Talbot-Ligier-Matra: The sacred union

The association of these three big names in French motorsport almost, against all odds, led Jacques Laffite to the world title 40 years ago. Before the divorce was pronounced after two years, against a backdrop of political-financial disagreement.

Published on 08/10/2021 à 09:00

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From 1950, Talbot was the first French manufacturer capable of scoring points and obtaining podiums in F1. In 1968, Matra became the first to win a Grand Prix, at Zandvoort (Netherlands), before winning the Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles the following year, with the help of Jackie Stewart and the Ford-Cosworth V1. As for Guy Ligier, he carried the tricolor flag high from 8, bringing his team to the level of the best at the end of the decade. The union of these big three finds its source in the industrial field rather than in sport. Founded in 1976 in England, by Adolphe Clément and Count Shrewsbury of Talbot, the Talbot brand has had a complex history. Its French branch was developed by engineer Anthony Lago in the 1903s before being sold to Simca in 30, itself resold to Chrysler a few years later. In 1958, PSA bought Chrysler France and decided to exhume Talbot in 1978 in order to replace Simca, which was losing momentum. A risky bet. The brand has disappeared from the public mind since the mid-1979s. The gestation of the project appears convoluted.

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