Description
This Matra Djet 5 Luxe was restored with a sense of detail and originality in the early 1990s and was delivered new in the Netherlands.
The car is in excellent condition and has the original engine, overhauled at the time. This 1108cc engine from Renault house (R8) produces 70 hp (52 kW) and gives the 660-kg Djet a top speed of 170 km/ h.
The first mid-engined car for use on public roads, the Djet has a tubular chassis, disc brakes on all four wheels, and a fibreglass-reinforced polyester body, making it one of the more technically interesting cars of the 1960s.
In short, the overall concept makes this fantastic Djet a real driver's car and is ready to be enjoyed straight away.
More info at - details above Djet is the first car to bear the Matra name, but it was not born that way.
The Djet was initially developed and produced by French car manufacturer and racing enthusiast René Bonnet.
However, Bonnet, a better engineer than accountant, ran into financial difficulties in 1964 and had to sell his company to French company Matra ( Mechanique Aviation TRAction) which was the main partner and shareholder anyway.
The René Bonnet Djet, initially designed for track use, was improved by Matra in several aspects and was released in two versions, the Matra Bonnet Djet V and VS, the latter fitted with a Renault 8 Gordini engine).
In October 1965, after the Salon de l'Auto car show in Paris, the Roman numerals and the Bonnet name were abandoned, the car was called Matra Sports Djet 5 and 5S from then on.
In 1966, a model with a larger Gordini engine was launched and the name Djet was replaced by Jet.
The model range now consisted of the Matra Sports Jet 5 (1108cc-Renault 8 engine), Jet 5 S (1108cc-Renault 8 Gordini engine) and Jet 6 (1255cc-Renault Gordini engine).
It is difficult to say how many of the 1495 Djet/ Jet's produced survived, but intensive race use, poor maintenance and accidents undoubtedly took their toll.
That the French BRI (rapid intervention brigade) of the National Gendarmerie used the Djet for highway patrols will not have had much impact, only three deployable Djet´s were used, whether any were lost is not known.
