Gregor Wenner
Specialist Consultant
LOT 155
1969 Matra MS640 Continuation Chassis no. 02
Sold for €488,750 inc. premium
Lot 155
1969 Matra MS640 Continuation
1969 Matra MS640 Continuation
Chassis no. 02
Chassis no. 02
• Engine and gearbox from MS640-01
• Driven by Henri Pescarolo, multiple endurance racing champion
• Presented with original period documentation
• Eligible for prestigious events
• Prototype designed exclusively for track use, offered without registration
Matra, founded by Marcel Chassagny just after the war as M.A.T.R.A. (Mécanique Aviation TRAction), initially focused on armaments. However, it was in 1964 that Matra's automotive destiny took a decisive turn, under the visionary leadership of Jean-Luc Lagardère, a former Dassault executive. He laid the foundation for an automotive journey with the creation of Matra Sports, a division that would never settle for convention. Lagardère's ambition was to take Matra to the world's most demanding circuits.
The history of Matra Sports is defined by relentless innovation, combining state-of-the-art technology with raw passion. The result? A decade of extraordinary success: 124 wins and 104 lap records from 334 races between 1964 and 1975. In 1969, Matra reached its zenith when Jackie Stewart, driving the Matra MS 80, won the Formula 1 World Championship. This victory, accompanied by a Constructors' Championship, placed France at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Matra's dominance extended to endurance racing, where the brand cemented its superiority. The 1970s saw Matra secure three consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972, 1973, and 1974), along with World Sport-Prototype titles in 1973 and 1974.
Determined to triumph at the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours, Lagardère issued a bold challenge to engineer Robert Choulet: design a prototype in just three months. This led to the creation of the MS 640-01, a car intended to compete in the 3-litre sport-prototype category. A technical masterpiece, the MS 640-01 featured a fiberglass and epoxy laminated body mounted on a steel tubular chassis, housing the MS 09 engine—a 2999 cc V12 in a rear-mid position, paired with a ZF 5DS 25/1 gearbox and a limited-slip differential. The prototype embodied a pursuit of innovation like never before, with a particular emphasis on aerodynamics.
The fate of the MS 640 took a tragic turn on April 16, 1969, during private testing at Le Mans. Henri Pescarolo, was involved in a serious crash on the Hunaudières straight, almost completely destroying the car and bringing a premature end to this promising project. This moment marked a pivotal point in Robert Choulet's career. In the aftermath, the engineer refined his technical advances, which would later influence the legendary Porsche 917, contributing to their triumph in endurance racing.
In the 1990s, an ambitious restoration project was launched, spearheaded by the former organizer of the Rétromobile show, a passionate collector of Matra prototypes. This project brought together Jean-Paul Humbert and Bernard Balzeau, both former Matra Sports engineers, specialists in Matra competition cars.
Fitted with the MS 09 engine and gearbox salvaged from the charred remains of chassis #01, the MS 640-02 we present here was born. Its design is based on the original Matra blueprints, and its bodywork was molded from the original molds.
With this remarkable technical heritage, the only thing left was a driver. Henri Pescarolo, drawing on his experience in April 1969 and with 22 World Sport-Prototype Championship victories to his name, was the obvious choice. In April 2006, the car was tested at the Brétigny airbase. With the latest
calculations by Robert Choulet, the team employed modern technology to monitor aerodynamics and performance in real-time. After a morning of adjustments, Henri Pescarolo, true to his reputation, drove the car to nearly 300 km/h.
The MS640-02 is not merely a replica of the MS640-01—it is the realization of the original project's full potential. Presented in its entirety, it is now ready to return to the track with its future owner.
• Driven by Henri Pescarolo, multiple endurance racing champion
• Presented with original period documentation
• Eligible for prestigious events
• Prototype designed exclusively for track use, offered without registration
Matra, founded by Marcel Chassagny just after the war as M.A.T.R.A. (Mécanique Aviation TRAction), initially focused on armaments. However, it was in 1964 that Matra's automotive destiny took a decisive turn, under the visionary leadership of Jean-Luc Lagardère, a former Dassault executive. He laid the foundation for an automotive journey with the creation of Matra Sports, a division that would never settle for convention. Lagardère's ambition was to take Matra to the world's most demanding circuits.
The history of Matra Sports is defined by relentless innovation, combining state-of-the-art technology with raw passion. The result? A decade of extraordinary success: 124 wins and 104 lap records from 334 races between 1964 and 1975. In 1969, Matra reached its zenith when Jackie Stewart, driving the Matra MS 80, won the Formula 1 World Championship. This victory, accompanied by a Constructors' Championship, placed France at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Matra's dominance extended to endurance racing, where the brand cemented its superiority. The 1970s saw Matra secure three consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972, 1973, and 1974), along with World Sport-Prototype titles in 1973 and 1974.
Determined to triumph at the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours, Lagardère issued a bold challenge to engineer Robert Choulet: design a prototype in just three months. This led to the creation of the MS 640-01, a car intended to compete in the 3-litre sport-prototype category. A technical masterpiece, the MS 640-01 featured a fiberglass and epoxy laminated body mounted on a steel tubular chassis, housing the MS 09 engine—a 2999 cc V12 in a rear-mid position, paired with a ZF 5DS 25/1 gearbox and a limited-slip differential. The prototype embodied a pursuit of innovation like never before, with a particular emphasis on aerodynamics.
The fate of the MS 640 took a tragic turn on April 16, 1969, during private testing at Le Mans. Henri Pescarolo, was involved in a serious crash on the Hunaudières straight, almost completely destroying the car and bringing a premature end to this promising project. This moment marked a pivotal point in Robert Choulet's career. In the aftermath, the engineer refined his technical advances, which would later influence the legendary Porsche 917, contributing to their triumph in endurance racing.
In the 1990s, an ambitious restoration project was launched, spearheaded by the former organizer of the Rétromobile show, a passionate collector of Matra prototypes. This project brought together Jean-Paul Humbert and Bernard Balzeau, both former Matra Sports engineers, specialists in Matra competition cars.
Fitted with the MS 09 engine and gearbox salvaged from the charred remains of chassis #01, the MS 640-02 we present here was born. Its design is based on the original Matra blueprints, and its bodywork was molded from the original molds.
With this remarkable technical heritage, the only thing left was a driver. Henri Pescarolo, drawing on his experience in April 1969 and with 22 World Sport-Prototype Championship victories to his name, was the obvious choice. In April 2006, the car was tested at the Brétigny airbase. With the latest
calculations by Robert Choulet, the team employed modern technology to monitor aerodynamics and performance in real-time. After a morning of adjustments, Henri Pescarolo, true to his reputation, drove the car to nearly 300 km/h.
The MS640-02 is not merely a replica of the MS640-01—it is the realization of the original project's full potential. Presented in its entirety, it is now ready to return to the track with its future owner.
Footnotes
1969 Matra MS640 Continuation
Châssis n°02
• Moteur et boite de vitesses provenant de MS640-01
• Pilotée par Henri Pescarolo, multiple champion d'endurance
• Présentée accompagnée des plans originaux d'époque
• Eligible à de nombreux évènements internationaux
• Prototype dédié à une utilisation sur circuit, sans titre d'immatriculation
Marcel Chassagny donne naissance juste après-guerre à M.A.T.R.A. (Mécanique Aviation TRAction). Si les premières années sont dédiées à l'armement, le destin de Matra prend son essor en 1964 lorsque Jean-Luc Lagardère, transfuge visionnaire de chez Dassault, pose les fondations d'une aventure automobile sans précédent. Ainsi naît Matra Sports, la branche sportive d'une marque qui ne se contentera jamais de suivre les sentiers battus. Sous l'impulsion de Lagardère, Matra se lance à l'assaut des circuits les plus exigeants du monde.
L'histoire de Matra Sports est celle d'un défi perpétuel, un mariage audacieux entre technologie de pointe et passion brute qui lui offrira une décennie de succès. Les chiffres sont vertigineux : sur les 334 courses disputées entre 1964 et 1975, Matra connait 124 victoires et 104 records de tour.
En 1969, c'est un véritable coup de maître : Jackie Stewart, au volant de la Matra MS 80, décroche le titre de Champion du Monde des Pilotes. Ce triomphe, doublé d'un sacre au classement des constructeurs, place la France sur le toit du monde de la Formule 1.
C'est également sur les longues routes d'endurance que Matra affirme son hégémonie. Les années 1970 voient la marque dominer avec une régularité presque insolente avec ses trois victoires consécutives aux 24 Heures du Mans, en 1972, 1973, et 1974, tandis que les titres de Champion du Monde des Sport-Prototypes en 1973 et 1974 célèbrent une maîtrise sans faille.
Décidé à triompher aux 24h du Mans 1969, Lagardère lança un défi audacieux à l'équipe de l'ingénieur aérodynamicien Robert Choulet : concevoir un prototype en seulement trois mois. Ainsi naquit le projet de la MS 640-01, destiné à concourir dans la catégorie sport-prototype de la classe 3 litres.
Ce chef-d'œuvre technique se distinguait par une carrosserie en stratifié de fibre de verre et d'époxy, reposant sur un châssis treillis tubulaire en acier, abritant le moteur MS 09, un V12 en position centrale arrière de 2999 cm3, couplé à une boîte de vitesses ZF 5DS 25/1 avec différentiel autobloquant. Ce prototype incarnait une quête d'innovation sans précédent, avec une attention particulière portée à l'aérodynamisme.
Le destin de la MS 640 prit cependant un tournant tragique le 16 avril 1969. Lors d'essais privés au Mans, Henri Pescarolo, pilote émérite, fut victime d'un grave accident sur la ligne droite des Hunaudières, détruisant presque entièrement la voiture et marquant la fin prématurée de ce projet prometteur, qui fut un moment charnière dans la carrière de Robert Choulet. Peu après cet épisode, l'ingénieur apporta des ajustements cruciaux à ses avancées techniques, les appliquant sur les légendaires Porsche 917, contribuant ainsi à leur ascension en endurance.
Dans les années 1990, un ambitieux projet de reconstruction vit le jour sous l'impulsion de l'ancien organisateur du Salon Rétromobile, passionné et collectionneur de prototypes Matra. Ce projet réunit Jean-Paul Humbert et Bernard Balzeau, fondateur de la société EPAF, tous deux anciens de chez Matra Sports, spécialistes des Matra de compétition.
Équipée du moteur MS 09 et de la boîte de vitesses sauvés des flammes du châssis #01, la MS 640-02 que nous présentons ici prit vie. Sa conception repose sur les plans originaux de la marque, tandis que sa carrosserie a été façonnée à partir des moules d'origine.
L'équipe, combinée à cet héritage matériel, n'attendait plus que le pilote pour prendre place dans le baquet. Henri Pescarolo, suite à son expérience en avril 1969 et fort de ses vingt-deux victoires en championnat du monde Sport-prototypes, s'imposait naturellement. C'est ainsi qu'en avril 2006, la voiture fut testée sur la base aérienne de Brétigny. En s'appuyant sur les derniers calculs de Robert Choulet, l'équipe utilisa les nouvelles technologies pour surveiller l'aérodynamisme et les performances en temps réel. Après une matinée de réglages, Henri Pescarolo, fidèle à sa réputation, mena la voiture à près de 300 km/h.
La MS640-02 n'est pas seulement la réplique de la MS640-01, c'est l'aboutissement du projet initial. Présentée complète, elle n'aspire plus qu'à retrouver la piste aux côtés de son futur propriétaire.
Jean-Paul WEBER
Jean-Paul WEBER
Jean-Paul WEBER
Jean-Paul WEBER
Additional information
Looking for a similar item?
Our Cars specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistSpecialist section
Auction Viewings
- 4 February 2025, 09:00 - 18:00 CET
- 5 February 2025, 09:00 - 18:00 CET
- 6 February 2025, 10:00 - 18:00 CET
News and stories
Bid now on these items
