1972 Matra M530 – Project Profile

The French have never been ones to be restrained. If you want flamboyance, celebration and a certain joie de vivre, France is the place to get it. The architecture, the fashion, the food and of course, the cars. Most car companies rely heavily on focus groups, board meetings, market research and statistics. The French don’t subscribe to such things. Well, they may do today, but they certainly didn’t in the past. If they did, cars like the 2CV, the Traction Avant, the DS and the Avion Voisin would never have come to be. The French are a passionate, headstrong bunch of people that have ideas and a desire to see them through – sales figures be damned. Which brings us neatly to the car we have chosen as this week’s Project Profile – a 1972 Matra 530LX.

Matra is a name you might be familiar with, but not in a M530 context. However, your knowledge of the brand will be no less based on the weird. There was the three-abreast seating of the Murena. There was the Bagheera, a low and wide sports car, again with ‘three in a row’ seating. And then, of course, there was the Matra Rancho, a weird off-roader that made children giddy with joy thanks to its Tonka-like aesthetic. But then there was the M530, a car that has been very nearly lost to mists of time. Happily though, that’s what we have here.

What is it? 

The car we’re looking at here is, as mentioned, a Matra M530LX. The M530 was a clever little thing. Powered by a midship Ford V4 engine, it was a natty 2+2 with strange but beguiling looks, adequate performance and of course, pop-up headlights. Named after a missile (no, really) the M530 was the brainchild of Matra boss, Jean-Luc Lagardère who wanted a car to replace the racy Djet, a voiture des copains (car for chums) as he put it. The result was the M530.

A fibreglass body draped over a steel chassis, the M530 was aimed at the Lotus Elan, the MGB and even the Porsche 912! Sadly though, while the motoring press was keen to laud the Matra for its build quality and price, the fact remained that it simply didn’t have the performance to match its rivals. As such, very few were sold, with more traditional and cheaper brands like MG winning out. Few M530s were built, and even fewer (allegedly three) were built in right-hand drive specification. But that’s what we have here, and it’s an LX model, meaning a glass rear hatch. Very fancy.

Why is it a project? 

According to the vendor, the M530 has been holed up in storage since the 1980s. Probably because nobody knew what it was or what to do with it? A 1972 model, this is one of three that were converted to right-hand drive format, though apparently this conversion made the Matra more expensive to buy than an E Type and, well, you’d rather have an E Type, right? But while it may have been expensive in its day, it’s cheap now at just £4,500. Though, a lot needs to be done. The engine turns, but doesn’t run. The electrics look to be questionable to say the least, the body needs love, the chassis will need investigation and the interior trim will need sorting out from top to bottom. Is it worth it? Of course. This is a brilliantly quirky, charming little car that, while tired, is nowhere near the point of no return. Bust out the spanners and bring it back to life.

Five things to look for: 

1) Trim

You can’t go on eBay and just buy the missing parts you need for this. It’s a rare machine, and parts are going to be hard to find. It all looks to be complete, but very tired. But that’s fine, as you can get parts re-manufactured, but only if you have the originals.

2) Engine

The Ford V4 might strike you as being an easy engine to maintain and find parts for, but that’s not the case. It was never hugely popular here in the UK, so you might find yourself hunting through European sites for parts. As such, a thorough check of its condition, and that of the gearbox, is a must.

3) Body

The fibreglass body of this Matra seems to be in decent order. However, it’s a fickle material, so check for damage, spider cracks, warping and accident damage. And remember that any repairs will need to be done by a specialist, not just any old body shop.

4) Chassis

The M530 boasted a steel chassis, which gave good handling and stability. However, the steel was perforated in the name of lightness, which in turn made it a full-on moisture trap. Rust is a very real concern here, so check it thoroughly.

5) Paperwork

Given the rarity of this car, the paperwork is something you need to inspect. Is there anything that pertains to the right hand-drive conversion, is there anything of the car’s history? And can the seller guarantee that a V5 is obtainable. We would suggest doing a vehicle check on Cazana.

What should you do with it? 

If it were our money, we’d go for a restoration to original specification. This is a rare car, and one that should be celebrated. Give it the full works; body off, chassis treated and repaired, engine and transmission rebuild, full paint and trim. The full kit and caboodle. If you bring this rare, old Matra M530LX back up to original specification, you will be left with a car that’s fun, but that also turns heads and will undoubtedly leave the crowds at shows baffled but enthralled. It’s a slice of French motoring history, and that should be celebrated.