UK Bagheeras - how many?

[Fred]

I was just wondering how many are known to be on British roads now?  I assume the number is quite small and that there may be just as many tucked up in sheds and garages .. er .. like mine! 

I haven't seen one here in Northern Ireland for about fifteen years.  A bright red S2 with colour-coded bumpers used to drive around Belfast then.  The only Bagheeras I've seen since are an orange RHD one I went to look at in Birmingham in 1997 and my own.   

I took the orange one for a spin round the block and the dealer explained to me that the water that poured onto my feet when I opened the glove box was due to a faulty windscreen rubber.    Chancer!  There was an ill-fitting Ford radio brutally forced into a cavity in the dash too small to take it and her battery was held down with some blue tow-rope! 

He had the car advertised in a magazine for £2000.  I looked all round it with curiosity, saying little but thinking a lot as he pumped up a flat tyre and started it with jump leads.   When I made no offers on the car at all he dropped from his advertised price down to £1400.   I would have been game to give him about half that but thought it a cheeky offer, so didn't bother.  I said I'd have a think about it and that's as far as it went. 

I wonder what became of the RHD orange beauty with the many issues.     I hope someone talented saved her.

[andyowl]

It would be good to know how many are actually "on the road". I am frequently asked at motorsport events how many there are in  the UK and I always evade the question by talking about the number of RHD conversions!

Greig Dalgleish (until recently MECUK membership secretary) kept records of how many were within the UK club but not how many were actually on the road.

Roy Gillard put a definitive list of RHD conversions in the club magazine late last year and that may give you the answer.

So our family tally would be:-
1) Baggy Joe, insured, taxed and tested. In frequent use
2) Baggy Grey, ditto
3) Baggy Rouge, long term garage resident, could be tested tomorrow with a good chance of passing but she is not needed on a frequent basis. Just occasionally Charlie agrees to try and find a new home for Rouge but with other good RHD Bagheeras for sale in the magazine and not being bought, I wonder if this is the right time? I could certainly use the space!
4) Baggy Ginge (RHD Orange Vulcain) is off the road awaiting time and budget from son Philip Owler. The needs of new wife and family these days (rightly) take precedence. It is in his garage in Epsom.

In the meantime my motorsport efforts may raise the profile of the Bagheera a little bit and my recent "Class Win" may help! (See a new Forum thread today!)

Andy

[roy4matra]

I was just wondering how many are known to be on British roads now?  I assume the number is quite small and that there may be just as many tucked up in sheds and garages .. er .. like mine!  

The November club magazine should have an updated list of known Matra on the roads in the U.K.

Obviously since people don't keep us updated, and not all Matra owners in the U.K. are in the club, I'm hoping that any others we don't know about may tell us if theirs is not on my list...

If anyone on this forum has a Matra on the road - please let me know before the November magazine is due, thanks.

I haven't seen one here in Northern Ireland for about fifteen years.  A bright red S2 with colour-coded bumpers used to drive around Belfast then.

I know the lady owner of that car, and she used to be a club member but dropped out of the club after getting married and I don't know what has happened since.  The car was pretty rust free as she and the car had come from Spain.

Roy

[Fred]

That's quite a family collection, Andy.  I'm impressed and I've a soft spot for orange ones!  

I didn't know there were many for sale but I noticed one listed here that is / was owned by Nick Gillott.  Don't know if it found a home or not.  Another low mileage Bagheera X has since appeared on PistonHeads:

http://pistonheads.com/sales/1963027.htm

I love the green velour much more than my brown tweed. 


Fred

[Fred]

The November club magazine should have an updated list of known Matra on the roads in the U.K.

Obviously since people don't keep us updated, and not all Matra owners in the U.K. are in the club, I'm hoping that any others we don't know about may tell us if theirs is not on my list...

If anyone on this forum has a Matra on the road - please let me know before the November magazine is due, thanks.

Thanks Roy.  If you ever want information on any of those which are not on the road I can pass on some details.  Perhaps I should join the club but it seems strange at the moment as, although I own a Bagheera, I've yet to drive it ..  

I know the lady owner of that car, and she used to be a club member but dropped out of the club after getting married and I don't know what has happened since.  The car was pretty rust free as it she and the car had come from Spain.

Roy

Yes, now that you mention it, it was a lady driver.  Hope it wasn't the one mentioned here in the first post:
http://www.bagheera-cafe.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2183

I don't know the poster (Bob) and wonder if he still has the strangely modified Bagheera.  


Fred

[andyowl]

I didn't know that the english language was ever used on the Bagheera Cafe! My french is so poor that I stopped visiting. I should try again (or improve my french!)

Thanks for that!

Andy

[roy4matra]

The November club magazine should have an updated list of known Matra on the roads in the U.K.

Obviously since people don't keep us updated, and not all Matra owners in the U.K. are in the club, I'm hoping that any others we don't know about may tell us if theirs is not on my list...

If anyone on this forum has a Matra on the road - please let me know before the November magazine is due, thanks.

Thanks Roy.  If you ever want information on any of those which are not on the road I can pass on some details.

Yes please Fred.  Always grateful for any information on Matra cars to try and keep my records up to date.  VIN is the most important if you have it, registration number is useful but these can change with personalised plates so not always traceable, present colour is useful, and state of course - on road, off road but in good condition as some do through the winter, off road needing restoration, being stripped for spares, or scrapped, etc.

What are your car details please?

Perhaps I should join the club but it seems strange at the moment as, although I own a Bagheera, I've yet to drive it ..  

That doesn't stop you joining the club!  We have always had a number of non-owning members - some join before they obtain a car, or to check the club and market before buying one.  Others simply join as enthusiasts to receive and read the magazine, but have no intention of buying one, or at least not at that time.

I know the lady owner of that car, and she used to be a club member but dropped out of the club after getting married and I don't know what has happened since.  The car was pretty rust free as she and the car had come from Spain.

Roy

Yes, now that you mention it, it was a lady driver.  Hope it wasn't the one mentioned here in the first post:
http://www.bagheera-cafe.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2183

Well that thread said she gave it to someone in the south to restore.  The car the lady I know had would not have needed restoration.  It was red with non-original extended sills and her father had always done the work on it, so I would not have thought she would have given it to someone else to work on.  I certainly hope that was not her car anyway given it's fate...

Roy