Makes › Matra › Djet · Rare production · 1962 Rare
Matra
Djet
Matra Djet, the first production car with a rear mid-engine layout, 1,495 built by Matra after René Bonnet.
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Handelsgeselschaft · CC BY-SA 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1,495 Built
- Years
- 1962
- Engine
- Rear mid-engine · 1,100 cc / 1.1 LFactory: 1,100 cc
- Power
- 52.2 kW / 71 PSFactory: 70 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- René Bonnet and Charles Deutsch (original concept)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Djet was the first production car with a rear mid-engine layout. It was conceived by René Bonnet and Charles Deutsch and continued unchanged by Matra after the aerospace firm bought the company in 1964.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Matra Djet (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Handelsgeselschaft · CC BY-SA 4.0
Matra Djet (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Handelsgeselschaft · CC BY-SA 4.0
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionDjets built by Matra (a smaller, unknown number were built under the René Bonnet name) | 1,4951 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The Djet was originally sold as an Automobiles René Bonnet and, from 1964, as a Matra. Hagerty is cited for 1,495 Djets built by Matra, plus a much smaller unknown number built by René Bonnet. Most cars had a 70 hp 1100 cc Renault four-cylinder with a four-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels; a small number of later cars had a 90 hp 1255 cc engine.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Djet.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine2 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 42 Independently researchedThe same source says a small number of later cars had a 90-horsepower 1255cc engine; the 1100cc engine is the common one. |
| Displacement | 1,100 cc / 1.1 LFactory: 1,100 cc2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 52.2 kW / 71 PSFactory: 70 hp · converted2 Independently researched |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 42 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Rear2 Independently researched |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Tubular backbone chassis2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Four-wheel disc brakes2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Rack and pinion2 Independently researched |
| Body construction | Fibreglass body2 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1965 Matra Djet for Sale Via RM Sotheby's in Portugal, Road & Track Level C
- 1495 Djets built by Matra (a smaller, unknown number were built under the René Bonnet name)
-
2
You Can Drive the Same Car As the First Man in Space Level C Brian Silvestro · Road & Track · 2019-09-16
- rear mid-engine layout
- 1100cc Renualt inline-four
- 70-horsepower 1100cc Renualt inline-four
- 70-horsepower 1100cc
- four-speed manual transmission
- sending power to the rear wheels
- tubular "backbone" chassis supporting a fiberglass body
- four-wheel disc brakes
- rack-and-pinion steering
- fiberglass body
Keep exploring
More from Matra
-
Matra · 1967–1972
530
Production not yet verified
-
Matra
M530
Production not yet verified
-
Matra · 1969
MS80
Production not yet verified
-
No licensed photo yet
Matra · 1966–1967
MS620
Production not yet verified
More from France
-
Peugeot
Peugeot Type 159 (1919-1920)
Production not yet verified
-
Bugatti
Chiron Sport “110 Ans Bugatti”
Production not yet verified
-
Talbot-Lago
T26 C (1947-1949)
23 Built
-
Delahaye
134N (1936-1951)
Production not yet verified
70 other makes from FranceACMAAixamAlcatelAlpineAmilcarArzensAvions VoisinBACBallotBerlietBolloreBuccialiBugattiCGCharron, Girardot et VoigtChenard-WalckerCitroënClément-PanhardDAMSDarracqDBDB (Deutsch-Bonnet)De DietrichDe Dion-BoutonDe Dion, Bouton et TrépardouxDe La ChapelleDelageDelahayeDelaunay-BellevilleDerbyDSExagonFacel VegaFarmanFord FranceGentyGordiniHommellHopiumHotchkissAll makes →