During 1979, SOCATA (which Morane-Saulnier had previously merged into) decided to rename all of the Rallye series' various models, each being assigned their own individual Gallic names.

On 21 November 1961, the first production versions of the aircraft, designated as the MS.880B and more powerful MS.885, received their type certification, clearing them to perform operational flights.

[3] Thereafter, a range of improvements and alterations were progressively made upon the design as new models of the Rallye were introduced; typical advances included the adoption of more powerful engines, improved payload capability, and strengthened structure, the addition of wheel fairings, increased ground clearance for the propeller, expanded rudder and ailerons, and changes to the cockpit canopy arrangement.

[2][5][10] Based in Pottstown, Pennsylvania,[11] Waco made arrangements to market, sell, and service the Rallye throughout the sizable and attractive North American market, and introduced a licensed American-built version of the Rallye Commodore badged as the Waco MS.294A Minerva, powered by a 220 hp (160 kW) Franklin engine.

As a consequence of Waco's dissolution, third party aviation companies purchased the various leftover assets and continued to provide spare parts and services to American owners of the Rallye.

The use of American suppliers within the aircraft's supply chain, such as the Franklin 6A-350-C1 engine, Hartzell or McCauley-built propellers, wheels, brakes, and some of the cockpit instrumentation, was made upon some models of the Rallye, such as the Minerva.

[4] Under the initial arrangement, US-built components would be shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to reach the facilities of Sud Aviation and its subsidiary companies in France for integration onto a French-built airframe which, following completion and initial test flights, would be disassembled into sections and conveyed to BFA Aviation in the United States for final assembly and sale; efforts to reduce unnecessary shipping and thus cost were explored.

[4] During 1979, SOCATA decided to embark upon a new production programme, one of the results of which being the renaming of the various models of Rallye series, each one receiving an individual, "more Gallic" name.

Among its uses, the aircraft proved to be a good trainer, in part due to the generous visibility provided from its cockpit and forgiving flight characteristics.

[18] The SOCATA Rallye is a single-engined, low-wing monoplane light aircraft, capable of STOL (short takeoff and landing) performance.

[21] The Rallye was fitted with a bulbous cockpit, which was capable of accommodating two/three people in the basic lower-powered variants and up to four personnel within the more powerful models of the aircraft, some of which were designed to function as glider tugs and banner bearers.

[24] The canopy slides rearwards to provide access to and from the cockpit, aided by a step located just underneath the wing's trailing edge; on the ground.