Matra
Matra takes its name from French aerospace company Mecanique Avion Traction. Matra boss Marcel Chassagny provided hardware and financial support for the racing ventures of a friend, Rene Bonnet. When the latter got into financial difficulties in 1964, company executive Jean-Luc Lagardere saw it as an opportunity to go down the works path. Matra Sport was formed.
After a brief flirtation with F3 and F2, Matra, with backing from Elf, took the step up to the top division in 1968. The team ran its own V12-powered car, Jean-Pierre Beltoise heading the Matra Sports entry. The company also supplied a car to Ken Tyrrell and his young star, Jackie Stewart, who operated as Matra International. Stewart, running on Cosworth power, fared much the better, though his three wins weren't enough to wrest the title from Graham Hill and Lotus.
"Championship at second attempt"
For 1969 Matra concentrated on sports cars, leaving Tyrrell and Stewart to fly the company flag in F1. The Scot took six victories to give Matra the championship at only the second attempt. Beltoise, Stewart's team-mate that year, provided able support, his contribution helping put Matra well clear of Brabham and Lotus in the Constructors' race.
At the end of the year Matra's automotive - division was sold to Chrysler France, and politics dictated that Matra couldn't compete with the Ford DFV. The company's insistence on using its own V12 unit was enough to end the deal with Tyrrell. Matra immediately went on the slide, Beltoise only just making the top ten in 1970.
"Powering Ligier to victory"
Chris Amon spearheaded Matra's next two campaigns. The New Zealander won first time out in 1971, in Argentina, though this was a non-title race as a precursor to that country's return as a championship counted. On top of the podium that day was the man Matra had let go and who was now on his way to a second title with Tyrrell.
There was another lone podium for Amon in 1972, when the team wound down its F1 operation by fielding just one car. Matra disappeared from the grid at the end of the year, concentrating its efforts on sports cars. That brought a return to winning ways, Henri Pescarolo and Graham Hill winning at Le Mans, Matra retaining the 24-hour classic title in the following two years. In 1973 and 1974 Pescarolo was partnered by Gerard Larrousse.
In 1974 Matra announced it was quitting the sport and designer Gerard Ducarouge joined the new Ligier team, which also took over the Matra V12 engines. Matra powered Jacques Laffite to Ligier's Frenchman also won in Austria and Canada four years later.
