Matra-Simca MS660C on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Matra-Simca MS660 is a
The first race of the season was the
Group 6 Group 6 may refer to:
*Group 6 element, chemical element classification
*Group 6 (racing)
Group 6 was the official designation applied by the FIA to two motor racing classifications, the Prototype-Sports Car category from 1966 to 1971 and the Two ...
prototype race car introduced in 1969 for the International Championship for Makes
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA from 1953 World Sportscar Championship, 1953 to 1992 World Sportscar Championship, 1992.
The championship evo ...
. The MS660 replaced the previous Matra-Simca MS650
The Matra-Simca MS650 is a Group 6 prototype race car introduced in 1969 for the International Championship for Makes. The MS650 replaced the previous Matra-Simca MS630.
Racing History 1969
The car made its debut at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans ...
.
Racing History
1970
The team entered three cars for the24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
with 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 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 ...
in the MS660, Jack Brabham
Sir John Arthur Brabham (2 April 1926 – 19 May 2014) was an Australian racing driver who was Formula One World Champion in , , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name.
Brabham was a R ...
/ Francois Cevert and Patrick Depailler
Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler (; 9 August 1944 – 1 August 1980) was a racing driver from France. He participated in 95 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 2 July 1972. He also participated in several non-champi ...
/Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Jean-Pierre Alain Jabouille (born 1 October 1942) is a French former racing driver. He raced in 55 Formula One Grands Prix, collecting two wins during the first years of Renault's turbocharged programme in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Jabouill ...
/Tim Schenken
Timothy Theodore Schenken (born 26 September 1943) is a former racing driver from Sydney, Australia. He participated in 36 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 August 1970. He achieved one career podium at the 1971 Aus ...
were both in the older Matra-Simca MS650
The Matra-Simca MS650 is a Group 6 prototype race car introduced in 1969 for the International Championship for Makes. The MS650 replaced the previous Matra-Simca MS630.
Racing History 1969
The car made its debut at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans ...
but all three cars retired with engine failure.
In the International Championship for Makes
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA from 1953 World Sportscar Championship, 1953 to 1992 World Sportscar Championship, 1992.
The championship evo ...
, Matra had scored four points, earning it fourth place in the championship, all the points were scored in the MS650.
1971
The first race of the season was the 1971 1000 km Buenos Aires
The 1971 Buenos Aires 1000 Kilometers was the opening round of the 1971 International Championship for Makes season. It took place at the Buenos Aires circuit No.15, Argentina, on January 10, 1971. Grand tourer class cars did not participate i ...
. Matra entered one car for Beltoise/Jabouille, but their car retired after it ran out of fuel. Beltoise pushed the car back to the pits only for race leader Ignazio Giunti
Ignazio Francesco Giunti (30 August 1941 – 10 January 1971) was an Italian racing driver. He competed in Formula One as well as in saloon and Sports Car Racing.
Giunti was born in Rome. In 1968, driving for Alfa Romeo, he finished second in the ...
in his Ferrari to run into the back of the disabled MS660. Both cars caught fire and Giunti was killed. As a result of the accident, Beltoise's international racing licence was suspended for some time. The team didn't enter another race until 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 race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
with Beltoise and Chris Amon
Christopher Arthur Amon (20 July 1943 – 3 August 2016) was a New Zealand motor racing driver. He was active in Formula One racing in the 1960s and 1970s, and is widely regarded as one of the best F1 drivers never to win a championship Grand ...
but it retired with a fuel system failure.
In the International Championship for Makes
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA from 1953 World Sportscar Championship, 1953 to 1992 World Sportscar Championship, 1992.
The championship evo ...
, Matra had scored no points.
1972
The team entered the24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
with Jabouille and David Hobbs with an updated version of the MS660 known as the MS660C but it retired with a transmission issue. The car was replaced by the Matra-Simca MS670
The Matra-Simca MS670 was a Group 5 prototype race car introduced in 1972 for the World Championship for Makes. The MS670 replaced the previous Matra-Simca MS660C.
Racing history 1972
The MS670 only made one appearance in 1972, the 24 Hours of ...
from 1973.
In the International Championship for Makes
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA from 1953 World Sportscar Championship, 1953 to 1992 World Sportscar Championship, 1992.
The championship evo ...
, Matra had scored no points.
Complete International Championship for Makes results
References
{{Equipe Matra Sports Racing cars