The Matra-Simca MS630 was a

Group 5 Group 5 may refer to: *Group 5 element, chemical element classification *Group 5 (racing) Group 5 was an FIA motor racing classification which was applied to four distinct categories during the years 1966 to 1982. Initially Group 5 regulations def ...

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

race car introduced in 1967 for the

World Championship for Makes The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992. The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and Nor ...

. The MS630 replaced the previous Matra MS620. The car was initially designated as the Matra MS630, but when

Simca Simca (; Mechanical and Automotive Body Manufacturing Company) was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat S.p.A. and directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by Italian Henri Pigozzi. Simca was affiliated with Fiat and, after Simca bough ...

sponsored Matra in 1969, it was renamed as the Matra-Simca MS630.

Racing History

1967

For 1967,

Matra Matra (an acronym for Mécanique Aviation Traction) was a French industrial conglomerate. During its years of operation, it was engaged in a wide range of business activities, primarily focused around automobiles, bicycles, aeronautics and w ...

decided to use a 1.9-litre version of the

BRM British Racing Motors (BRM) was a British Formula One motor racing team. Founded in 1945 and based in the market town of Bourne in Lincolnshire, it participated from 1951 to 1977, competing in 197 grands prix and winning seventeen. BRM wo ...

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...

. (capable of producing at 9,000

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

.) Matra planned to have

Johnny Servoz-Gavin Georges-Francis "Johnny" Servoz-Gavin (18 January 1942 – 29 May 2006) was a French motor racing driver in both sportscars and single seaters. He participated in 13 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix between 1967 and 1970, failing to qu ...

Jean-Pierre Jaussaud Jean-Pierre Jaussaud (3 June 1937 – 22 July 2021) was a French racing driver, noted for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 and 1980. Jaussaud was born in Caen, Calvados, and started racing in automobiles in 1962, taking courses in the Ji ...

to drive the MS630 at both the 1967 1000 km of Spa and 1967 1000km of Nürburgring but the entries for both races were withdrawn. The MS630 only made one appearance in 1967, the

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...

. Matra entered two cars for Servoz-Gavin/

Jean-Pierre Beltoise Jean-Pierre Maurice Georges Beltoise (26 April 1937 – 5 January 2015) was a French Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver who raced for the Matra and BRM teams. He competed in 88 Grands Prix achieving a single victory, at th ...

and Jaussaud/

Henri Pescarolo Henri Jacques William Pescarolo (born 25 September 1942) is a former racing driver from France. He competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a record 33 times, winning on four occasions, and won a number of other major sports car events including the ...

. Servoz-Gavin/Beltoise retired with a broken oil pipe and Jaussaud/Pescarolo also retired with broken suspension. In the

, Matra scored no points during the year.

1968

For 1968,

decided to use their 3.0 60º

V12 V12 or V-12 may refer to: Aircraft * Mil V-12, a Soviet heavy lift helicopter * Pilatus OV-12, a planned American military utility aircraft * Rockwell XFV-12, an American experimental aircraft project * Škoda-Kauba V12, a Czechoslovak experim ...

. The MS630 only made one appearance in 1968, the

. Matra entered one car for Servoz-Gavin/Pescarolo but it retired with an accident caused by a puncture. In the

, Matra scored no points during the year for the second consecutive season.

1969

The first race of the season was the 1969

24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...

with Servoz-Gavin/Pescarolo but the car did not start the race due to a practice accident. The team skipped the 12 Hours of Sebring and

BOAC 500 The Brands Hatch 1000 km was an endurance sports car event that was part of the World Sportscar Championship for varying years from 1967 until 1989. Originally a six-hour race running under the name BOAC 500, the event was eventually extended ...

. Matra entered the 1000 km of Monza with Servoz-Gavin/

Jean Guichet Jean Guichet (born 10 August 1927 in Marseille, France) is a French industrialist and former racing driver. He is best known for winning the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans with co-driver Nino Vaccarella, driving a Ferrari 275 P for Scuderia Ferrari. ...

but retired from the race with a fuel feed issue. The team skipped the 1969

Targa Florio The Targa Florio was a public road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 ...

. Matra planned to have Servoz-Gavin/Beltoise and Guichet ( who was scheduled to drive single handed) at the 1969 1000 km of Spa but the entry for the race was withdrawn and skipped the 1969 1000 km of Nürburgring. Matra entered four cars for the

Piers Courage Piers Raymond Courage (27 May 1942 – 21 June 1970) was a British racing driver. He participated in 29 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 2 January 1967. He achieved two podium finishes, and scored 20 championship point ...

in the new Matra-Simca MS650,

Nino Vaccarella Nino Vaccarella (4 March 1933 – 23 September 2021) was an Italian sports car racing and Formula One driver. His principal achievements include having won the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Targa Florio in 1965, 1971 and 1975, the latter y ...

in the MS630,

Nanni Galli Giovanni Giuseppe Gilberto "Nanni" Galli (2 October 1940 – 12 October 2019) was an Italian saloon, sports-car and Formula One driver of the 1960s and 1970s. Born in Bologna, Galli started his career in Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance ...

/ Robin Widdows and

/ Herbert Müller were both in the updated Matra-Simca MS630/650 (A MS630 car with the parts from the MS650). Beltoise/Courage finished fourth followed by Guichet/Vaccarella in fifth, Galli/Widdows seventh and Servoz-Gavin/Müller retired when an electrical short circuit failed. For the

Watkins Glen 6 Hours The Six Hours of Watkins Glen (currently sponsored as the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen) is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race dates from 1948, and has been a part of the ...

, Matra entered two cars for Servoz-Gavin/ Pedro Rodriguez in the MS650 and Guichet/Widdows in the MS630/650. Servoz-Gavin/Rodriguez finished fourth and Guichet/Widdows retired with a broken clutch. The MS630 was retired before the 1000km of Zeltweg. In the

, Matra scored six points, earning it seventh in the championship. All points were scored by the MS650.

Complete World Championship for Makes results

All points scored by the Matra-Simca MS650.

References

{{Matra car timeline Sports prototypes Matra vehicles 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars Mid-engined cars