The Matra MS5 was a Formula Two and Formula Three racing car designed and built by Matra. It raced between 1965 and 1969, made its World Championship debut at the 1966 German Grand Prix and was the company’s last Formula Three design.
Matra MS5 at a glance
| Type | Formula Two and Formula Three car |
|---|---|
| Built | 1965, more followed |
| Based on | Matra MS1 |
| First cars | two ready just before the 1965 Monaco race |
| Cars built in 1965 | five |
| Formula Two version | MS6, for Matra International |
| Grand Prix debut | 1966 German Grand Prix, Jacky Ickx |
| Used until | 1969 |
| Success | French Formula Three title, Monaco 1966 win |
Based on the English Wikipedia article on the Matra MS5.
History of the Matra MS5
Design
The MS5 was Matra’s final Formula Three car, based on the MS1 test car. The first two cars were ready just before the Formula Three race in Monaco. A total of five MS5s were built in 1965, more followed, and some remained in racing use until 1969.
National racing
National races in France had absolute priority for Matra. In 1965 Jean-Pierre Beltoise won the French Formula Three Championship ahead of his teammate Jean-Pierre Jaussaud. In 1966 Beltoise won the important Formula Three race in Monaco with the MS5. In 1967 the works team dominated the Argentine championship, and the two new works drivers Henri Pescarolo and Jean-Pierre Jabouille won the races in Monaco and Rouen. At the end of that season, however, the factory team was disbanded and French private teams bought the factory cars.
Formula Two with Tyrrell
Matra managing director Jean-Luc Lagardère had already agreed with Ken Tyrrell in 1965 to enter Formula Two with the British team owner. Tyrrell was given an MS5 with a BRM Formula Two engine for trial purposes, and from 1966 the team entered Formula Two under the name Matra International. The Formula Two version of the MS5 ran under the type designation MS6.
Grand Prix debut
The MS5 made its World Championship Grand Prix debut at the 1966 German Grand Prix, driven by Belgian Jacky Ickx, and was involved in an accident with John Taylor’s Brabham BT11 during the race. The car was succeeded in Matra’s line by the MS7, which dominated Formula Two from late 1967.
Design and features
- Formula Three and Formula Two: one design serving both classes, as the MS6 in Formula Two.
- Based on the MS1: Matra’s first single-seater developed into a race-winning car.
- Customer racing: factory cars sold to French private teams after 1967.
- World Championship appearance: the 1966 German Grand Prix with Jacky Ickx.
Matra MS5 versions
- MS5 (1965): the Formula Three car.
- MS6: the Formula Two version run by Matra International.
The MS5 followed the Matra MS1 and was succeeded by the Matra MS7. More racing cars are in the Matra collection.
Sources
- Matra MS5, English Wikipedia: design, racing history, Tyrrell, Grand Prix debut
