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| Category | Group 6Prototype | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Matra | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Bernard Boyer | ||||||||
| Predecessor | MS630 /MS640 | ||||||||
| Successor | MS660 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||
| Chassis | Glass-fibre reinforced plastic panels | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, coil springs over dampers | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones, coil springs over dampers | ||||||||
| Length | 3,900 mm (153.5 in) | ||||||||
| Width | 1,900 mm (74.8 in) | ||||||||
| Height | 760 mm (29.9 in) | ||||||||
| Axle track | Front: 1,440 mm (56.7 in) Rear: 1,490 mm (58.7 in) | ||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2,440 mm (96.1 in) | ||||||||
| Engine | Matra MS12, 2,993 cc (182.6 cu in), 60ºV12,NA,Longitudinal,mid-mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Matra 5-speedmanual | ||||||||
| Weight | 740 kg (1,631.4 lb) | ||||||||
| Fuel | Lucas | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | Equipe Matra -Elf Matra of France Matra Sports Equipe Matra-Simca | ||||||||
| Notable drivers |  Jean-Pierre Beltoise Pedro RodriguezJohnny Servoz-Gavin Jack BrabhamFrançois CevertJean-Pierre BeltoiseHenri Pescarolo Dan Gurney | ||||||||
| Debut | 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans | ||||||||
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| Teams' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
TheMatra-Simca MS650 is aGroup 6prototype race car introduced in 1969 for theInternational Championship for Makes. The MS650 replaced the previousMatra-Simca MS630.[2]
The car made its debut at the1969 24 Hours of Le Mans with a four car entry.Jean-Pierre Beltoise/Piers Courage in the MS650,Jean Guichet/Nino Vaccarella in the MS630,Nanni Galli/Robin Widdows andJohnny Servoz-Gavin/Herbert Müller were both in the MS630/650. Beltoise/Courage finished fourth followed by Guichet/Vaccarella in fifth, Galli/Widdows seventh but Servoz-Gavin/Müller retired when an electrical circuit failed. For the 19696 Hours of Watkins Glen, Matra entered two cars for Servoz-Gavin/Pedro Rodriguez in the MS650 and Guichet/Widdows in the MS630/650. Servoz-Gavin/Rodriguez finished fourth and Guichet/Widdows retired with a broken clutch. For the final race of the 1969 season, the1000km of Zeltweg, Matra only entered Servoz-Gavin/Rodriguez but the car retired through accident.
In theInternational Championship for Makes, Matra had scored six points, earning it fifth place in the championship.
The first race of the season was the1970 24 Hours of Daytona, Matra had two cars forJack Brabham/François Cevert andJean-Pierre Beltoise/Henri Pescarolo. Brabham/Cevert finished tenth and Beltoise/Pescarolo finished 18th. Matra made changes to the driver line ups for the12 Hours of Sebring, Pescarolo/Servoz-Gavin and Cevert/Dan Gurney. Pescarolo/Servoz-Gavin finished fifth and Cevert/Gurney finish 12th. Matra again made changes to the driver line ups for the1000km of Brands Hatch, The team put Brabham/Beltoise together but kept Pescarolo/Servoz-Gavin. Brabham/Beltoise finish 12th and Pescarolo/Servoz-Gavin retired with engine failure. TheMNZ saw Brabham/Beltoise fifth followed by Pescarolo/Servoz-Gavin in sixth. The team skipped the next three races, theTarga Florio,1000km of Spa-Francorchamps and1000km of Nürburgring. The team entered three cars for the24 Hours of Le Mans Beltoise/Pescarolo in the newMatra-Simca MS660, Brabham/Cevert andPatrick Depailler/Jean-Pierre Jabouille/Tim Schenken were both in the MS650 but all three cars retired with engine failure. The team skipped the final two race of the 1970 season, theWatkins Glen 6 Hours andAustrian 1000km.
In theInternational Championship for Makes, Matra had scored four points, earning it fourth place in the championship.
| Year | Entrant | Class | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | ICMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Equipe Matra -Elf | Group 5 | DAY | SEB | BHC | MZA | TGA | SPA | NÜR | LMS | WGN | ORC | 6 | 5th | |
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise | 4 | ||||||||||||||
 Piers Courage | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Matra of France Matra Sports | Pedro Rodriguez | 4 | 23 | ||||||||||||
| Johnny Servoz-Gavin | 4 | 23 | |||||||||||||
| 1970 | Equipe Matra-Simca | Group 5 | DAY | SEB | BHC | MZA | TGA | SPA | NÜR | LMS | WGN | ORC | 4 | 4th | |
| Jack Brabham | 10 | 12 | 5 | 36 | |||||||||||
| François Cevert | 10 | 12 | 36 | ||||||||||||
| Dan Gurney | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise | 18 | 12 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Henri Pescarolo | 18 | 5 | 21 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Johnny Servoz-Gavin | 5 | 21 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Patrick Depailler | 37 | ||||||||||||||
| Jean-Pierre Jabouille | 37 | ||||||||||||||
| Tim Schenken | 37 |
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