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Art & Inspiration A Bonneville Dream: The Matra MS640

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jive-Bomber, Jan 28, 2025.

  1. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,855

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

    tractorguy, Fitty Toomuch and HEMI32 like this.
  2. hansboomer
    Joined: Nov 15, 2008
    Posts: 108

    hansboomer
    Member
    from new york

    "I can only hope the lucky buyer actually runs this car the way it was truly meant to be run… Wide open."
    That would be cool...and hilarious if it went airborne again. It's surprising that they knew so little about aerodynamics in 1969 that cars left the runway at a slower speed than a commercial jet. Men walked on the moon, Ford put a cheater aero roof on a Galaxy to run at Daytona in 1963 but a LeMans car flew six years later? WTF? Maybe those redneck NASCAR guys could have taught those snobby Yuropeens something.
    OTOH that replica Matra is probably the coolest car you can buy anywhere this year.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2025
    tractorguy and Bdamfino like this.

  3. IMG_0434.jpeg
    The Matra MS640 - April 16th 1969
     
  4. Rolleiflex
    Joined: Oct 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,334

    Rolleiflex
    Member

    It's definitely a very stylish curvaceous car.

    I'll have to admit though; I don't understand why would you want to run a car flat out that has a known problem with staying grounded?

    Maybe with some modifications, but would it still be the same car?
     
    SS327 likes this.
  5. Oneball
    Joined: Jul 30, 2023
    Posts: 1,313

    Oneball
    Member

    That crash didn’t end Matra’s racing. They won Le Mans in 72, 73, 74, World Championship For Makes in 73 and 74 (they’d already won F1 with Jackie Stewart in 69)
     
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  6. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,855

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

    "That crash was the end of Matra’s more radical racing pursuits, and the small French company would pull out of racing all together just 5 years later."
     
    Rolleiflex likes this.
  7. Bdamfino
    Joined: Jan 27, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Bdamfino
    Member
    from Hamlet, NC

    That's a beautiful duplicate/replica! As noted, if lift was the original issue, it wouldn't fair to well on the Salt. One can dream, for sure! I'd love to see that giant Benz six wheeler that the war effort stalled either finished or copied! Closer to home, if Shuten and Co. fabbed up the old Moonliner, that would be sweet!!!
     
  8. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 16,196

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    BNI/SCTA roll cage rules are pretty tough. I wouldn’t want to be the constructor for one in that type of vehicle..
     
    Stan Back and tractorguy like this.
  9. SS327
    Joined: Sep 11, 2017
    Posts: 3,326

    SS327

    No wonder it flew it’s got the perfect shape of a wing.
     
  10. Dubonet Garage
    Joined: Jun 10, 2022
    Posts: 50

    Dubonet Garage
    Member
    from France

    I'm the guy who brought the Renault Etoile Filante back to Bonneville in 2016, 60 years after its records.
    It’s great to see that some people remember this adventure, thanks Jive!

    For information,
    - the Renault Etoile Filante's speed records are still valid 60 years later!
    - the guy who drives the Renault Etoile Filante in 2016 was the so nice Nicolas Prost, son of of the great Alain Prost
    - Nicolas obtained a (very modest) record that year with our stock Dauphine (I don't know if it is still valid!)

    It was a lifelong dream for the team to be at Bonneville for the 2nd time (the first time was with a Renault 4 van with a group 4 version of Renault 5 turbo engine).

    The current safety rules are completely understandable but they unfortunately prevent historic cars from being driven at Bonneville without heavy modifications. Perhaps the organizers should imagine special demonstration runs, even with limited speeds? I don't know...
    Renault Etoile Filante.jpg renault-etoile-filante-bonneville-1956.jpg
     
    pwschuh and Rolleiflex like this.
  11. GirchyGirchy
    Joined: Mar 17, 2011
    Posts: 281

    GirchyGirchy
    Member
    from Central IN

    I've had the pleasure of seeing some of the wacky blue French racers/land speed record cars in person, they're tiny little treats:

    The aforementioned Renault Etoile Filante:

    [​IMG]

    Another Renault, the 1934 Nervasport des Records:

    [​IMG]

    1953 Longchamp de Coucy 350, a 350cc land speed racer:

    [​IMG]

    1964 Panhard CD LM64: this 78-hp wonder and its twin ran in Le Mans in '64, but unfortunately neither finished. They are notable for having an amazing drag coefficient of 0.12, making them by most accounts the most aerodynamic cars ever raced. I'm assuming it never went fast enough to become airborne.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. patsurf
    Joined: Jan 18, 2018
    Posts: 1,597

    patsurf

    guess the pre 1970 stylists at plymouth saw that winged one run and said...'hey'!!
     
  13. aircap
    Joined: Mar 10, 2011
    Posts: 1,791

    aircap
    Member

    Bolt enough weight into the Matra and it will stop flying and go just as fast.
     

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