Many carmakers claim that one of its different models was the first crossover, but as far as I'm concerned that's like being the first locust in the plague. Curbside Classics says the Matra Rancho was ...

Lou is a freelance journalist and content writer with a focus on the automotive world. After graduating from Coventry University (Automotive Journalism MA) in 2020, she worked in automotive e-commerce ...

The Matra Rancho offered the image of adventure in the Seventies and was the forerunner of today's big-selling crossovers, says Andrew Roberts Driving through Beaulieu is a task suited to only the ...

On the eve of Land Rover promising to crack down on dodgy Chinese rip-offs (specifically the gold nuggets that come out of unfortunately-named ‘Land Wind’) we remember the dodgy French Discovery ...

If you thought SUVs based on regular cars were a new thing, then pack your bags as we’re heading to France in the late 1970s. The car needed to be relatively inexpensive to bring to market, and offer ...

Right now, off-roaders (also known, amusingly, as Sports Utility Vehicles - SUVs) are hot property. There's a whiff of political incorrectness about them, but millions of buyers still want them, ...

Right now, off-roaders (also known, amusingly, as Sports Utility Vehicles - SUVs) are hot property. There's a whiff of political incorrectness about them, but millions of buyers still want them, ...

Gilbert Smith is an automotive journalist with over five years of specialized research and writing experience. Before joining CarBuzz in 2024, he produced in-depth buyer’s guides and feature articles ...

This front-drive 4x4 lookalike for impecunious Range Rover wannabes was, nevertheless, ahead of its time and quite popular, with almost 58,000 sold. With three rows of seats it was a mini-MPV and, ...

WHAT IS IT? Back in the Seventies, if you wanted a 4x4 that was a decent steer, you pretty much had a choice of one: the Range Rover. The Matra Rancho was a brave attempt to marry the butch off-road ...

When I was in my 20s there was only one car I ever dreamed of owning – a Matra Simca Rancho. With its raised roof, body-moulded side protectors and bonnet-mounted spotlights, in the late 1970s, when ...