Matra at Goodwood...

[macaroni]

I went to a very wet and muddy Goodwood Festival of Speed today and saw this beauty:

MS650







There was also a Matra-Cosworth F1 car, but who cares about Ford?

OK, I know these aren't to Lennarts standard, but I thought it worth a mention!

Antony

[Lennart Sorth]

IOK, I know these aren't to Lennarts standard, but I thought it worth a mention!

but they are great - if only a bit "few"  :-)

So did you also HEAR that beauty?
I hope the Matra wasn't among those reported to have "rerranged the tyrewalls" etc ? (at least one expensive Aston was mentioned)

Having just returned from Le Mans plus an airshow in Denmark (a total of 10 days off work) I couldn't avoid being oncall this weekend, which ment no GFoS this year.

/Lennart

[michaltalbot]

At this moment I am totally fascinated by these cars, because 5 minutes ago I watched the movie Le Mans with Steve McQueen from 1970. Now I am fighting between my brain and keys of my Matra in my hand, because there is very rainy. But that sound and acceleration, fast steering and unique Matra feeling...
Back on the ground, Michal! Hm... I've found old literature and there is written that when Matra 670B won 24 Heures du Mans in 1973, Pescarollo and Larrousse drove 355 laps. This year the winner drove 369 laps, second 359 laps, third 357 laps and fourth car drove 347 laps! Look at it, Matra, after 34 years, might be fourth! But, of course, I don't know if it is the same circuit, etc...

[Lennart Sorth]

But, of course, I don't know if it is the same circuit

It certainly wasn't.

1972-1978 had the track in its 6'th generation, 13.640km long

First of all, there were no chicanes on the long Mulsanne straight, but the 3km section from Arnage to the Ford chicane was modified for the 1972 season, into what we now call the Porsche Curves. (i-e- Maison Blanche was no longer on the track).

The max average speed on that track was Renault Alpine A443 at 229 km/h in 1978, while the fastest Matra was Cevert in the MS 670B in 1973 at 223.607km/h

Fastest average (race-) speed of all time was not surprisingly set just before the Mulsanne chicanes were introduced in 1991, by the Jaguar XJR9 in 1989 - at 242.093 km/h (a Sauber Mercedes C9 did 249.826 km/h in that years test-weekend)

Today we're up to track incarnation 14, which is 13.629km long. Even with the two chicanes on the 7km Mulsanne-straight, and the longer and slower Dunlop complex, the winning Audi did 236.183 km/h on its best race-lap.

And the only sound you hear from that car is wind and tyres ... the Peugeot had a little engine noise, but nowhere near the wonderful Matra's. I think the Jan Lammers's ear-splitting "Racing for Holland" Dome from the last few years comes closest. :-)

The nicest sounding car in the pack this year is IMO still the Spyker ... definitely not the fastest or most reliable (sadly) but BOY does it sound great. 

/Lennart

[michaltalbot]

Wooow, thank You for these informations... I wanted to go there, but as You wrote - the atmosphere is different 
But last year I was in Spa - Belgium to see oldtimer race with Jürgen Roterberg and it was SOMETHING! Old BMW CSi, M1, 3-er, 6-er, Ford Capri, Escort, Simca Rallye, Opel Manta, NSU, and many others was screaming so loud, and I was in paradise This year I will go there again but still don't know the exact date. Sorry for few pics, bateries in my camera died after few shots, but Jürgen will bring me CD with lot of them to the Fulda...

[Anders Dinsen]

Wooow, thank You for these informations... I wanted to go there, but as You wrote - the atmosphere is different 
But last year I was in Spa - Belgium to see oldtimer race with Jürgen Roterberg and it was SOMETHING! Old BMW CSi, M1, 3-er,

How about Le Mans Classic 2008?

[Lennart Sorth]

How about Le Mans Classic 2008?

I sense a man with a plan ....   :-)

I have asked Henri Pescarolo several times why we never see him in a Matra for that event, and his answer is always that his priority (obviously) goes to his race team in the other series.  But it really would be a treat to see "le casque vert" roaring down la ligne droit des Hunadieres  (what we mortals call the Mulsanne straight )

/Lennart

[Anders Dinsen]

How about Le Mans Classic 2008?

I sense a man with a plan ....   :-)

I did have a plan, but like many other plans the last year, I have had to revise it. It was also my plan to go to the regular Le Mans this year, but that couldnt be implemented either. So my current plan is to go to the regular Le Mans next year, and the the Classic will have to wait until 2010 for me.

But I'm sure it's a wonderful event. For those who don't know it, the Matra sports cars have a special status there, being allowed in with the 'classics' and super cars despite not being 35 years old and not really being super cars.

The event also allows visitors a lap on the track. Roy Gillard reported from last years event in the Matra Magazine (UK club, really good mag for any Matra enthusiast), and in the middle pages we find a beautiful photo taken from a Bagheera running down the Mulsanne - the Bag is clearly identifiable on the photo despite only showing a part of the rear end in the photo - where a Ferrari Enzo is about to overtake. I think they had great fun that day, and with three in the car, the Old Bag (no pun intended!) was working for it.

Cheers,
Anders