FILLING A NICHE

Today’s new-car market is dominated by the SUV, with most manufacturers offering a choice of these high-riding faux-4x4 creations to suit all budgets. Demand is high, with SUVs now accounting for around 40 per cent of European sales. Forty or fifty years ago, however, the market was very different, dominated by the sort of family hatches and saloons that now account for a diminishing proportion of vehicle sales. It’s called progress. Or something.

Whichever era we look at, of course, there are always some buyers keen to break away from the herd… and that was particularly true in the 1970s and ’80s. Four decades ago, you’d find mass-market offerings from Ford and BL dominating the Top Ten, with saloons, hatchbacks and superminis very much in demand. But delve a little deeper and you’d find plenty of alternative models in different sectors of the market, including our own favourites featured here. If you fancied driving something a bit ‘individual’, these were among the best choices out there.

MATRA RANCHO

With today’s new-car market being dominated by two-wheel drive SUVs, the machine shown here was arguably years – or even decades – ahead of its time. Specialist sports car manufacturer Matra spotted a gap in the market and launched the Matra-Simca Rancho in 1977, a major departure for a company better known for its stylish coupe (the three-seater Bagheera). Indeed, the idea of creating a more affordable Range Rover rival was seen as rather brave. But with the reassurance of being owned by the mighty Chrysler Corporation at the time, Matra had a bit more financial clout than your average specialist car maker.