Vignale M530 A

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Leave it to the Italians to give any car a sleeker, more performance-focused look. The Matra M530 was already in production for a year by the time the M530 Vignale debuted at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show.

The brainchild of Virginio Vairo, the successor of Giovanni Michelotti at Vignale, came up with a yellow body with white details that had a front with a more gradual drop, an elongated rear cabin ending in a kamm tail (Italians invented the 'coda tronca' anyways) and brought quite some attention at the French manufacturer's stand.

It was subsequently shown at the Turin Motor Show later that year with a new red and white paintjob and had great reception again but it never hit production, thus remaining an one-off.

Since November 2013 it's been part of the Matra Museum after Henk de Wit, its previous Dutch owner, donated the car to the museum.

This 530 is the only one to have a steel bodywork as opposed to epoxy resin and was exhibited at the 2014 Chantilly Arts & Elegance concours.