René Bonnet Djet History & Specs
The Djet was designed by Jacques Hubert for René Bonnet in 1961 and was a small
coupé with a steel backbone chassis and glass fibre bodywork. The body consisted
of a number of individual panels, rather than a single moulding and had the
advantage of much easier repair. The drag coefficient of 0.27, low even by today's
standards, gave the car the potential for high top speeds from a relatively small
engine.The power unit was the 1108 cc Renault 8 unit, but turned through 180
degrees to give a mid-engined configuration. The car had independent suspension
all round with coil springs and wishbones.
Matra had produced the the bodies for Bonnet from the outset and provided the
factory space for their assembly. Over just two years of production René Bonnet
produced four different models of the Djet.
René Bonnet Djet I (1108cc Renault engine)
René Bonnet Djet II (Gordini spec engine)
René Bonnet Djet III and IV (designed with tubular aero frames for competition use)
However, in 1964 René Bonnet Automobiles experienced financial difficulties and owed a significant amount of money including a large amount to Matra. Matra seeing this as a good opportunity to expand business in the automobile market took over René Bonnet's debts and the full production of the Djet. Bonnet had produced about 200 Djets
René Bonnet Djet I (1108cc Renault engine)
René Bonnet Djet II (Gordini spec engine)
René Bonnet Djet III and IV (designed with tubular aero frames for competition use)
However, in 1964 René Bonnet Automobiles experienced financial difficulties and owed a significant amount of money including a large amount to Matra. Matra seeing this as a good opportunity to expand business in the automobile market took over René Bonnet's debts and the full production of the Djet. Bonnet had produced about 200 Djets
In 1965, Philippe Guédon was
recruited from Simca to
perfect the development of
the Djet with the objective of
making it more suited to mass
production and he made 90
modifications to the car.
After the 1965 Paris Salon, two face-lift models were produced, the Matra Bonnet Djet V and the VS. The former had the 68 bhp (SAE) Renault engine and the VS the 94 bhp (SAE) unit designed by Amedée Gordini. This unit gave the car a top speed of 188 km/h. Matra subsequently dropped the Roman numerals and the Bonnet name and the car became the Matra Sports Djet 5 and a "Luxe" version with a bigger bumper and a T-shaped wooden dashboard was made available.
After the 1965 Paris Salon, two face-lift models were produced, the Matra Bonnet Djet V and the VS. The former had the 68 bhp (SAE) Renault engine and the VS the 94 bhp (SAE) unit designed by Amedée Gordini. This unit gave the car a top speed of 188 km/h. Matra subsequently dropped the Roman numerals and the Bonnet name and the car became the Matra Sports Djet 5 and a "Luxe" version with a bigger bumper and a T-shaped wooden dashboard was made available.
At the 1966 Paris Salon, Renault announced their 1255 cc, 105 bhp (SAE) engine
and this became available for the Djet, which was designated the Matra Jet 6 and
replaced the 5S. The new car had a top speed of 200 km/h.
The Djet was entered in a number of
competitions but with limited success as it
was heavier than its rivals and also
suffered some reliability problems. The
narrow track also limited its handling
abilities, although later prototypes had a
wider rear track. It did have some
success, however, in the Chamrousse and
the Coupe de Paris where the two cars of
Beltoise and Pescarolo won their
respective classes.
The Djet gave Matra much useful experience, particularly in the use of glass fibre panels and steel chassis, but they wanted to produce a more refined sports car with a wider public appeal. A new production facilitywas opened in Romorantin to build the new car, the M530, but the Djet continued to be built alongside it until 1968 when production ceased with 1493 5, 5S and 6 models having been built.
The Djet gave Matra much useful experience, particularly in the use of glass fibre panels and steel chassis, but they wanted to produce a more refined sports car with a wider public appeal. A new production facilitywas opened in Romorantin to build the new car, the M530, but the Djet continued to be built alongside it until 1968 when production ceased with 1493 5, 5S and 6 models having been built.