Matra MS640
The Matra MS640 was a sports car prototype from Matra from 1969, which was never used after a serious test accident.
The MS640 was to replace the MS630 in Le Mans in 1969 and bring Matra its first victory on the Sarthe. To achieve this, the former Deutsch & Bonnet aerodynamicist Robert Choulet was hired. Choulet designed a streamlined coupé and took over the chassis from the MS630. In his design, Choulet took over the shapes of the CD SP66 from 1967, in the construction of which he played a leading role. The car had round shapes, standing rear fins and covered rear wheel arches.
The first test drive took place on April 16, 1969. Matra works driver Henri Pescarolo drove the MS640 during the test days for the 24-hour race on the Le Mans circuit. After just a few kilometers, on the very long Hunaudières straight, the bolide got under-air and took off. In the following serious accident, the test car was completely destroyed and Henri Pescarolo suffered severe burns, but got away with his life.
The retrospective investigation found that the doors twisted when driving at high speed. This caused deformations on the upper edge of the vehicle. The coupé became unstable at a speed of just over 300 km / h, lost traction and the fatal take-off was the result. After the accident, the second prototype was withdrawn immediately. The MS640 was never used in racing.
literature
- José Rosinski: Matra, La Saga . ETAI, Boulogne 1997, ISBN 2-7268-8301-X .
