The 1977 Matra-Simca Rancho can fairly lay claim to being the first crossover: the first combination of a car platform and SUV-like styling that would become popular in the mid 2000s.
Simca, sometimes written SIMCA (Société Mécanique et de Carosserie Automobile), was founded in the 1930s. It got its start building Fiats under license, then acquired Ford's French operations. Chrysler began investing in Simca in 1958, giving it the cash to purchase rival Talbot. In 1962, the little Simca 1000—a sort of modern Volkswagen Beetle—was France's best-selling exported automobile. In 1969, Simca formed an alliance with Matra (Mécanique Aviation Traction), before in 1970 becoming effectively a European outpost of Chrysler.
Matra Automobiles was an enthusiast engineering outfit known for building racing cars. It won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972, 1973, and 1974. The availability of Simca engines and drivetrains enabled Matra to conceive and build several interesting road cars, including the Bagheera (1973) and Murena (1980) coupés and the Rancho (1977) crossover—the subject of this article and the pioneer of a segment that would not exist until 20 years later.
Like most cars, and in stark contrast to the body-on-frame construction favored by SUVs and pickup trucks, the Rancho was a unibody. Penned by Greek designer Antonis Volanis, it had the rugged, raised stance; plastic body cladding; and roof rack that strongly suggested off-road capability.
Yet the Rancho's macho looks and additional ground clearance hid the humble front-wheel-drive underpinnings of a Simca 1100 hatchback. It had no four-wheel drive and no low-range gearing.
Several vehicles like the Rancho would be launched in the mid '90s, beginning with the Corolla-based Toyota RAV4 (1994), Civic-based Honda CR-V (1995), and Land Rover Freelander (1997). In the mid 2000s, they would even become desirable.
In the Rancho's era, however, buyers felt misled by its appearance. They expected a utility vehicle, but got a glorified estate car—and one whose adventurous styling basic interior and limited sound insulation made it poorly suited to longer trips.
The "lifestyle" vehicle did not yet exist. The Rancho stood alone in an awkward middle ground that few understood or desired. Too far ahead of its time for market acceptance, it suffered from a fundamental mismatch between its aspirational styling and its underlying mechanical reality.
The Rancho was also burdened by the instability of its parent companies. It was conceived under Simca, launched under Chrysler Europe, and then rebranded as a Talbot when the company was sold to PSA/ Peugeot-Citroën. The change meant a lack of consistent marketing, development, and identity for the Rancho.
Another car that could claim to have contributed to the birth of the crossover also persevered through corporate upheaval. It had its own French connection, and also wound up in the hands of Chrysler.
The AMC Eagle, launched in 1979, fielded a 4x4 system on a passenger car that had been suitably raised to tackle rougher terrain. The Eagle was a hit for Detroit's smallest automaker, which struggled to raise the capital to move to front-wheel drive and smaller cars. AMC fell under the control of France's Renault and, later, Chrysler. A total of 197,449 AMC Eagles were built between the 1980 and 1988 model years, including the four-door wagon (by far the most popular), a rare two-door wagon, a sedan, a coupe, and a liftback.
56,457 Ranchos were built between 1977 and 1983. Matra went on to build the Renault Espace—also designed by Volanis and a bona fide hit which vies with Chrysler's Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager as the first minivan—and the far less popular Renault Avantime, a two-door minivan covered elsewhere on these pages and a vehicle that was at least as avantgarde as the Rancho.