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The
firm of Matra's core activity was as France's leading aerospace company.
Their expertise in aerodynamics and monocoque assembly led to them supplying
racing car bodies and in 1964 starting to build complete cars. Starting
in Formula Three they soon achieved success and the move to Formula
Two and then to Formula One was crowned in 1969 when Jackie Stewart
won the World Championship in a Matra-Ford. The company then turned
it's attention to the Le Mans 24 hour race which it won in 1972, 1973
and 1974. There was a return to Formula One in 1970 but over the next
couple of seasons they produced no Grand Prix wins, the V12 engine however
lived on and gave Jacques Laffite a few victories powering the Ligier
team in the late 70's and early 80's. Since then the company has become
a leading research and design centre working for many manufacturers,
especially Renault, for who it designed and built the mould-breaking
"Espace". |
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and this was Jackie Ickx's |
what a way to treat a pretty car !
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endurance |
racers
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sports cars |
flat 12s
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V12s |
motor porn
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the strange |
and the stranger |
Espace Matra is in the town of Romorantin-Lanthenay which is
near Vierzon in central France.
It is open every day except Tuesdays.