Matra Djet V

Matra Djet V

The Matra Djet (pronounced 'jet') holds one of the most significant distinctions in automotive history: it was the world's first mid-engined production car. While the concept of placing the engine behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle had been explored in racing cars, the Djet was the first series-production road car to adopt this layout, predating the Lamborghini Miura by four years. This alone makes it one of the most important cars in the history of automotive engineering.

The Djet was originally designed by Rene Bonnet, a racing car constructor, and was initially sold as the Rene Bonnet Djet from 1962. When Bonnet's company went bankrupt in 1964, the aerospace company Matra acquired the design and continued production as the Matra Djet. Matra, which was primarily a missile and aerospace manufacturer, saw the automotive venture as a way to diversify and showcase its engineering capabilities.

The Djet V, the most developed version, used a Renault-derived 1,108cc inline-four cylinder engine producing 94 horsepower. The engine was mounted transversely behind the passenger compartment, ahead of the rear axle, in the classic mid-engine configuration. Despite the modest displacement, the car's extraordinary lightness of just 615 kilograms meant performance was genuinely impressive, with a top speed approaching 190 km/h.

The body was a sleek fiberglass coupe designed by Jacques Hubert, with a low nose, compact proportions, and clean aerodynamic lines. The overall height of just 1,100mm gave the Djet a dramatic, low-slung appearance. The fiberglass construction kept weight to a minimum while allowing complex curves that would have been expensive to produce in steel.

The chassis featured a steel backbone frame with double-wishbone independent suspension at all four corners and disc brakes all round — a sophisticated specification for a small French sports car in the early 1960s. The mid-engine layout provided excellent weight distribution and responsive handling, though the short wheelbase could make the car nervous at the limit.

The interior was minimal but functional, with two seats, basic instrumentation, and a small-diameter steering wheel. Creature comforts were sparse, reflecting the car's sporting focus. The engine compartment behind the seats created heat and noise that were part of the mid-engined sports car experience.

Total production of the Djet across all versions (Rene Bonnet and Matra) was approximately 1,491 units. The car established Matra as a serious automotive manufacturer and led directly to the Matra M530, Bagheera, and Murena sports cars. More broadly, the Djet's mid-engine layout proved that this configuration was practical for production cars, influencing every subsequent mid-engined sports car from the Miura to the modern Ferrari.

Today, the Matra Djet is a rare and historically important classic that is increasingly valued by collectors who understand its significance as the first mid-engined production car.