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Technology in race cars (26): Matra MS 640 - The low-flyer

Created on January 31, 2023

Text:

Gerhard Schütz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

3

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

15

Antoine Dellenbach

1

Daniel Reinhard

3

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

15

Antoine Dellenbach

1

Matra-Simca MS640 (1969) - Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - long, low rear with partially covered rear wheels, fins and adjustable wing

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - streamlined front without spoiler or baffles

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - the reconstructed car with sensors for excessive lift at the front

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - smooth rear with air intakes for the oil coolers

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - View of the rear with wide rear tire and oil tank in front

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - 35 years after his accident, Henri Pescarolo drove the car again

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - classic "long tail"

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - Three-liter V12 with 60 degree bank angle in the rear. Behind it the three oil coolers

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - tail with glued-on threads to visualize the air flow

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - hardly any downforce despite concave front end

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - horizontal suspension struts on the front axle

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - the reconstructed car

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Matra MS 640 (1969) - shortly before the accident with the rear end pushed down sharply

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Matra MS640 (1969) - Prototype that never raced

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Matra MS640 (1969) - with long tail - Techno Classica Essen 2022

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Matra MS640 (1969) - trimmed for aerodynamics - Techno Classica Essen 2022

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Matra MS640 (1969) - wing reinforced - Techno Classica Essen 2022

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Summary

At the end of the 1960s, the Grande Nation was once again longing for a home victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Matra could have ended the thirty-year drought in 1969 with the particularly streamlined MS 640, but the project ended in a short-distance flight and a fireball after not even one test lap. This article from the series "Technology in racing cars" tells of the beginnings of the Matra MS 640 and the pitfalls of aerodynamics that proved to be its undoing.

This article contains the following chapters

From Panhard to Matra
Lift and take-off
Full throttle at last

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The years 1958-1978 were the two most creative decades in the history of racing technology. This series portrays the most innovative, pioneering and exotic designs of Formula 1, Indy cars, sports cars and Can-Am, and at the same time traces the major lines of development that still have an impact today. The series started with Lotus, one of the most important innovation drivers of these two decades. And the series will also finish with Lotus. This time, we tell the story of a Le Mans prototype that only saw the track for half a lap and then never again. Gustave Eiffel would probably have been wide-eyed at the sight of the Matra 640. Eiffel? Racing cars? What would they have to do with each other? Well, in 1909, Eiffel built a wind tunnel at the foot of his famous Paris tower - the first in the world. France thus became a pioneer in aerodynamics research. Eiffel's wind tunnel gave rise to the SERA Institute (Société des Etudes et Réalisation Automobile), which also became active in racing car aerodynamics from the 1960s onwards, for example for the CD-Panhard LM64, where the aim was to minimize air resistance in favour of low fuel consumption. The main person responsible was Robert Choulet, who was also entrusted with a project for Matra Sport in 1968.

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