The Matra-Simca MS630 was a Group 6 prototype race car introduced in 1967 for the World Championship for Makes, replacing the Matra MS620. It was initially designated the Matra M630 and renamed the Matra-Simca MS630 when Simca sponsored Matra in 1969.
Matra-Simca MS630 at a glance
| Type | Group 6 prototype |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1967 |
| First name | Matra M630 |
| Predecessor | Matra MS620 |
| 1967 engine | 1.9-litre BRM V8, 245 hp at 9,000 rpm |
| From 1968 | 3.0-litre Matra Sports V12 |
| Championship | World Championship for Makes |
| Le Mans entries | 1967, 1968, 1969 |
| Renamed | Matra-Simca MS630 in 1969 |
| Replaced by | Matra-Simca MS650 |
Based on the English Wikipedia article on the Matra-Simca MS630.
History of the Matra-Simca MS630
1967
For 1967 Matra chose a 1.9-litre version of the BRM Formula One V8, capable of 245 hp at 9,000 rpm. Matra planned to run Johnny Servoz-Gavin and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud at the 1000 km of Spa and the 1000 km of Nürburgring, but both entries were withdrawn. The MS630 made only one appearance that year, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Matra entered two cars: Servoz-Gavin with Jean-Pierre Beltoise retired with a broken oil pipe, and Jaussaud with Henri Pescarolo retired with broken suspension. Matra scored no points in the World Championship for Makes.
1968
For 1968 Matra used its own 3.0-litre Matra Sports V12. Again the MS630 appeared only at Le Mans, where a single car for Servoz-Gavin and Pescarolo retired after an accident caused by a puncture. For the second season in a row Matra scored no points.
1969
At the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona the car of Servoz-Gavin and Pescarolo did not start after a practice accident, and the team skipped Sebring, the BOAC 500, the Targa Florio and the Nürburgring, while the 1000 km of Monza ended in retirement with a fuel feed problem and the 1000 km of Spa entry was withdrawn. At Le Mans Matra entered four cars: Beltoise and Piers Courage in the new MS650, Guichet and Nino Vaccarella in the MS630, and two updated MS630/650 cars for Nanni Galli with Robin Widdows and Servoz-Gavin with Herbert Müller. Beltoise and Courage finished fourth, Guichet and Vaccarella fifth, Galli and Widdows seventh, and Servoz-Gavin and Müller retired with an electrical short circuit. At Watkins Glen, Servoz-Gavin and Pedro Rodriguez finished fourth in the MS650 while Guichet and Widdows retired in an MS630/650 with a broken clutch. The MS630 was retired before the 1000 km of Zeltweg.
Record
Matra scored six points in the 1969 World Championship for Makes, finishing seventh, although all of those points were scored by the newer MS650.
Design and features
- Two engines: a 1.9-litre BRM V8 in 1967, then Matra’s 3.0-litre V12.
- Renamed with Simca: the M630 became the Matra-Simca MS630 in 1969.
- MS630/650 hybrids: updated cars using MS650 parts raced at Le Mans in 1969.
- Endurance focus: built for Le Mans and the World Championship for Makes.
Matra-Simca MS630 versions
- M630 (1967–1968): the original designation with the BRM V8 and later the Matra V12.
- MS630 (1969): the Matra-Simca name after the sponsorship deal.
- MS630/650 (1969): MS630 cars updated with MS650 parts.
The MS630 was replaced by the Matra-Simca MS650; earlier Matra sports cars included the Matra 530. More racing cars are in the Matra collection.
Sources
- Matra-Simca MS630, English Wikipedia: history, engines, race results
