So Matula. What was it with that?

Auto Motor Klassiek » Special » So Matula. What was it with that?
Purchasing classics there

Because the friendly Czech who came to show up as part of a local Jawa story had a calling card. There was his name and 'Car Team Matula Dobrá 973 738 01 FRÝDEK - MÍSTEK Moravskoslezský kraj. mobil: 602 749 958. e-mail: carteam.matula@seznam.cz. web: www.car-team.cz. " That was largely incomprehensible to us. But that Matula rang a bell.

Just another Matula

The Matula of our new-found knowledge, that was just a car trade that specialized in cars imported from the Netherlands with mileage of a ton or two, three. And the Matula in the twilight of our memory? That was around 1970 a car designed by designer Ed Mantula and who had found his final lines as "Talon" in his native country in the wind tunnel of NASA, Ed's employer.

Ed also had a Lamborghini in mind when designing. We also assume that Matula was allowed to use the wind tunnel outside working hours. Because this real sports car on the chassis of a beetle was in terms of technology a few steps behind the then current space program.

The idea caught on

Still, the idea of ​​fantasizing a real sports car on the chassis of such a bourgeois Beetle turned out to appeal to a lot of people. But before the car could be offered for sale, a few hurdles still had to be taken. For example, the drawn bodywork with complicated molds had to be translated into a one-piece, polyester body. And of course that coach was then made manually. To get that sporty body on a - with 36 cm shortened - standard, so no 1302-1303 type with Mc Pherson legs - Beetle chassis, chassis supports, a gas tank, a battery box and bumper plus adjusted shock absorber supports had to be made.

The idea was that the Matula would mainly be sold as a kit car

That is why a clear construction description was also made. The Matulas have also been sold in the Netherlands, by the once famous classic car specialist and restorer Bart Holland. One has even been sold on Dutch registration through Catawiki, an auction site to keep an eye on. That copy, an open version But how many of them have been sold? If you now find a copy or a body and want to buy it, it is useful to know that it must have a correct registration number. The RDW does not issue license plates for 'shortened' VW platforms.

A nice job

For people who are interested in this matter: There is a kitcar club in the Netherlands. Plus 'The general buggy club'.

Maybe an idea for the coming winter? But pay attention to the license plate!

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3 comments

  1. This story is partly incorrect. Ed Matula never tested this car in the wind tunnel of NASA, that was a media story. Lamborghini was also no inspiration for the design, but the Mercedes C111.

    the Matula was sold by 3 companies in the Netherlands at the time.

    I have rebuilt a matula around 1990 with a Ford taunus engine on the beetle bucket
    https://fiberclassics.org/bass-matula/

    • I built one in 1975. The car was painted metallic bleu and at that time there were three in the Netherlands, I bought it at Buggy look in Haarlem at the time that had a brown as show car.
      Built the car on my own with a Porsche 914 engine was an adventure with hooks and eyes, after that my brother sold the car and I emigrated to Australia, now I live in the Netherlands again. Have fun with it. grts.

      • Harry this happened to be the 9170zp?
        I also bought my matula in 1992 metallic blue in poor condition without engine. Have a lot of photos.

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