September 08 2008
Sacre bleu: 1966 Matra DJET 5S
Matra is a French car manufacturer that found its origin in aeronautic research. They applied their research and especially their aerodynamics knowledge onto motorsports. Matra Sports started with the purchase of René-Bonnet, and its first production model was a continuation of the René-Bonnet Djet line.
The Djet was the first Matra car to roll off the production line. Under 1000 Djets were built, all powered by a 1.1-litre Renault-Gordini motor delivering 90bhp. The engine sits in the middle of the car, which was a first. With a glassfibre body on a steel chassis, weighing a total of around 660kg, this car is fast like a pocket rocket!
The car is for sale in the North of France on anciennes.net here. It seems the front bumpers have been removed. The ad just says the car drives. This “mini Renault Alpine” if you like is for sale for €10000 which considering the uniqueness of the car is not bad going.
(Shot above is a library picture from motorbase.com)
