The Matra MS80 was the fourth Formula One car produced by Matra, following the MS9, MS10 and MS11. Powered by the Ford Cosworth DFV, it took Jackie Stewart to the Formula One World Championship title in 1969 and won the Constructors’ Championship for Matra International.
Matra MS80 at a glance
| Type | Formula One car |
|---|---|
| Season | 1969 |
| Engine | Ford Cosworth DFV, 3,000 cc, about 420 bhp |
| Team | Matra International (Ken Tyrrell) |
| Designed under | Gérard Ducarouge and Bernard Boyer |
| Built at | Vélizy-Villacoublay; finished at East Horsley |
| Fuel cell | moved into sidepods beside the driver |
| Front suspension | outboard springs instead of rocker arms |
| Titles | Drivers’ and Constructors’, 1969 |
| Cars assembled | two in 1969; a third completed in 2006 |
Based on the English Wikipedia article on the Matra MS80.
History of the Matra MS80
Design
The MS80 was designed under the direction of Gérard Ducarouge and Bernard Boyer and built at Matra’s Formula One base at Vélizy-Villacoublay in the south-western suburbs of Paris, though final completion with the Cosworth engine was done in Ken Tyrrell’s workshop at East Horsley near Ripley in England. A major change from the MS10 was the location of the fuel cell: it moved from behind the driver into sidepods beside his hips, giving the car a slight “Coke bottle” appearance. The rocker-arm front suspension was replaced by outboard springs, and the rear used a parallel-link arrangement.
Wings
The MS80 was one of the first Formula One cars designed with wings to generate downforce and increase high-speed tyre grip; wings had been introduced to the sport in 1968. After serious accidents with the flimsy high-wing constructions early in 1969, the MS80, like every other 1969 car, was altered to use sturdier lowered wings attached directly to the body.
The championship
Although built by the French constructor, the car was run by the British privateer team of Ken Tyrrell, and it remains the only car not entered by a works team to win the Formula One World Constructors’ Championship and to help a driver win the World Drivers’ Championship. Apart from Ferrari, the MS80 is the only non-British-built car to win the Constructors’ Championship: the French-licensed Renault, Austrian-licensed Red Bull and German-licensed Mercedes all built their winning cars in the UK. It is also the only car built in France to help a driver win the Drivers’ Championship.
Afterwards
Only two MS80s were assembled in 1969; a third monocoque was built but remained unassembled until the EPAF company completed it as a car in 2006. In a 2006 issue of Motor Sport magazine, Stewart called the MS80 the nicest-handling Formula One car he had ever driven.
Design and features
- Sidepod fuel cell: moved beside the driver, giving the car its Coke-bottle shape.
- Outboard front springs: a simpler layout than the MS10’s rocker arms.
- Downforce wings: among the first Formula One cars designed with them.
- Stewart’s favourite: he called it the nicest-handling Formula One car he had driven.
Matra MS80 versions
- MS80 (1969): the Cosworth-engined car run by Matra International.
- Third monocoque: assembled only in 2006 by EPAF.
The MS80 followed the Matra MS10, and Matra’s final Formula One car was the Matra MS120. More racing cars are in the Matra collection.
Sources
- Matra MS80, English Wikipedia: design, wings, championship, production
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