The green Matra

The Matra saga in Formula 1 curiously debuted by a green single-seater in the spirit of  “British Racing Green” for Jackie Stewart and entered by the Matra International team, headed by Ken Tyrrell, who had already led Matra to the European Formula 2 title one year earlier, with the young Jacky Ickx. The Cosworth-powered Matra MS9 was somehow a hybrid car, based on a F2 chassis adapted to the V8 Ford engine, pending the “real” F1 Matra.

The South-African Grand Prix was run on January 1, 1968 where Stewart was forced to retire his green Matra MS9 (picture-above), while his team mate Jean-Pierre Beltoise driving another spec, the blue MS8 (picture-below), finished in sixth position, albeit 3 laps behind the winner Jim Clark in his Lotus.

That car, the blue Matra, was in fact a Formula 2 MS7 powered by a 1600 cc 4 cylindre engine, with larger fuel tanks in order to be able to race a Grand Prix distance, as already seen end of 1967, at the US and Mexican events.

Because of the launch of a partnership with petroleum company Elf in the spring of 1968 (to replace Caltex seen in South-Africa), the Matras were painted in French blue: the new MS10 Cosworth for Stewart and then later on the MS11 for Beltoise, powered by a V12 Matra, that still lacked development.

The two men scored a 1-2 at the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix held in pouring rain, thanks to their Dunlop tyres. The following year, Stewart captured the first of his three world titles, the only one to date for a French-built car (if you consider that the 2005-2006 winning Renaults, were built in England), in his formidable MS80-Cosworth.

Matras willingness to impose its V12 was unfortunately going to provoque the divorce with Stewart and Tyrrell, who will keep Elf’s sponsorship and capture two more crowns in 1971 and 1973. End of 1972, Matra gave up on F1, to concentrate on endurance racing with three consecutive wins at Le Mans, and would then retire completely after playing a major role in motor racing for ten years.