LE MANS miniatures Matra MS670 n°15 Winner Le Mans 1972

N°15 driven by Henri Pescarolo & Graham Hill Winner

Specifications :

• Body made of polyurethan resin
• Injected chassis, engine support and tires
• Side wider engine
• Weight : 99 g
• Included Slot-it sidewinder spur gear
• Rear turned rims

After the hope and the deception pour Matra team in 1971, Jean-Luc Laguardère, Matra Managing director, promised during the Salon de Paris Georges Pompidou, President of France, the victory in Le Mans. Mr Pompidou will come to give the start in June 1972. When Ferrari gave up struggling, after qualifying test, the tension by Matra was at its peak. A fail could not be considerated.

The MS670 has been studied only for the 24 Hours race Le Mans and all human and financial efforts have been engaged a long time before. The preparation was complete and nothing has been left to chance.

In order to refine the hood the front wheels diameter was 13’’ and it was necessary to review the front wheel axle. The wheelbase was increased 5cm and the pedals were moved so that the driver can be more lying. The rollbar and windshield must be lower. The comfort, important component for a 24 hours race, was taken into account since the Naca air intake on the cockpit is to cool…drivers’ feet! Oil and water radiators were bigger. Doubble projectors improved the light for the new part of the track.
Both MS 670 car number 12 and 14 were fited with the same rear hood with two vertical fins and one wing such as with the MS 72 engine which was long being tried and tested. The car number 15 was the only one to be fitted with a shorter hood (heavier of 3 Kg) and higher windshield. On Hill’s request, who was disturbed by a draught, the right side of the cockpit is fitted with a deflector.

The last car engaged by Matra was a MS 660C, third and last built, car number 16 driven by Jabouille and Hobbs. Nicknamed “La Marie” it was propulsed by a MS 12 engine such like the car number 15!
Mr Pompidou himself gave the start of the race. The duel started well and fast between Lolas and Matras. The second lap was marked by the too early retirement of the Matra car number 12 of Beltoise whose engine broke. It has shattered Matra’s team nerves and that the reason why they prefered Lolas T280 going first until they cannot anymore. At this time only a fratricidal duel between Matra car number 15 of Pescarolo and car number 14 of Cévert could start. Each car occupied the head of the race one after the other. The Alfa which could have taken the forecast role of Ferrari were far behind. The car number 18 of Vaccarella-De Adamich lost almost one lap every hour. About the Lola car number 4 that took the start ahead, it must face with break and then gear problems that doomed it during the 6th hour.

La Marie could easily follow its teammates and was even placed in 4th position after the 2 first hours racing. However bad calculations during the 34th lap it has run out of gas in the new portion of the track. After 20 minutes intensive efforts, Hobbs could finally come back into the pit and restarted in 14th position 5 laps behind the first car.
After 19 hours racing the two leading Matras were in the same lap. According to Henri Pescarolo when the rain started to fall it was impossible to obey the schedule and they decided with his “old” teammate Graham Hill to push their competitors to their latest limits.

The fratricidal duel worried Matra staff who could not imagine making a choice between the two teams. They did not need since few minutes before noon the rain became heavier and Ganley, whose car had slick tires, was hit by Marie-Claude Beaumont’s Corvette in the Hunaudieres. She has been surprised by the slow rhythm of the Matra. It is the end of the hope for Cevert-Ganley. Jabouille’s 660C came back in second position around 2.30 pm on Sunday when Cévert must face with ignition problems after the Corvette collapse and must stop in Mulsanne when gearbox was blocked. Repairing was impossible.
Whereas car number 14 was overburden with troubles, Pescarolo took the last wheels and crossed the finish line as winner. He was less demonstrative than Cévert, who threw his arms up in the air in sign of double. For Graham Hill, the old hand, this victory was added to those of 1966 in Indianapolis and to the two world championship F1 titles.
Twenty-two years after Talbot and Rosier a blue car took up the victory again and it is the second French victory at the distance since 1949.