Matra Sports Cars - (WSC Giants) by Ed McDonough (Paperback)

About the Book

Designed to contest the various versions of the World Sports Car Championship between 1966 and 1974, Matra sports cars started life with a 2-litre BRM engine before progressing to the Ford V8, and subsequently Matra's own V12. This book includes developmental and race history, a full list of events and individual chassis numbers.

Book Synopsis

The late 1960s and early 1970s were a significant era in the world of international sports car racing. As the motor racing rule-making body moved back and forth between cars that less and less resembled road going vehicles, prototype sports car racing captured the imagination of manufacturers, teams and fans alike. Porsche vs. Ferrari vs. Alfa Romeo vs. Matra provided some of the best racing for sports cars ever witnessed, and by 1973, the Matra prototype - little more than a Grand Prix car with full bodywork - was dominating the scene. That period has always been viewed as one of the great eras in sports car racing, when all the Grand Prix drivers were fully active in sports car as well as F1 machines. This is the story of a great time, and a great model, in motorsport.

Review Quotes

"There's an excellent spread of historic shots in this compact softback, while pull-out boxes on key Matra staff liven up the layout." - Classic Sports Car
"If only books could reproduce the noise some cars made ... The first English book to cover these cars in detail is a great read." - Motor Sport
"It's a good read and there are some wonderful images, too. A good introduction to a compelling subject." - Octane
"For fellow sports car anoraks like myself and to those with memories of the sonorous, and totally unique toned, Matra V12 engines this is the book for you as you're unlikely to find similar content elsewhere." - Speedscene "Well-illustrated and an interesting look at a marque that hasn't has a lot of English language books devoted to it." - TACCOC

About the Author

Ed McDonough was born in the USA but has lived in the UK and France for many years. He has raced saloons, sports cars and single seaters from the late 1950s, and took part in the World Championship Sports car Races in the 1970s at a time when the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33s were competing. He was UK Chairman of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club for 10 years, and was European Editor of Vintage Racecar Journal, as well as contributing to Autocollezioni, Auto Italia, Porsche Post and other journals. Ed still competes in historic races and is Track Tester for online motoring magazine Retro-Speed, specialising in some of the rarest and most exotic historic racing cars.