Matra MS620

Matra MS620
Company type	Racing car
Industry	Motorsport
Founded	1966
Products	Group 6 sports prototype racing car

The Matra MS620 (also known as the M620) represented Matra's second venture into Group 6 sports prototype racing machinery, introduced in 1966. This model was powered by a 1.9 litre variant of the British Racing Motors (BRM) Formula One V8 engine. A total of four chassis were constructed, mainly intended for developmental testing. In 1967, the MS620 was replaced by the larger 3 litre Matra MS630. Nevertheless, the MS620 made an appearance at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans Test, equipped with a more robust 4.7 litre Ford V8 engine.

Racing history

Matra progressed its sports prototype efforts in 1966 with the introduction of the MS620, designed according to Group 6 specifications and fitted with a BRM 1.9 litre V8 engine capable of producing around at 9,000 rpm. The four chassis featured tubular steel frames engineered by Bernard Boyer, formerly associated with Alpine, and showcased bodywork crafted by French coachbuilder Pichon-Parat. The vehicle's first outing occurred during the April Le Mans Test, where it achieved tenth fastest times under drivers Jo Schlesser, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, and Johnny Servoz-Gavin.

The MS620 made its competitive debut at the third round of the World Sportscar Championship—the 1000 km of Monza—fielding a single car driven by Servoz-Gavin and Jaussaud; plans for an additional entry were not realized. At the following event, the 1000 km of Spa, Servoz-Gavin teamed with Alan Rees but retired due to complications with the fuel system. Although entered for the Nürburgring race, Matra ultimately did not participate.

For the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, Matra entered three MS620s: #02 piloted by Jaussaud and Henri Pescarolo, #03 driven by Schlesser and Rees, and #04 with Beltoise and Servoz-Gavin behind the wheel. Unfortunately, all three entries withdrew because of mechanical breakdowns or accidents—engine failure struck car #02 on lap 38; car #03 crashed after completing 100 laps; and car #04 suffered gearbox failure on lap 112.

Following Le Mans, Beltoise competed in several non-championship races: finishing last at Trophée d'Auvergne due to battery troubles but securing victory at Magny-Cours. The team withdrew from the Hockenheim Grand Prix but achieved a second-place finish at the Coupe de Paris with Servoz-Gavin driving. Beltoise experienced a crash during the Coupes du Salon event.

The season wrapped up with two MS620 entries at the 1000 km of Paris: Jaussaud paired with Pescarolo and Beltoise alongside Servoz-Gavin. Both cars failed to finish—the Beltoise/Servoz-Gavin duo crashed early on, while Jaussaud and Pescarolo retired because of ignition problems.

Although Matra ceased competition use of the MS620 after 1966, one example participated in the 1967 Le Mans Test fitted with a Ford 4.7 litre V8 engine delivering power at 6,500 rpm. It is also notable that Roby Weber lost his life driving Matra's successor model, the MS630.

Racing history

Further reading