Matra goes Racing

In the 1960’s, the French high-tech company Matra decided to start building racing cars as a way to promote their capabilities in a very public way.

They started designing and building Formula 3 and Formula 2 cars which relied on Matra’s knowledge of aeronautics and aircraft building methods.

These new racers quickly met with success, which encouraged Matra in 1968 to after the top level of racing, Formula 1.

With Scottish driver Sir Jackie Stewart at the wheel, they took 3 races in the season.



Pen&ink and markers on blue archival paper
© Paul Chenard

For 1969, they introduced a new car, and Stewart took the Championship.

With this first mission accomplished, they expanded into sports car racing, with the goal of winning at the 24 heures du Mans and the World Championship for Makes.


Latex house paint on oak plywood
© Paul Chenard

They won at Le Mans in 1972, 1973, and 1974, and took the Championship for 1973 and 1974. Driving home those 3 wins was French driver Henri Pescarolo, partnered with Graham Hill (Great Britain) the first year in a Matra MS670, and Gérard Larousse (France) for the next two, diving the Matra MS670B, then the MS670C.


 Pen&ink and markers on watercolour paper
© Paul Chenard

After 1974, they stopped building racecars, and instead focused on racecar engine development and design.

The Matra MS80: Flying with Jackie Stewart

Matra was a high-tech French company involved in aeronautics and weaponry.

In the mid-1960's they diversified into automobiles by purchasing Automobiles René Bonnet with the specific goal of raising their public profile by building sports cars and race cars.

They found considerable success in building winning Formula 3 and Formula 2 racing cars, using construction methods developed in aeronautics.

They took the plunge into Formula 1 in 1968, developing the the Matra MS10. The team was run by Ken Tyrrell, with Jackie Stewart (Scotland) as driver. Amazingly, Stewart found three wins in the new racer and finish in second place in the Championship.


Jackie Stewart - Matra MS80 - Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort 1969

Pen&ink, paint markers and archival markers on blue archival paper © Paul Chenard 2012

Original art available, as are limited editions.

For the 1969 Formula 1 season, Stewart started again with the Cosworth-powered MS10, winning the first race of the season in South Africa. Afterward, he switched to the new Cosworth DFV-powered MS80, which carried overall improvements over the previous Matra. Stewart won the Spanish, Dutch, French, British, and German Grands Prix and easily took the first of his three Championships.

For 1970, Matra joined Simca (Chrysler). With Tyrrell's major support coming from Ford, sponsorship conflicts ended the Tyrrell/Matra relationship. At the same time, FIA specification changes ruled out the MS80.

Jackie Stewart loved to race the MS80, saying it was beautifully balanced and stable at speed, qualities he used effectively to win.

Le Mans 1972 - French colours

I’ve been illustrating for a few years (since the Summer of 2006), but I as yet don’t have a studio; I do most of my art on the dining room table.

We just finished redecorating, which included repainting our living room, dining room, and kitchen.

I started thinking about doing a painting, but I can't really afford artists materials; the paints, brushes and canvas. So I went out and bought some brushes, and decided to use our leftover house paint on a piece of leftover premium plywood. Because I don't have a studio, I did it on my hands and knees on the basement floor in our little junk room with the washer and dryer ... cozy! This is my very FIRST painting!

41.5"x 18.5" (105.4cm x 46.8cm), latex paint on plywood
© Paul Chenard 2010

My painting features the winning Matra-Simca MS670 #15 of Henri Pescarolo and Graham Hill, followed by the second place MS670 #14 of François Cevert and Howden Ganley. The third Matra-Simca is the MS660C #16 of Jean-Pierre Jabouille and David Hobbs.

A friend in Scotland didn't believe is was done in house paint, so I created this paint key ...

The painting is available through Historic Car Art; limited edition prints are also available. It will be featured at the Le Mans Classic.