The car will be in very capable hands for the occasion. Charismatic living legend Emanuele Pirro is counted among the five most successful drivers at Le Mans with five wins to his credit (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007), and is known for an undying passion for the race's history. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Italian will take the wheel of an iconic car and symbol of the French motorsport revival in the 1970s.

Bringing to fruition a journey that began in 1966, eight years later Matra became the only French manufacturer to achieve three consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, all with the MS670 prototype that first appeared on the scene in 1972..

Starting from pole position in 1974 in the #7 MS670B, Henri Pescarolo/Gérard Larrousse held the lead from the first to the final lap, but the team did not have any easy go of it.

Trackside Repairs

By Sunday morning, Matra had lost two of its four cars after the nearly simultaneous retirements for José Dolhem/Jean-Pierre Jaussaud/Bob Wollek (#8) and Jean-Pierre Beltoise/Jean-Pierre Jarier (#6) due to failed engines during the night.

In the 19th hour, Pescarolo was enjoying a 60-minute advantage on the Porsche Carrera shared by Jigs van Lennep/Herbert Müller when he came to a full stop in the Mulsanne Straight with gearbox troubles. The man in the famous green helmet pulled over, got out of his car, raised the bonnet and managed to engage a gear with his foot which then allowed him to return to pite lane slowly...

When the #7 Matra retook the track, its lead had dwindled down to three minutes, but Müller and van Lennep in turn encountered problems during the last hours of the race. In the end, Pescarolo/Larrousse won with a six-lap advance, clinching their second consecutive win, and the former entered the race's hall of fame as the only French driver to triumph three years in a row.

Half a century later, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, an immensely popular event for competition cars from all eras and all major motorsport disciplines, will serve as an ideal setting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the victory secured by one of the gems of the 24 Hours Museum.

PHOTO (Copyright - Michel Jamin/ACO): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), BUGATTI CIRCUIT, JULY 2019. The MS670B from the 24 Hours Museum hits the track for the 2019 Le Mans Classic Days entrusted to two-time winner with Matra, Gérard Larrousse, in 1973 and 1974.