Matra MS630
| Company type | Racing car |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Predecessor | Matra MS620 |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Products | Group 5 prototype racing vehicle |
Matra-Simca MS630
The Matra-Simca MS630 was a Group 5 prototype racing vehicle launched in 1967 for competition in the World Championship for Makes, replacing the Matra MS620. Originally designated as the Matra M630, it adopted the Matra-Simca MS630 name in 1969 after gaining sponsorship from Simca.
1967
During the 1967 season, Matra equipped the car with a 1.9-litre BRM Formula One V8 engine delivering power at 9,000 RPM. The MS630 made a single appearance at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans, fielding two entries piloted by Servoz-Gavin/Beltoise and Jaussaud/Pescarolo. Both vehicles retired due to mechanical issues, resulting in no championship points for Matra in the 1967 World Sportscar Championship.
1968
In 1968, Matra upgraded to their own 3.0-litre Matra Sports V12 engine. The MS630 competed solely in the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the team of Servoz-Gavin/Pescarolo withdrew after an accident caused by a tyre puncture. Once again, Matra did not accumulate points in the 1968 World Sportscar Championship.
1969
The 1969 campaign started with a withdrawal at the 24 Hours of Daytona due to a crash during practice. Matra opted out of several events including the 12 Hours of Sebring, 1000 km Brands Hatch, and Targa Florio. At the 1000 km of Monza, Servoz-Gavin/Guichet retired because of fuel supply problems. For the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, four cars were entered: Beltoise/Courage in the new Matra-Simca MS650, Guichet/Vaccarella in an MS630, and Galli/Widdows alongside Servoz-Gavin/Müller driving hybrid versions combining elements of the MS630 and MS650. The Beltoise/Courage pairing secured fourth place; Guichet/Vaccarella finished fifth; Galli/Widdows came seventh; while Servoz-Gavin/Müller retired due to electrical malfunction. At the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, Servoz-Gavin/Rodriguez finished fourth driving an MS650, whereas Guichet/Widdows retired with clutch failure issues. The MS630 was withdrawn from competition before the 1000km of Zeltweg.
Matra earned six points during the 1969 World Sportscar Championship, ranking seventh overall, with all points credited to the MS650 model.
Complete World Championship for Makes results
| Year | Entrant | Class | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | WEMCP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Equipe Matra Sports | Group 5 | DAY | SEB | MNZ | SPA | TFO | NÜR | LMS | BHC | 0 | - | |||
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Johnny Servoz-Gavin | 29 | ||||||||||||||
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Jean-Pierre Beltoise | 29 | ||||||||||||||
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Jean-Pierre Jaussaud | 43 | ||||||||||||||
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Henri Pescarolo | 43 |
| 1968 | Equipe Matra Sports | Group 5 | DAY | SEB | BHC | MNZ | TFO | SPA | NÜR | WGN | ZEL | LMS | 0 | - | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background:#efcfff;" |19 | |||||||||||||||
| style="background:#efcfff;" |19 |
| DAY ! SEB ! BHC ! MNZ ! TFO ! SPA ! NÜR ! LMS ! WGN ! ORC ! rowspan="9"|6Template:Ref ! rowspan="9"|5thTemplate:Ref |-
Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showallJohnny Servoz-Gavin || DNS || || || style="background:#efcfff;" |26 || || || || style="background:#efcfff;" |25 || || || |- Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showallHenri Pescarolo || DNS || || || || || || || || || || |- Template:Country data CHETemplate:Namespace detect showallHerbert Müller (racing driver) || || || || || || || || style="background:#efcfff;" |25 || || || |- Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showallJean Guichet || || || || style="background:#efcfff;" |26 || || || || style="background:#dfffdf;" |5 || style="background:#efcfff;" |16 || || |- Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showallJean-Pierre Beltoise || || || || || || || || || || |- Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showallNino Vaccarella || || || || || || || || style="background:#dfffdf;" |5 || || |- Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showallNanni Galli || || || || || || || || style="background:#CFCFFF;" |7 || || |- Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallRobin Widdows || || || || || || || || style="background:#CFCFFF;" 7 || style="background:#efcfff;" 16 || |- |
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All championship points were earned by the Matra-Simca MS650.