Oi sacré bleu!
Not another scale model?
ID 145: is a 1/43rd scale model of a
1981 Talbot-Matra Murena 4S.
The Murena was a sleek aerodynamic mid-engined hatchback. Its Cd (drag coefficient) was 0.328 -- sensational for 1980. Its directional stability and wind-noise silence at high speed was legendary and highly effective on twisty roads.
It was a three seater, with all three seats in one row. The middle seat could fold down to become a huge armrest.
The rear hatch allowed access to the engine between the luggage space and the passenger compartment.
The Murena's body was made by bolting no more than twelve polyester-fibre-glass panels onto a galvanized steel spaceframe (25 kg. of Zn was used per car!).
Matra covered it with a six-year anti-corrosion warranty!
We know that Audis are made with galvanized steel, but the Matra Murena blazed the trail first.
The suspension had longitudinal torsion bars in front (like in our Hindustan Ambassador) and Macpherson struts at the rear. Brakes were discs all around.
This French car could reportedly thrash a Porsche in high-speed cornering!
The engine was a 2156 cc 4-cyl. 16v ("4S" stands for
quatre soupapes, four valves) OHC engine -- an oversquare-design where the bore was larger than the stroke. The engine put out 180 BHP and oodles of torque. It could do 224 km/h. Near Lotus Esprit performance at half the price!
Matra made the Murena from 1979-1983.
I was doing a software project for Credit Lyonnais Bank Nederland and knowing my car-craze, my colleagues presented me with 1/43rd scale models of the Talbot Matra Murena by a French company Paradcar (the same as in the pic ID:145 in post#597 by aniguchisan) , and the Alfa-Romeo Carabo Bertone by another French scale model co., Verem -- both cars paradigms of aerodynamics.
Ram