The Matra Djet is a French beautiful, slender sports car, originally designed and sold by René Bonnet. As a Bonnet Djet, it was the world's first mid-engine production car. The elegantly aggressive beauty was produced in several versions from 1962 to 1967 and sold under various names including René Bonnet Djet, Matra Bonnet Djet, Matra Sports Djet and finally Matra Sports Jet.
The car started its existence in June 1962 as the René Bonnet Djet
This model later became known as the Djet I. The car was named 'Djet' because Bonnet thought that the French would not pronounce the word 'jet' correctly. The Djet was powered by a 64 hp 1108 cc engine that originated in the Renault 8. But in the Djet it did not live in the back of the car, but was placed amidships and linked to the gearbox of the Renault Estafette van. This powertrain gave the car a top speed of 160+ km / h, or 190 km / h in the later Djet III with Gordini engine. The fiberglass body was made by Matra and glued directly to a steel chassis. The Djets are built in a factory in Romorantin of Matra.
Advanced technology
The Djet's suspension was pretty advanced for now, as it was a completely independent system with coil-spring top and bottom A-arms and disc brakes on all four wheels. The car could accommodate only two not too large and or wide people. The engine was located where the basic rear seat could have been. The Djet I was 3800 mm long, 1400 mm wide and 1150 mm high and weighed only 600 kg. Announced in 1962, the Bonnet Djet was the world's first production mid-engine car, beating the De Tomaso Vallelunga introduced in 1963. Even though the first production Djets did not leave the factory until July 1963. In the two years before Matra took over, 198 Bonnet Djets were produced. All but 19 built to the lower-less muscular Djet 1 specifications. After that, another 1491 cars were produced before production stopped in 1968.
Djets were expensive cars
The Djet cost about 20.000 French francs at its presentation. Just as much as its much larger and more luxurious contemporary, the Facel-Vega Facellia. However, Bonnet was convinced that the Djet's performance and his company's reputation would be enough to convince the public to buy the Djet. That was a wrong estimate.
When Bonnet ran into financial difficulties, Matra, who already supplied both the bodywork and the factory for the Djet, took over René Bonnet Automobiles in October 1964, including debts.
Production of the original Djet was discontinued in December 1964. Matra's CEO Jean-Luc Lagardère saw this as a great opportunity for Matra to expand into the automotive market. Former Simca designer Philippe Guédon was hired to customize the original Bonnet Djet. The car became slightly larger, its weight increased to 660 kg. Production resumed in April 1965 with two new versions; the Matra Bonnet Djet V and the Djet V S. The latter with a Gordini-tuned engine.
Get rid of the numbers
After the Paris Motor Show in 1965, the Roman numerals and the Bonnet name were dropped. The car was now called the Matra Sports Djet 5. In 1966 a version with a larger Gordini engine became available and the name Djet was dropped in favor of the original meaning: Jet. The model range now consisted of the Jet 5 (1.108 cc Renault 8 Major engine), Jet 5 S (1.108 cc Renault 8 Gordini engine) and Jet 6 (1.255 cc Renault Gordini engine).
The Djet in the photos that inspired this contemplation is an original 'barn find' by André Kout, a man who has an enviably sensitive radar for finding the right barns.
Ever done transport maybe of this car unfortunately can't add a photo
How can I read the posted comments regarding the Djet?
Hi Lorenzo, comments with a link in it are not automatically allowed, but must be approved by an administrator (due to spam comments, etc., which are often provided with links).
Has something like the Opel gt.
Yes that was my first thought.
Hello Toon and Jan, the Matra was there a little earlier, so it's the other way around!
The 60s brought me some elegantly designed sports cars such as the Opel GT, Lotus Elan and the first series Elite. Flowing lines that had to become more aggressive and angular in the 70s, and which by now often look dated or were considered ugly. This perhaps 60-year-old design can still look good. Will this mobile be featured in the monthly magazine - and preferably with the story of (wanting to) find such a copy?
Super cool car… at the time (as a student in Wageningen) a friend of mine had one of those Matra. Dark blue and expanded. Nice again with the old dashboard (clocks)! The car will still be in Dutch possession, I suspect.
Was that Randel from Alkmaar?
Hell yes …. Do you know Randel from Alkmaar (Heilo). Are you also from Alkmaar? That was beautiful dark blue and expanded with the right rims! Send me a private message, my email is lorenzo.marchesini@verizon.net . I have been living in the USA for 3 decades (under the "smoke" of Washington DC).
At the end of the 60s we had a Matra djet in maintenance in Amsterdam and we had a lot of work on the powertrain, poorly executed. also very regular parking damage to the front nose, the nose was very low, but easy to repair with smooth fiber.
Encourage to drive such a car in Amsterdam.
It was the time before the CV joint.
So there are two universal joints and a sliding piece per drive shaft.
On the wheel side a closed bearing and a roller bearing in grease, sealed with a simmer ring.
With good maintenance (regular lubrication) nothing weak and the body, proven strong enough for a van with a load capacity of one ton.
Could it be that the maintenance provided was a bit weak?
Beautiful model, unfortunately also produced too little.
If this model, aesthetically unaltered, with simple, inexpensive technology, were to re-enter the market now, it could become successful, even almost 60 years after its introduction. Just a beautiful and timeless design,
This one also looks a bit like the Marcos Mantula.