Matra Djet V

Matra Djet V

The Matra Djet holds a distinction that places it alongside the most historically important automobiles ever built: it is widely recognized as the world's first mid-engine production car. While prototypes and one-offs had explored the mid-engine concept before — most notably the Auto Union Grand Prix cars of the 1930s and various racing specials — the Djet was the first car to place the engine behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle and offer it for sale to the general public. This achievement, which predated the Lamborghini Miura by several years, earns the Djet a permanent place in the automotive pantheon.

The car's origins lie with Rene Bonnet, a French constructor and racing enthusiast who had previously partnered with Charles Deutsch in the DB marque. After the partnership dissolved in 1961, Bonnet continued independently and created the Djet (an intentional play on the French pronunciation of 'jet') as a small, lightweight sports car with the engine mounted longitudinally behind the cockpit. The design used a steel backbone chassis clothed in a fiberglass body, with the Renault-sourced engine positioned just ahead of the rear axle line. It was a layout that the entire supercar industry would eventually adopt.

Bonnet's company ran into financial difficulties in 1964, and the aerospace and defense firm Matra (Mecanique Aviation Traction) acquired the operation, seeing it as an entry point into automotive manufacturing. Matra relocated production to its facility in Romorantin and continued developing the Djet, fitting more powerful engine variants and refining the chassis. Under Matra's stewardship, the Djet evolved from a clever but rough-edged special into a properly developed sports car.

The Djet V, which represents the most common Matra-built version, used a 1,108cc Renault inline-four producing 70 horsepower. In a car weighing just 620 kilograms, this was sufficient for a top speed of 175 km/h and entertaining performance on the twisting French departmental roads for which the car was designed. More powerful versions followed: the Djet VS used a tuned 1,108cc engine producing 85 horsepower, while the ultimate Djet VI received a 1,255cc engine with 105 horsepower. The most powerful variants could exceed 200 km/h — remarkable for a car with just over one liter of displacement.

The fiberglass body was designed with aerodynamic efficiency in mind, featuring a low, wedge-shaped profile with a long, sloping rear deck that covered the mid-mounted engine. The frontal area was remarkably small, contributing to the Djet's ability to achieve high speeds despite modest power. The cockpit was intimate, with the driver sitting low between the wheels with excellent visibility over the short nose. Access to the engine was via a rear-hinged panel that lifted to reveal the compact Renault powertrain.

Driving a Matra Djet is a revelation. The mid-engine layout provides a balance and agility that front-engine cars of the era simply cannot match. The car rotates willingly into corners, with neutral handling that transitions to gentle oversteer at the limit. The light weight makes the modest engine feel more powerful than its specifications suggest, and the all-disc braking system (advanced for the early 1960s) provides stopping power that matches the car's dynamic capabilities.

Total production of the Djet under both Bonnet and Matra banners amounted to approximately 1,491 units, making survivors extremely rare. The car's significance as the first mid-engine production car ensures permanent historical importance, while its rarity and the fragility of fiberglass bodies mean that well-preserved examples are increasingly difficult to find. The Matra Djet may be obscure compared to the Miura, but it was there first — and that distinction makes it one of the most fascinating and underappreciated sports cars in history.