Matra MS80
The French-built, Tyrrell-run Matra that Jackie Stewart called the nicest-handling Formula One car he ever drove.
- Power
- 420 bhp
About the Matra MS80
Designed under Gérard Ducarouge and Bernard Boyer and built at Matra's base at Vélizy-Villacoublay near Paris, the MS80 moved its fuel from behind the driver into sidepods by the driver's hips, giving it a slight Coke-bottle shape. It used a Cosworth DFV estimated at around 420 bhp, and was run not by Matra itself but by Ken Tyrrell's Matra International team, with the engine installed at Tyrrell's East Horsley workshop. Jackie Stewart won the 1969 Drivers' Championship and Matra the Constructors' title, the car winning five of its ten races. It started the year with high wings, but after serious accidents it was altered, like all 1969 cars, to sturdier low wings mounted on the body.
Matra MS80 specs
The Matra MS80 produces 420 bhp (313 kW).
| Make | Matra |
|---|---|
| Model | MS80 |
| Years | 1969 |
| Type | Race car |
| Body style | Open-wheel single-seater |
| Country | France |
| Production | About 2 built |
| Engine | 3.0L naturally aspirated V8 (Ford Cosworth DFV) |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 2,993 cc (3.0 litres) |
| Induction | Naturally aspirated |
| Power | 420 bhp (313 kW) |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual (Hewland DG300) |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive |
| Weight | 540 kg (1,190 lb) |
| Power-to-weight | 778 bhp per tonne |
Typical figures for the standard car; options, markets and model years vary. Where our specs come from
Matra MS80 rarity in CarSpot
The Matra MS80 is a Unicorn card in CarSpot, with a rarity score of 100 out of 100. The rarest tier: hypercars, one-offs and cars built in tiny numbers, typically fewer than about 500. A Unicorn card is worth 320 XP.
Each model's tier starts from a 0–100 score based on its value plus its power or production numbers. Once enough players have spotted a model, how often it is spotted can move it up or down one tier. How CarSpot rarity works
Rarity is a collectible game mechanic, not an assessment of real-world scarcity or value.
Matra MS80 fun facts
- Apart from Ferraris, it is the only car built outside Britain to win the Constructors' Championship.
- It is the only car not entered by a works team to win the Constructors' Championship, as Ken Tyrrell's Matra International was a privateer outfit.
- Only two were assembled in 1969; a third monocoque stayed unbuilt until the EPAF company completed it in 2006.