The Matra-Simca MS650 was a Group 6 prototype race car introduced in 1969 for the International Championship for Makes. It replaced the Matra-Simca MS630 and raced at Le Mans, Watkins Glen, Zeltweg and in the American endurance races.
Matra-Simca MS650 at a glance
| Type | Group 6 prototype |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1969 |
| Predecessor | Matra-Simca MS630 |
| Series | International Championship for Makes |
| Debut | 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans |
| Best 1969 result | 4th, Beltoise and Courage |
| 1969 points | 6, all scored by the MS650 |
| 1970 best result | 5th at Sebring, Pescarolo and Servoz-Gavin |
| Successor | Matra-Simca MS660 |
| Drivers | Beltoise, Courage, Servoz-Gavin, Rodriguez, Brabham, Cevert |
Based on the English Wikipedia article on the Matra-Simca MS650.
History of the Matra-Simca MS650
1969
The car made its debut at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans with a four-car entry. Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Piers Courage drove the MS650, Jean Guichet and Nino Vaccarella the MS630, and Nanni Galli with Robin Widdows and Johnny Servoz-Gavin with Herbert Müller the MS630/650 cars. Beltoise and Courage finished fourth, Guichet and Vaccarella fifth and Galli and Widdows seventh, while Servoz-Gavin and Müller retired with an electrical circuit failure. At the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, Servoz-Gavin and Pedro Rodriguez finished fourth in the MS650, and at the final race of the season, the 1000 km of Zeltweg, Servoz-Gavin and Rodriguez retired after an accident. Matra scored six points in the International Championship for Makes, finishing fifth; all of them came from the MS650.
1970
Matra began 1970 at Daytona with two cars for Jack Brabham and François Cevert, tenth, and Jean-Pierre Beltoise with Henri Pescarolo, eighteenth. At Sebring, Pescarolo and Servoz-Gavin finished fifth and Cevert with Dan Gurney twelfth. At Brands Hatch, Brabham and Beltoise were twelfth and Pescarolo with Servoz-Gavin retired with engine failure; at Monza, Brabham and Beltoise finished fifth ahead of Pescarolo and Servoz-Gavin in sixth. The team then skipped the Targa Florio, Spa and the Nürburgring. For Le Mans Matra entered three cars: Beltoise and Pescarolo in the new MS660, and Brabham with Cevert and Patrick Depailler with Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Tim Schenken in MS650s; all three retired with engine failure. The team skipped the last two races of 1970. Matra scored four points and finished fourth in the championship.
Place in the line
The MS650 was the bridge between the early Matra sports prototypes and the MS660 that followed at Le Mans in 1970. The name carried over to the updated MS630/650 cars raced at Le Mans and Watkins Glen in 1969.
Design and features
- Group 6 prototype: built for the International Championship for Makes.
- Strong Le Mans debut: fourth overall with Beltoise and Courage in 1969.
- All Matra’s 1969 points: six points and fifth place in the championship.
- Star driver line-up: Brabham, Cevert, Gurney, Rodriguez and Beltoise all raced it in 1970.
Matra-Simca MS650 versions
- MS650 (1969–1970): the standard Group 6 prototype.
- MS630/650 (1969): older MS630 cars updated with MS650 parts.
- MS660 (1970): the new car that joined the MS650 at Le Mans.
The MS650 replaced the Matra-Simca MS630, and Matra’s later sports racers followed it to Le Mans. More racing cars are in the Matra collection.
Sources
- Matra-Simca MS650, English Wikipedia: 1969 and 1970 seasons, results
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