Matra-Simca MS630
Matra's Group 5 prototype that evolved through three seasons.
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The Matra-Simca MS630 was a Group 5 prototype race car built for the World Championship for Makes, debuting in 1967 as the successor to the Matra MS620. It first carried the name Matra M630, but after Simca became a sponsor in 1969, the car was rebranded as the Matra-Simca MS630.
1967
For the 1967 season, Matra fitted the MS630 with a 1.9-liter BRM Formula One V8 engine producing 245 hp at 9,000 rpm. The team planned to enter the 1000 km of Spa and the 1000 km of Nürburgring with drivers Johnny Servoz-Gavin and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, but both entries were withdrawn.
The car’s only race that year was the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Matra fielded two cars: one for Servoz-Gavin and Jean-Pierre Beltoise, and another for Jaussaud and Henri Pescarolo. The first retired due to a broken oil pipe, the second due to broken suspension. Matra scored no points in the World Championship for Makes that season.
1968
In 1968, Matra switched to its own 3.0-liter Matra Sports V12 engine. Again, the MS630 appeared only at Le Mans, with a single car driven by Servoz-Gavin and Pescarolo. It retired after an accident caused by a puncture. Matra again failed to score any championship points.
1969
The 1969 season began with the 24 Hours of Daytona, where Servoz-Gavin and Pescarolo were entered, but a practice accident prevented the car from starting. The team skipped the 12 Hours of Sebring and the BOAC 500. At the 1000 km of Monza, Servoz-Gavin and Jean Guichet retired due to a fuel feed issue. The Targa Florio was skipped, and a planned entry for Servoz-Gavin, Beltoise, and Guichet at the 1000 km of Spa was withdrawn; the team also missed the 1000 km of Nürburgring.
For the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Matra entered four cars: a new Matra-Simca MS650 for Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Piers Courage; an MS630 for Jean Guichet and Nino Vaccarella; and two updated MS630/650 hybrids (MS630 chassis with MS650 parts) for Nanni Galli and Robin Widdows, and for Johnny Servoz-Gavin and Herbert Müller. Beltoise and Courage finished fourth, Guichet and Vaccarella fifth, Galli and Widdows seventh, while Servoz-Gavin and Müller retired due to an electrical short circuit. At the Watkins Glen 6 Hours, Matra entered an MS650 for Servoz-Gavin and Pedro Rodriguez, and an MS630/650 for Guichet and Widdows. The MS650 finished fourth, while the MS630/650 retired with a broken clutch.
Lore & Background
The MS630 made only one appearance in 1967, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where two cars were entered. One retired with a broken oil pipe, the other with broken suspension. Matra scored no points in the World Championship for Makes that year.
In 1968, the car again appeared only at Le Mans, with a single entry that retired due to an accident caused by a puncture; Matra again scored no championship points. For 1969, the car was renamed Matra-Simca MS630 after Simca sponsorship began. The season included a practice accident at Daytona that prevented a start, a retirement at Monza with a fuel feed issue, and a withdrawn entry at Spa.
At the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, Matra entered four cars: one new MS650, one MS630, and two updated MS630/650 hybrids. The MS630 finished fifth, while the hybrids finished seventh and retired. The MS630 was retired before the 1000 km of Zeltweg.
Reader's Guide
The Matra-Simca MS630 served as Matra's primary Group 5 prototype for three seasons, though its racing record was marked by frequent retirements and limited appearances. It was the direct successor to the MS620 and was later supplemented and eventually replaced by the MS650.
The car's most significant outing was the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, where a mix of MS630, MS650, and hybrid MS630/650 cars achieved a fourth-place finish for the MS650 and a fifth-place finish for the MS630. All six championship points scored by Matra in 1969 were earned by the MS650, not the MS630. The MS630's legacy is that of a transitional design that bridged Matra's early efforts with the more successful MS650, and it demonstrated the company's commitment to endurance racing despite mechanical and reliability challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What engines powered the MS630 over its career?
The 1967 version ran a 1.9-litre BRM Formula One V8 producing 245 hp at 9,000 rpm, while the 1968 update swapped in a 3.0-litre Matra Sports V12.
How did the MS630 fare in the World Championship for Makes?
Across its three-season run the car's best championship result was six points in 1969, and it also took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans during its competitive life.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Matra-Simca MS630 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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