was.... loved it 😊
Me too mate 😁
Passed my test in it, fun car 🚗
What fascinating car, always had a soft spot for Ranchos.
The Rancho was a sort of precursor to your Berlingo or the Renault Kangoo - a vehicle with space for family, sports and leisure based on a small utility vehicle. Matra was full of ideas that were far ahead.
Here’s a idea to sell to Miss Hubnut - a trip with Bella and Bob to the Loire next year, with a visit to the Matra Museum at Romorantin.
Iirc they made the first Espace' till mid 90s, way ahead of everyone else's MPVs
There were cars like Renault 4 F6 and Rapid before Kangoo
Wow! Great to see; memories of 5 of us going camping in the Lakes in the early ‘80’s!
The happiness on your face is brilliant, so glad you liked meeting it in person! It's not always the case but so good when it happens.
Definitely a car before it's time, funny that they were ridiculed for ages but now everyone drives cars that are basically the same idea! It's the same story with the Rover Streetwise and Ford Fusion (Fiesta on stilts version), rufty tough superminis that were laughed at when released but now similar cars are everywhere.
There was a green one in my town when I was little, on the same estate as the local Invacar. It succumbed to rot though in the late 90's as I remember seeing it on the driveway with the rear sat on the floor and lots of brown bits of metal underneath, was replaced by a Renault Kangoo when it finally disappeared in the early 2000's.
Fab review, thanks. I remember these cars from childhood - they were literally 30 years ahead of their time.
For fellow Dutch viewers this is known as: De Bassie & Adriaan Auto ;) (funny that you are wearing a dutch t-shirt and did not mention the Bassie en Adriaan fun fact)
A Rancho was used in a TV-Series for kids with a Clown and Acrobat as main characters.
One of the cars they drove is a Red Talbot Matra Rancho with yellow dots on the side.
The series started in the late 70's it run in the 80's and 90's but still repeated way into the 00's so a lot of dutch people know that car.
They followed it up by a Honda Prelude, but the Rancho is still the most well known of the cars they used.
Came here to say this!
They had a sponsor deal with Chrysler so that is why a Rancho appeared in the second and third series in 1978-1979 (in the first season they drove a Beetle based Ruska Classica). Unfortunately Bassie & Adriaan are very keen to enforce copyright so very little can be found online, except on their own channel, like this Starsky and Hutch spoof.
th-cam.com/video/LfqHiTCI92E/w-d-xo.html
Dear God, with every time seeing that duo, my IQ dropped by 1 point.
Het gras is voor mijn voeten weggemaaid.
Die vervelende clown en acrobaat ✊
Honestly I had that toy as a kid and was obsessed by them in the 80s. Seemed so futuristic back then. Great vid 👍
Right from the time I first saw one as a teenager in probably 78, I wanted one. A real design icon I think. Bonded composite construction is so advanced for the period. That the same team came up with the espace should be no surprise I suppose. ❤
This has to be the cleanest Rancho on the UK roads . Amazing condition. Great Video and review. love it
He said there were only 2 on the road, so it was a 50/50 chance 😁
I seem to remember seeing one at the NEC show last year and it was immaculate. I guess that was the other one of the two so sadly, this is the worst one currently on UK roads (although still very good and very lovely)
Ian, This is an amazing review and test. A lot of memories here for me as my dad worked for peugeot/talbot. He had one as a demonstrator for a while. I also have a soft spot for talbots as my first car was a Horizon 1.3 LS. Also thankyou for all the fabulous content over the years. Good times.
The child version of me was also fascinated by the Rancho and I stll got my Matchbox-toy car-Rancho! Btw, if modern SUV:s were this down to earth and funky, I would not hate them...
Nice to see a red Talbot Matra Rancho again. I had one exactly like this in the mid 90's. The sad thing was that they were prone to rust in the rear of the chassis and there were hardly any spare plates to buy. I lived centrally in a small town, so I put it outside the garage with a "For sale" sign in the windshield. It took less than a week, when a man in his late 50s came and knocked on my door. Apparently he had been looking for such a car ever since he saw one in a car magazine years ago. The rust was no problem for this man, as he was a tinsmith and blacksmith by trade. Without haggling over the price, he bought it on the spot and picked it up a couple of days later. I was happy, but he was probably even more happy and satisfied, having found his "dream car" 😎👍
Ooh, it's a Talbot Matra!
I also thought that was a very cool vehicle back in the day.🙂
Excellent blog - the love you have for this car is clear for all to see.
In the early 80s i worked for a GEC company and was given a Talbot/Dodge/Simca 1100 van, what these were based on. It was painted in Black and Yellow GEC colours, and looked like a Wasp. As a 19/20 year old, it sounded like a Wasp when i was driving it as well, or a strimmer. My mates were driving Escorts and Viva's, so i was the fastest kid on the block in my Waspy van.
Every time I see one of these in video, I always think the design is timeless. If that had a private plate on it, unless you knew what you were looking at, I would bet people would assume it's much newer than it is! Love these.
I've always liked this car and it's part of my imagination when I was young. I would like to have one.
I remember seeing one of these in Barmouth with my dad and him being particularly excited by the car+van combination, owning at the time both a car and a van. Sadly the dream died when he spoke to his friend who had had Simcas in the past who told him that they seemed to be constructed from rust, a bad experience with a rusty 4 year old SD1 meant this wasn’t something he wanted to get involved in. So he bought a Renault 18 Estate instead.
AMAZING, when i was a kid i had a matchbox version of one of these in blue. I liked it alot because it had tow hitch. Never seen one since, and never expected to ever see one in real life. How very cool. Hubluv!
The company my dad worked for got one as a pool car, oddly. I remember him bringing it home and I fell in love with it immediately. Ended up with at least one model of it!
As a child, i used to live right oppisite a Talbot dealer and i remember well this car because of the spotlights, they fascinated me. I also remember there was a Talbot Lotus Sunbeam on their forecourt which looked mean.
Such a characterful car. Really happy that you were finally able to test drive it. Thanks for bringing us along, Ian.👍
Much like yourself was always fascinated by these as a child . They always looked so rugged and purposeful. Sadly never knew anyone who owned one. I went on to test drive 4x4’s at Millbrook, Lake District etc, but always wondered if the Rancho was all show and no go. Great film, thanks 😊
Like you I always loved these cars. I agree they were decades ahead of their time. When I was a student at Strawberry Hill (West London) there was one parked on the road a mile from college. I cycled past it every day and it ranked high among my list of desirable future drives. Fantastic looks, great space and an appropriate-sized engine. In reality, a limited-slip front wheel drive is as much as most people need for driving on wet campsites or muddy farm tracks. With modern upgrades (power steering, a nice diesel, etc) you could relaunch it today. Dacia should consider it. Great film, thanks for posting.
Fantastic to see you driving and critiquing a Rancho Ian.
I wanted my dad to get one when they were new, but on a Welder’s wage he had to stick with the Talbot Horizon!
When I was about 23 (early 90s) a silver one came up in the small ads locally and I snapped it up immediately. I absolutely adored it and with my limited knowledge, set about making it look very presentable. But by God, it caused some trouble mechanically and structurally. Also it’s gear selector was so long and and indecisive, getting in to the desired ratio was never easy!
Thanks for the great video ❤
Pleased to say my Matra Rancho is in absolute mint condition. No rust, no scratches, everything works.
It is, however, a Corgi.
😂
I think the shown small model is made from "Matchbox" out the Series "Superkings".😁
Nice punctuation there....
My uncle had one of these had loads of fun in it when I was a young boy
The only time I have seen one of these and this was at the Practical Classics show in March, as you said I think it was a brown one but I have to admit I did get very excited 😂
A excellent review and very scenic roads on the test.
I think that because it was so ahead of its time ,it still looks fresh today! Amazing car!
Absolutely love these. I used to know of one with a 1.8TD XUD7 fitted
Wow, this looks brand new! Props to the owner for tons of love given to it!
When I was a kid in the early 80s, this was like the coolest thing ever. You actually saw them now and then here in Sweden back then. I was so happy when I got the smaller Corgi toy version of it - but then some time later my twin brother got the Machbox-version that was way cooler... hm... Anyway, I especially remember seeing one at a Norwegian ski hotel in the mid 80s. It just looked so perfect there - talk about the full blown adventure look. Wow! Funny thing is that it took probably 10-15 years before I realised it was based on the (in my eyes back then) little old ladies hatchback of the 60s... another funny thing is that when I saw it's replacement, the Espace, for the first time, it then was the new coolest thing ever...
I remember thinking how cool they looked when they came out.
Last seen by me in Padstow some 15, or more, years ago.
This car has a timeless design which still looks as good today as it did in the early 1980s.
In 83 we had a couple on the fleet at "Peugeot Talbot Rentals" in London. Not that popular for rent but one guy came down to London each month and I had to meet him at Kings X with the Rancho he insisted on. He loved them and bought two for his estate in Scotland..... great for hay bales apparently. I took one home one weekend and showed a friend. She paused as she considered it and said .... "looks like a red hearse". She had a point! Modern day equivalent? Considering the 2W drive, Land/Range Rovers can be ignored, as can Suburu Foresters etc. But, the Dacia Duster I have is probably the nearest to it in spirit.
I too had the Corgi Rancho model - it was one of my favourites! As for the real thing - my dad used to know a drummer who owned a Rancho - it was vast inside, and swallowed a drum kit, a PA system and an electric piano with ease! My dad always wanted one, but they were quite rare, and eventually he bought a Volvo 240 estate instead. It’s a pity they were so rot prone.
My art teacher at school (a long haired, bearded gentleman) had a green one. Thought it so bizarre at the time, was quite fascinated by it. First time I've seen how the back opened up in this video. Thanks Hubnut
My parents had a Simca 1100. I remember it being quite nice inside but you could virtually watch the rust creeping along the wings.
The first time I saw a LR Discovery I thought “My word, that looks remarkably like a Rancho!”
Years ago I saw a production film of the Rancho and I was shocked by the fact that they simply cut away the wheel arch edges of the fenders with nibblers in order to install the plastic widenings. And that without further rust protection.
That explains a great deal!
Rusty Jones? Mais non, Monsieur. Mais non.
We had a couple of Simca vans in the company I was an apprentice in. They were great vans, handled well in all weather (including ice/snow) and were fun to drive. When they brought out the Rancho I wanted one as they were so different to what was on the roads at the time...
It's funny how you had this planned when I randomly mentioned this car a few weeks ago. Brilliant review, like you upto this point, I've never so much as touched one but I remember there being a pea green one in my neighbourhood growing up. It's not that out of place today styling wise; could easily be revived and updated and people would like the retro look I think
Did like the retro look...do like the retro look...will like the retro look. A vehicle for all times!
Wow, what an absolutely fabulous car. I loved these growing up, they looked so incredibly cool and I wanted one for many years, but I can't remember when I last saw one, sadly. So ahead of its time and packed full of innovations. Part of the reason why I so love French classic cars, they each trod their own paths and were more amazing for doing so. Thank you for showing this amazing car, for all of us who will never have a chance to drive such a brilliant vehicle.
Seeing the Rancho again, the likeness to the original Discovery is quite striking. Surely Land Rover designers were heavily influenced by the Rancho.
Matra Sinca Rancho was one of my very first matchboxes and I was equally fascinated by its design.
Splendid! I am assuming that these were offered as amore affordable option to a Range Rover.
I think my dad used to like Matra Ranchos. Closest he came to owning something like this was a 1980 Horizon 1.3. The latter met his criteria for a car with “at least 4 doors“
I also had a Matra Rancho toy car, which I think was a small Matchbox one. It was blue.
That thing looks so cool. Retro, rally, utility, big enough for the job without excess. Love it
What an amazing car, Ian! It seems like lots of auto vlogging has been happening in the New Forest recently. Steph from I Dive A Classic was there in an Austin-Healy 3000.
I saw the Rancho on a car show in Sweden when the car was launched. I was stunned, a memory for life, but I do remember that I was disapointed when it wasn't 4x4.
Rancho caught my attention as a kid too, innovative and inspired the Discovery's styling?
The Discovery came much later and stole the idea😂
Amazingly refreshing to see one of these; never had seen one before today, looks immensely practical for a family wagon, or commercial vehicle...I also noted its cheerful color, in contrast w/ so many "shades of gray" cars passing you going the other way...
To say Simca had rust issues is a bit of an understatement. I remember one of the former chairmen of the Scottish branch of the MMOC telling a story about the Simca he owned back in the 1970s. He'd done some repairs, spray painted the panel and the following morning was horrified to discover that the rust was showing through the paint already.
Excellent long awaited review, your enthusiasm is shared by many. My father very nearly traded his Alpine (egged on by me) for an early example, the 1100 engine was the only thing that broke the deal. He eventually did the trade but for a Wartburg Tourist, which I also loved, not so much my mother who was petrified of the freewheeling gearbox. It's a pity more don't survive or nobody made a mold for a kit car. It's as if this was designed by Bill Towns French cousin, brilliant and practical.
I'm ashamed to say that when I was a young man I hated these and thought they were a bit of a joke. Oh how things change, I'd love one now and can appreciate their forward thinking design. 👍
I was very excited and I wasn't even there Lol What a beautiful example. My favorite HubNut videos now have a new number one. 😁
We never had anything like this in Canada. It might have been very interesting to see how they would have sold if they came here.
They rusted so quickly that sales would have bombed once people got wise to it. That's certainly what happened to one of my favourite cars, sold in the US and Canada as the '71-'73 Plymouth Cricket. I think a similar thing happened to the contemporary Vauxhall Viva, sold in Canada as a Firenza.
The closest thing would have been the goofy Toyota Tercel wagon. Not sure if it came only with AWD. Waay more rugged and reliable than this.
In western Newfoundland A guy I worked with used one to go moose hunting with one. Got the biggest moose I’ve ever seen.
www.tflcar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/1984_toyota_tercel_4wd_wagon_4.jpg
Hi , i left the UK in 1981 .i have never heard of that vehicle , look's like the pope mobile, thanks for sharing
Wonderful. A neighbour of mine had one, a keen camper he seemed to go everywhere in it. What a great find ❤
If they started making these again I'd buy one in an instant. I do have that toy car as well.
I loved this car as a kid, it was so funky looking and had all these cool details. Glad to see such a nice specimen!
You're absolutely right, a very cool car and I'm jealous. I always thought they were much smaller, but it looks very spacious inside with you in it. Thanks so much for bringing this one, a lovely example and an enduring classic.
At last! We have waited so long for this review. Disco, HRV and so many cars of today can all look back to see their DNA here.
From the very first video I ever watched with you, I know that this car has been your holy grail. I also grew up with the Matchbox, Majorette and Siku models of this car, but they were not a common site on the roads in the late 70's and early 80's. I think i remember seeing maybe 3 or 4 in real life. So if this car is one of 2 left in the UK, I guess Furious Driving tested the other one which I believe was blue. I actually expected you to go and find that car too, so for you to find the only other running example in the UK is pretty impressive. This was a great review. It makes me miss the Simca and Talbot cars from my childhood. I think I would catergorise this car in the same catergory as the Toyota Tercel 4X4, 1st Gen. Subaru Forester and Volvo 850 AWD. Great video and perfectly reviewed as always.
Looks far more modern than its age. Great colour too
Had a smile on my face whole way through this. Thank you 🤟
Six of us went to the 1981 London boat show in a friend's X reg, terracotta coloured Matra Rancho. I drove it home to South Yorkshire, from the car park outside King's Cross station, after the pubs closed. It was only a few weeks old, but it was surprisingly quick, with six adults on board for the journey up the almost deserted M1. It was quiet, spacious, and comfortable to drive at 70mph too. The wipers leaving that large top right area of unswept screen, was very annoying on the rhd model.
Way ahead of its time!! Gorgeous car.
I too shared a fascination for these cars. I vaguely remember having a matchbox toy, but never drove in one.
Glad they're still around!
I can understand your excitement. Ever since Matchbox came out with one in 1980, when I was 11 years old, in blue, I've loved this vehicle. Such a cool vehicle. Great video
I used to love these cars as a kid, my dad had the Simca hatchback and to me at the time it was the simplest of jobs for him to swap one car for the other yet he never did it!! Fabulous looking cars 👍👍👍
Superb example of its type , well sorted car . Great to see it still going .
Although the back of it looks like a Pope mobile .
Love the Serck font number plates. I loved seeing one of those outside the primary school gate. Town was sandwiched between two main dealer Peugeot Dealerships Galashiels and Hawick.
I had the Corgi model of this when I was a kid, in red, like this one. I loved it! Great to see one of these still in use.
Brilliant! Thank you. I enjoyed every moment of that ❤
Rust and a simce was a marriage made in heaven.
My mum paased me on her 1974 simca 1100 estate when in 1981 she bought a brand new zastava 1300, and the dealer offered £50 OFF the zastava if she didnt part exchange it😊
It was my first car and i wasnt old enough to drive, so it might aswell have been a rolls royce or a porsche to me.
1 of my weekly routines was to spray the wings around the headlight bezels with white car spray ,in an attempt to hide the rust.
For the first time ever I am a bit jealous of you (CV2 excepted- still want one). My childhood friend Geoffery's dad had one of those Ranchos in 1971/ 2 , I think. It was the coolest car ever to me, just looked the bizz. Jeff's dad had a metallic mid-blue one. Sadly my friend, Geoffery died tragically when we were kids. He, his sister and family were such lovely people - and his dad didn't mind us climbing up and hanging out in the back of his flat bed/tipper truck. You just brought me back some memories of fond times. Thank you.
Used to pass one on my walk to the station in the very late seventies. Just fell in love with the shape then. Great video and a credit to the owner.
Walked past an orange one every day on my way to school back in the later seventies. Thought it was so cool - and, amazingly, still looks great. Land Rover certainly took the design cues! The Skoda Yeti is the great grandchild of this.
I had a toy one as a child as well and always liked them! Great to see one on the road
One of my favourite videos. I loved the Rancho ever since it came out!
Brilliant stuff
Absolutely years ahead of its time
Nice to hear these "boring" facts. My first car was a 1984 Spanish Peugeot 205 GT, it had the same 1442 Talbot engine, was terribly noisy but at the same time gave the impression of being more powerful than it was 😊
I remember driving past a green one on the way to work in the early 90's and just loving it. Thanks for reminding me of it and showing me a bit more about them. So sad that there are only 2 survivor's.
Really love this video! I had an RC car of the Rancho when I was young and think it still exists somewhere in my parents house. Always loved that car and still remember them on the streets. Thanks for those wonderful memories!
Did it come with a boat on a trailer and the RC module could be swapped between the Rancho and the boat?
@@andreasu.3546 no, just the car and it was pretty big if I remember correctly.
I too was obsessed with the toy when I was young, very forward thinking and very cool!