Matra have always been interested in small, practical solutions (hence the 3 seats in what other manufactors would have made into a two-seater) - and in 1997, Matra designed an ultrasmall 4-seater - the P55. It can be seen as a "Swatch/Smart" competitor. It was designed with two front-facing seats, and two rear-facing - not a new idea in itself, but having the entire dashboard moveable instead of an adjustable driverseat is a new idea (well, apart from the pedal-arrangement in the Ford GT40), which may prove to be brilliant. (certainly a space-saving idea).
Luggage ws to be stowed away between the seats

To improve interior survival space, Matra and Renault thought up a vehicle fully focussed on safety (fixed front seats, depth-adjustable steering wheel and pedal assembly). This one- box city car, with its back and front seats set back to back, boasts plenty of room allowing for maximum storage space. Professor Cabrol assisted Matra in its research and concluded that children, who are at the back of the car 80% of the time, just love this position