French Exotic Duet: Two 1979 Matra-Simca Bagheeras

To all you fans of obscure European sports cars, here's something to get your heart racing, particularly if French cars are more to your taste than German, Italian, Swedish or British ones. In Madison, Wisconsin, someone is selling two 1979 Matra-Simca Bagheeras, which are unusual in many ways, such as having three-abreast seating, being named for the panther in Rudyard Kipling's classic novel The Jungle Book, and being rare grey-market imports as opposed to the slightly more common full Euro-spec Bagheeras imported on an individual basis by enthusiasts. (However, I must say that no Bagheera is 'common', anywhere.) 

While the second car is not pictured, the blue one featured here is said to have very little rust in the monocoque-style steel understructure (the body panels are made of polyester plastic and thus don't rust), has a very good interior and a clear Wisconsin title. Molds for the special US-spec bumpers are included, along with 8 finished units. However, it is not said how many are front or rear. The black car is said to have nearly enough parts to complete the blue car, or could be brought back to life by a dedicated enthusiast, but there are no carburetors or intake manifolds for either car.

The seller also includes free technical and parts assistance from a North American Matra Registry member and Bagheera owner, and makes mentions of an "M550 factory code" and the importer Geo. (George?) Goodrich of Santa Clara, California, neither of which I could find any information on via a Google search. If any readers know about the "M550 code" and/or Mr. Goodrich, please leave a comment. 

Find these cars here:

http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/1550141932.html

Not a Gordini: 1964 Renault R8 Project Car, $1200

I admire the honesty of this car's seller in stating that it is not a Gordini, hence the title of this post.  This 1964 Renault R8, while somewhat dinged up and disheveled, appears to be a good restoration project, has good glass and appears very complete and original with the exception of the steering wheel and roof rack. I like the styling of this car and the subsequent R10 better than the Dauphine which preceded them, but not as much as I like the quirky and overtly French appearance of the 4CV. The seller states that s/he will only sell to a Renault enthusiast, which will hopefully rule out the scrap-metal dealers, parts pullers, car hoarders and 24 Hours of LeMons and ChumpCar racers. 

Another especially appealing (or unattractive, depending on one's point of view) feature of the Renault R8 is how the designers of the instrument panel made it bear an uncanny resemblance to the front of a bookcase stereo receiver dating to the Reagan administration when it is actually the speedometer and gauges of a car built when DeGaulle was president of France and the car was imported to the US and sold new during the Johnson administration, well before rectangular black plastic stereo equipment reached ubiquity. 

The asking price of $1200 is quite reasonable considering that one can find the less desirable Dauphine in similar or worse condition than this car for more money on eBay more often than one can find any kind of R8 there at any price.

 Find this car here, in Corvallis, Oregon: 

http://corvallis.craigslist.org/cto/1551477306.html

Right-Hand-Drive Rarity: 1979 Citroen 2CV-based Three-Wheel Speedster, $12,500

Citroens of all types are rare in the USA, the last officially-imported models coming Stateside in 1975 with unofficial grey-market imports trickling in between the late 70s and roughly 1993, and three-wheel cars are rare too, with the exception of the increasingly common ZAPCAR electric pickups and sedans. But combine the elements of Citroen and three-wheeler, and add right-hand drive and an attractive boattail speedster body style to the equation, and you get something truly distinctive.

This car was imported to the US from England, and the brand of kit used to convert the donor Citroen 2CV to a three-wheel sports car appears to be a Lomax. The Lomax kit car was and is popular in the UK as well as Continental Europe, and information on these kits and other three-wheeled kit cars can be found here: http://www.3wheelers.com/lomax.html.

This car comes with a full soft top assembly, side curtains and a spare wheel, parts are readily available in the US, the owner claims 57 miles per gallon, and three-wheeled vehicles are legally considered to be motorcycles in the USA, regardless of body configuration or seating capacity, so there are less stringent emissions and safety regulations in most states with these.

And no, you don't need a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license to drive a three-wheeled car.

Find this car, located south of Seattle, here:

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/1542484753.html