The Delicate Sound of Thunder: Matra MS650 V12

When the French aerospace manufacturer Matra declared more than 40 years ago that it wanted to win the 1969 Formula 1 World Championship and the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans, many were quite skeptical about this new manufacturer, which had only recently begun building cars and did not have much history in motorsport.

However, despite the predictions, Matra partly succeeded with its bet. In 1969 it won the Formula 1 World Championship with Jackie Stewart, even though it was not a 100% French team as had been announced. In 1970 Matra entered three MS650s at Le Mans, although the promises could not be fulfilled, as the French team could not get past the eighth hour of the race. Success came in 1972, when it faced the powerful endurance team fielded by Ferrari and won at Le Mans.

One of the cars Matra used in developing its successful prototype machines was the MS650. The 3-litre V12 engine produced 410 CV at 9,800 rpm, with a top speed of 280 km/h, depending on the ratios chosen in the 5-speed ZF gearbox. Want to see more about this Matra car? In the video below, you will see and hear every detail of the MS650. And if you can turn up the volume, even better.

Via | Automobiliac

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