Matra MS84

Last updated
Matra MS84
Matra MS 84 (1969).jpg
Jackie Stewart pictured with the MS84 at the Nürburgring
Category Formula One
Constructor Matra
Designer(s) Bernard Boyer
Predecessor Matra MS80
Successor Matra MS120
Technical specifications
Chassis Steel spaceframe
Engine Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993 cc (182.6 cu in) V8 NA mid-engined
Transmission Ferguson 5 speed
Fuel Elf
Tyres Dunlop
Competition history
Notable entrants Matra International
Notable drivers Flag of France.svg Johnny Servoz-Gavin
Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Beltoise
Debut 1969 British Grand Prix
RacesWins Poles F/Laps
4000
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to
Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

The Matra MS84 was the fifth Formula One car produced by Matra (following the MS9, MS10, MS11 and MS80).

Contents

Development

The car was built at Matra's Formula One base at Vélizy-Villacoublay in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, designed under the direction of Bernard Boyer and built by Jean Bee (a.k.a. "Bunny") under the direction of Legan. It was run by the Matra International team of Ken Tyrrell with full technical support from Matra and the financial backing of Elf.

Although it has a family resemblance with the MS80 with which Matra won the 1969 Constructors' Championship, it is a completely different car with a steel tube chassis instead of an aluminium monocoque. At the back the engine is mounted back-to-front with the gearbox and transfer case directly behind the driver. The four wheel drive system was designed by Derek Gardner of Harry Ferguson Research. The Ferguson transmission and other necessary additions left the car much heavier than the two-wheel drive MS80s (635 kg with no fuel).

Racing history

Like the Lotus 63, the MS84 made its first appearance at the Dutch Grand Prix, where Jackie Stewart tried the car out but opted to use his MS80, as he would for the rest of the season.

The car was still present at all the remaining races as a spare, and at Silverstone Jean-Pierre Beltoise gave the car its first race and came home ninth, six laps behind Stewart's two-wheel drive Matra (but three laps ahead of John Miles's Lotus 63). By the next time the car raced, the front differential had been disconnected and the car effectively ran as an over-weight MS80 with inboard front brakes, [1] memorably giving the lie to Johnny Servoz-Gavin's protestations about the 4WD car being "undriveable" after he finished the Canadian Grand Prix six laps down in sixth place. Servoz-Gavin also drove the car at Watkins Glen, finishing 16 laps down and unclassified, and finally in Mexico, crossing the line "just" two laps down in eighth place. Although there was a project for a 4WD Matra MS 124, the MS84 was never replaced.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

YearEntrantEnginesTyresDrivers1234567891011PointsWCC
1969 Matra International Ford Cosworth DFV
3.0 V8
D RSA ESP MON NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX 66 1 1st
Jean-Pierre Beltoise PO9
Jackie Stewart POPOPO
Johnny Servoz-Gavin DNA6NC8

^1 Includes 9 points scored using a Matra MS10 and 57 points scored using a Matra MS80.

Related Research Articles

Harry Ferguson Research Limited was a British company founded by Harry Ferguson who was mostly known as "the father of the modern farm tractor". He was also a pioneer aviator, becoming one of the first to build and fly his own aeroplane in Ireland, and also went on to develop four-wheel drive systems for cars including pioneering their use in Formula One racing cars. The company was based in Siskin Drive, in Coventry, England.

Georges-Francis "Johnny" Servoz-Gavin was a French motor racing driver in both sportscars and single seaters.

1968 Spanish Grand Prix Motor car race

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1968 Canadian Grand Prix 1968 Canadian Formula One race held in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

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1972 South African Grand Prix Motor car race

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1971 Formula One season 25th season of the FIAs Formula One motor racing

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1969 Formula One season 23rd season of the FIAs Formula One motor racing

The 1969 Formula One season was the 23rd season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing. It featured the 20th World Championship of Drivers and the 12th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, which commenced on 1 March 1969 and ended on 19 October after eleven races. The season also included four non-championship races. British driver Jackie Stewart won the first of his titles with Matra-Ford.

1968 Formula One season 22nd season of the FIAs Formula One motor racing

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Lotus 63

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The 1967 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One non-championship race held at Jarama on 12 November 1967.

March 701

The March 701 is a Formula One racing car model, designed by Robin Herd with Peter Wright, and built by March Engineering. The 701 was March's first Formula One design – following their one-off March 693P Formula Three prototype of 1969 – and was designed and built in only three months. The March 701 made its race debut a month after its public unveiling, at the 1970 South African Grand Prix. In total, eleven 701s were constructed, with March supplying many privateer entrants as well as their own works team. The 701's career started well, March drivers taking three wins and three pole positions from the car's first four race entries, but lack of development through the 1970 Formula One season resulted in increasingly poor results as the year wore on. The 701 was superseded by the March 711 in 1971, and made its last World Championship race appearance at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix.

The Matra MS620 was a Group 6 sports prototype built by Matra in 1966, and was the second such car built by the company. Fitted with a 1.9 litre version of the BRM Formula One V8 engine, four cars were built, but were mostly used as developmental cars. In 1967, the MS620 was replaced by the 3 litre Matra MS630, although it was used in the Le Mans Test of that year, fitted with a 4.7 litre Ford V8 engine.

Equipe Matra Sports Racing team owned by Matra

The Matra Company's racing team, under the names of Matra Sports, Equipe Matra Elf and Equipe Matra Sports, was formed in 1965 and based at Champagne-sur-Seine (1965–1967), Romorantin-Lanthenay (1967–1969) and Vélizy-Villacoublay (1969–1979). In 1979 the team was taken over by Peugeot and renamed as Automobiles Talbot.

Matra MS10

The Matra MS10 is a Formula One car entered by the Matra International team during the 1968 Formula One season. It, along with its V12-powered sibling MS11, was Matra's first purpose-built F1 car and won three races in 1968, taking Jackie Stewart to second place in the Drivers' Championship and Matra International to third place in the Constructors' Championship.

Matra MS9

The Matra MS9 was a Formula One car used by the Matra International team during the 1968 Formula One season. It only raced once in a world championship race, driven by Jackie Stewart at the 1968 South African Grand Prix, before being replaced by the Matra MS10. At its only outing, it qualified third, but Stewart had to retire due to a connecting rod failure.

The Matra-Simca MS630 was a Group 5 prototype race car introduced in 1967 for the World Championship for Makes. The MS630 replaced the previous Matra MS620. The car was initially designated as the Matra MS630, but when Simca sponsored Matra in 1969, it was renamed as the Matra-Simca MS630.

References

Specific
  1. Brown, Allen. "Matra MS84 history". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.