Matra MS650
| Company type | Race car |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Predecessor | Matra-Simca MS630 |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Products | Group 6 prototype race car |
The Matra-Simca MS650 is a Group 6 prototype race car that was launched in 1969 to compete in the 1969 World Sportscar Championship. It was developed as the successor to the Matra-Simca MS630.
1969
The MS650 made its first appearance at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans with four cars entered. The duo of Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Piers Courage achieved a fourth-place finish in an MS650. Other participants included Jean Guichet paired with Nino Vaccarella driving an MS630, Nanni Galli alongside Robin Widdows, and Johnny Servoz-Gavin with Herbert Müller in MS630/650 models. Guichet and Vaccarella secured fifth place, Galli and Widdows came in seventh, while Servoz-Gavin and Müller were forced to retire due to electrical issues.
At the 1969 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, Matra fielded two vehicles: Servoz-Gavin teamed with Pedro Rodriguez in an MS650 finished fourth, whereas Guichet and Widdows withdrew after clutch failure. For the season's final event at the 1000 km Zeltweg, only Servoz-Gavin and Rodriguez competed but retired following a crash.
Matra accumulated six points during the 1969 International Championship for Makes, concluding the season fifth in the manufacturers' rankings.
1970
The 1970 campaign commenced at the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona where Matra entered two cars: one driven by Jack Brabham and François Cevert, and another by Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo. Brabham and Cevert finished tenth, while Beltoise and Pescarolo ended up eighteenth. At the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring, driver pairings shifted to Pescarolo with Servoz-Gavin and Cevert alongside Dan Gurney, finishing fifth and twelfth respectively. During the 1970 1000km of Brands Hatch, Brabham joined Beltoise, while Pescarolo partnered again with Servoz-Gavin; they placed twelfth and retired due to engine troubles. At the 1970 1000km of Monza, Brabham/Beltoise finished fifth, with Pescarolo/Servoz-Gavin sixth. Matra did not participate in the following three events: 1970 Targa Florio, 1970 1000km of Spa-Francorchamps, and 1970 1000km of Nürburgring.
For the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans, Matra entered three vehicles: Beltoise/Pescarolo drove the new Matra-Simca MS660, while Brabham/Cevert and Patrick Depailler/Jean-Pierre Jabouille/Tim Schenken competed in MS650s; all were forced to retire because of engine failures. The team also opted out of the last two races, namely the 1970 Watkins Glen 6 Hours and the 1970 Austrian 1000km.
Throughout the International Championship for Makes, Matra earned four points, securing fourth place overall.
Complete International Championship for Makes results
References
| Year | Entrant | Class | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Equipe Matra - Elf | Group 5 | DAY | SEB | BHC | MZA | TGA | SPA | NÜR | LMS | WGN | ORC | 6 | 5th | |
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Piers Courage | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Matra of France Matra Sports |
Pedro Rodriguez | 4 | 23 | ||||||||||||
| Johnny Servoz-Gavin | 4 | 23 | |||||||||||||
| 1970 | Equipe Matra-Simca | Group 5 | DAY | SEB | BHC | MZA | TGA | SPA | NÜR | LMS | WGN | ORC | 4 | 4th | |
| Jack Brabham | 10 | 12 | 5 | 36 | |||||||||||
| François Cevert | 10 | 12 | 36 | ||||||||||||
| Dan Gurney | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |18 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |12 |
style="background:#dfffdf;" |5 |