Matra MS80
Encyclopedia
The Matra MS80 was the fourth Formula One car
produced by Matra
(following the MS9, MS10 and MS11). The Ford
Cosworth
DFV
-powered car (engine 3000 cc, estimated at around 420 bhp) took Jackie Stewart
to the Formula One World Championship title in 1969
.
The car was built at Matra's Formula One
base at Vélizy-Villacoublay
in the southwestern suburbs of Paris
(France
), designed under the direction of Gérard Ducarouge
and Bernard Boyer. Apart from Ferrari
cars, the Matra MS80 is the only non-British built car to win the Formula One World Constructors' Championship (the French Renault R25
and Renault R26
which won the Championship in and respectively, and the Austrian
Red Bull RB6
, winner of the Championship, were all built in the UK
).
Although officially a Matra
, it was run by the non-works Matra International
team of Ken Tyrrell
. The MS80 was one of the first F1 racing cars to be designed with "wing
s" for downforce to increase high-speed tyre grip. These were originally introduced into F1 in 1968
. Due to some serious racing accidents with the flimsy 1969-type high wing constructions early in the racing season, like all 1969 F1 cars the MS80 was altered to use more sturdy lowered wings, directly attached to the car's body, later on.
Only two MS80's were assembled in 1969, a third monocoque was built but remained un-assembled until the EPAF company made it a complete car in 2006. Jackie Stewart in a 2006 issue of the British Motor Sport magazine referred to it as the nicest-handling F1 car he had ever driven.
The car was digitally reconstructed in detail and can be driven in the freely-available "69 Mod" http://1969gpl.speedgeezers.com/ for the Grand Prix Legends
racing simulator, which appeared in 2005.
Formula One car
A modern Formula One car is a single-seat, open cockpit, open wheel racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver. The regulations governing the cars are unique to the championship...
produced by Matra
Matra
Mécanique Aviation Traction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and now operates under that name.Matra was owned by the Floirat family...
(following the MS9, MS10 and MS11). The Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
DFV
Cosworth DFV
The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine...
-powered car (engine 3000 cc, estimated at around 420 bhp) took Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart
Sir John Young Stewart, OBE , better known as Jackie Stewart, and nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish former racing driver and team owner. He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships. He also competed in Can-Am...
to the Formula One World Championship title in 1969
1969 Formula One season
The 1969 Formula One season included the 20th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on March 1, 1969, and ended on October 19 after eleven races.-Season summary:...
.
The car was built at Matra's Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
base at Vélizy-Villacoublay
Vélizy-Villacoublay
Vélizy-Villacoublay is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris from the center and east of Versailles...
in the southwestern suburbs of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), designed under the direction of Gérard Ducarouge
Gérard Ducarouge
Gérard Ducarouge is a French former Formula One car designer. Like many designers, his background was based in aeronautical engineering...
and Bernard Boyer. Apart from Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
cars, the Matra MS80 is the only non-British built car to win the Formula One World Constructors' Championship (the French Renault R25
Renault R25
The Renault R25 was the Formula One car entered by Renault in the 2005 season.The car won both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in 2005, the first titles for any car racing with a French licence since the Matra MS80's triumph in 1969....
and Renault R26
Renault R26
The Renault R26 is a Formula One racing car, used by the Renault F1 team in the 2006 Formula One season. The car was driven by Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella. Over the course of the season it scored 8 wins out of 18 races, and was the most complete package in most of the year, followed...
which won the Championship in and respectively, and the Austrian
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
Red Bull RB6
Red Bull RB6
The Red Bull RB6 is a Formula One motor racing car designed by Red Bull Racing for the campaign. It was driven by World Champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber and was launched on February 10 at Jerez....
, winner of the Championship, were all built in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
).
Matra
Mécanique Aviation Traction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and now operates under that name.Matra was owned by the Floirat family...
, it was run by the non-works Matra International
Tyrrell Racing
The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell which started racing in 1958 and started building its own cars in 1970. The team experienced its greatest success in the early 1970s, when it won three drivers' championships and one...
team of Ken Tyrrell
Ken Tyrrell
Robert Kenneth "Ken" Tyrrell was a British Formula Two racing driver and the founder of the Tyrrell Formula One constructor.-Biography:...
. The MS80 was one of the first F1 racing cars to be designed with "wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s" for downforce to increase high-speed tyre grip. These were originally introduced into F1 in 1968
1968 Formula One season
The 1968 Formula One season included the 19th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 1, 1968, and ended on November 3 after twelve races.-Season summary:...
. Due to some serious racing accidents with the flimsy 1969-type high wing constructions early in the racing season, like all 1969 F1 cars the MS80 was altered to use more sturdy lowered wings, directly attached to the car's body, later on.
Only two MS80's were assembled in 1969, a third monocoque was built but remained un-assembled until the EPAF company made it a complete car in 2006. Jackie Stewart in a 2006 issue of the British Motor Sport magazine referred to it as the nicest-handling F1 car he had ever driven.
The car was digitally reconstructed in detail and can be driven in the freely-available "69 Mod" http://1969gpl.speedgeezers.com/ for the Grand Prix Legends
Grand Prix Legends
Grand Prix Legends is a computer racing simulator developed by Papyrus Design Group and published in 1998 by Sierra Entertainment...
racing simulator, which appeared in 2005.