Cars - Santa Matilde

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	Cars - Santa Matilde

The Santa Matilde, or SM4.1, is a legendary sports car designed and produced in Brazil by Cia. Industrial Santa Matilde between 1977 and 1997.

Conception

Equipped with tuned versions of the Chevrolet Opala engine, the first prototype was revealed at the 1976 Salão do Automóvel as one of the most expensive and luxurious cars in the country at the time. It featured items like retractable bumpers, power windows, hidden radio antenna, cassette player, retractable seat belts, leather seats with fine adjustment and air conditioning.

The project was run by engineer Humberto Pimentel Duarte and former pilot and race-car tuner Renato Peixoto. The body design came from Humberto's daughter Ana Lídia and was not based on any previous car, although a few details were inspired by Porsche models.

Characteristics

The Santa Matilde has a fiberglass body reinforced with polyester, weighing only 66 kg. It is a 2+2 coupe, but has good space for rear passengers. Two engines were available; a 6 cylinder 210 hp (157 kW), or a 4 cylinder turbo, also with 210 hp. Both versions are highly tuned engines from the Chevrolet Opala, featuring a specially designed exhaust manifold and a different carburetor.

The car has smoothly integrated direction and rear lights. The lower front air intakes are used for the air conditioning and the internal ventilation.

The instrument panel resembles the contemporary Porsche version and has indicators for water temperature, oil pressure, speed, odometer (full and partial), RPM, fuel level and a clock.

The Santa Matilde was conceived to offer safety to the driver and passengers: It had retractable bumpers, made of a rubber compound with steel frames. The car also has a progressive deformation structure and both front and rear disc brakes.

Generations

Santa Matilde Mk 1

Santa Matilde Mk 2

Santa Matilde Mk 3

Santa Matilde Mk 3 cabriolet

Line-produced between 1986 and 1990, this was a convertible version of the Mk 3.

Santa Matilde Mk 4

Santa Matilde Mk 5

A lot of modifications were introduced in this model:

New independent differential from the Chevrolet Omega
New rear suspension
Many design changes
Digital instrument panel

Less than 3 were produced by demand in 1997. It has inestimable value for collectors.

Future

Cia. Industrial Santa Matilde is trying to return to the specialist car production market and many expect this to happen soon.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Santa Matilde ]

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