Matra
Matra was started in the South of France in 1941 as the company Mechanique Aviation Traction. Post war they built the Ariane rockets as part of their aerospace work, but also got involved with sports and racing cars. The involvement with motor cars came about through work for Rene Bonnet who Matra built the bodies for, and when in 1964 the company went into liquidation, Matra took over, no doubt as part of what they were owed. The Djet, which they had been making the bodywork for, was continued and then they built the M530 and Bagheera, as well as carrying on the Bonnet tradition of Formula 1,2 and 3 cars. In 1969 Matra sold their motorcar interests to Simca.
