Matra-Ford

The Matra-Ford combination, pairing Matra's French-built chassis with the ubiquitous Ford Cosworth DFV engine, delivered one of the most significant championships in French motorsport history.

Run by Ken Tyrrell and driven by the brilliant Jackie Stewart, the Matra-Ford MS80 carried Stewart to his first World Championship in 1969, winning six Grands Prix along the way. It was a triumph of pragmatism, marrying a fine chassis to the best available engine.

The partnership was short-lived, as Matra wished to use its own V12 thereafter, prompting Tyrrell to seek other options, but its single season of glory was decisive.

Matra-Ford proved how a well-judged combination of French chassis craft and the dependable DFV could topple the establishment. Stewart's 1969 title launched both his legend and Ken Tyrrell's, making this brief partnership one of the most consequential in the sport's history.