Matra MS84
| Industry | Motorsport, Formula One racing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Vélizy-Villacoublay , France |
Key people | Bernard Boyer (designer), Jean Bee (builder), Legan (team manager), Ken Tyrrell (team entrant) |
| Products | Formula One cars, including Matra MS84 |
The Matra MS84 represented the fifth Formula One vehicle developed by Matra and participated in the 1969 racing season.
Development
Constructed at Matra's Formula One facility located in Vélizy-Villacoublay near Paris, the MS84 was the brainchild of designer Bernard Boyer and was built under the guidance of Jean Bee, with team operations managed by Legan. The car was entered by Ken Tyrrell's Matra International squad, which received financial backing from Elf and technical assistance from Matra.
While it bore similarities to the championship-winning MS80, the MS84 differed by utilizing a steel tubular frame rather than an aluminium monocoque structure. Its rear-positioned Ford Cosworth DFV engine was installed in reverse orientation, paired with a four-wheel drive mechanism engineered by Ferguson and implemented by Derek Gardner. This drivetrain and its associated parts added considerable mass compared to the lighter two-wheel drive MS80s, which weighed 635 kg excluding fuel.
Racing history
The MS84 made its first appearance at the 1969 Dutch Grand Prix, piloted by Jackie Stewart, who favored the lighter MS80 for competition throughout that year.
Primarily serving as a backup vehicle, it competed at Silverstone with Jean-Pierre Beltoise behind the wheel, finishing in ninth place. Later races involved disconnecting the front differential, effectively converting it into an overburdened MS80 variant equipped with inboard front brakes. Johnny Servoz-Gavin drove the car at the Canadian Grand Prix, securing a sixth-place finish despite being six laps behind the leader—contradicting his earlier statement that the four-wheel drive model was "undriveable." He also competed with it at Watkins Glen and Mexico, ending unclassified and eighth respectively. Although a four-wheel drive successor named the MS124 was planned, the MS84 remained Matra's sole four-wheel drive Formula One car.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Engines | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:F1 | Matra International | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 |
Template:Dunlop | RSA | ESP | MON | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | CAN | USA | MEX | 66Template:Ref | 1st | |
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise | PO | 9 | |||||||||||||||
| Jackie Stewart | PO | PO | PO | ||||||||||||||
| Johnny Servoz-Gavin | DNA | 6 | NC | 8 |
Includes nine points earned with the Matra MS10 and fifty-seven points with the Matra MS80.
References
- Matra : La Saga, authored by José Rosinski - E.T.A.I. 2001
- Official Matra Museum Website
- French Automobile Heritage Maintenance
- Details on the MS84 at primotipo.com
- Specific