The Bonnet-Matra Djet: The Forgotten Car That Invented the Mid-Engined Sports Car

Quiet Revolution - The story of sports cars is often told through loud names and glamorous legends, yet some of the most influential machines whisper their importance rather than shout it. Long before mid-engined layouts became a badge of exotic prestige, a small, lightweight French coupe quietly rewrote the rules. That car was the Bonnet-Matra Djet, a machine whose significance far outweighs its modest size and whose legacy has been largely overlooked in modern automotive conversations. 

The René Bonnet Djet racer debuted at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Renault-based 996 cc four-cylinder engine tuned by Amedée Gordini, winning its class and finishing 17th overall. (Picture from: Perico001 in Flickr)

What makes the Djet remarkable is not just its obscurity, but its timing. It arrived before the Lamborghini Miura and well before the Ford GT40 became road-going folklore, making it the world’s first production mid-engined sports car. The idea was radical for the early 1960s, when most performance cars still relied on front-mounted engines and traditional layouts. The Djet placed its engine behind the seats, prioritizing balance and handling in a way that felt closer to a race car than a road machine. 

René Bonnet at the 24 Hours of Le Mans proved that a small rear-mid-mounted engine could deliver surprisingly huge performance on one of endurance racing’s toughest stages. (Picture from: 24h-LeMans)

The original vision came from René Bonnet, a French engineer and racing enthusiast with deep roots in motorsport. Bonnet had previously worked alongside Charles Deutsch under the DB (Deutsch-Bonnet) banner, producing lightweight racing cars since before World War II. Their partnership ended in 1961 over a fundamental disagreement: Deutsch wanted to continue using Panhard mechanicals, while Bonnet believed Renault engines offered a better future. Bonnet went his own way, forming Automobiles René Bonnet and committing fully to a new mid-engined concept. 

The René Bonnet Djet I, produced around 1963, was equipped with a 1100 cc Renault engine delivering approximately 70 horsepower, offering lively performance within its lightweight mid-engined layout. (Picture from: Supercars.net)

That commitment paid off almost immediately on the track. In 1962, Bonnet entered the René Bonnet Djet at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Powered by a Renault-based 996 cc four-cylinder engine tuned by Amedée Gordini, the car achieved a class win and finished 17th overall—an impressive result for such a small prototype. Its tubular spaceframe chassis bonded to a fiberglass body gave it rigidity without excess weight, setting the tone for what would follow in production form. 

The rarer René Bonnet Djet II is a small, lightweight car powered by a Gordini-tuned engine, delivering brisk performance and an exceptionally nimble, raw, and engaging driving experience. (Picture from: BringATrailer)

When the Djet reached the road, its design was unmistakably purposeful. Compact proportions, a low nose, and a tight cabin emphasized performance over comfort. The body was plastic rather than steel, mounted to a tubular backbone chassis to reduce costs and weight. Independent suspension with wishbones at both ends, coil springs, and disc brakes on all four wheels underlined the car’s racing DNA. Inside, refinement was minimal; engine noise and mechanical sensations were very much part of the experience.

The René Bonnet Djet III, a racing-only model and the 14th of 15 cars built between 1962 and 1963, is fitted with an upgraded 1148 cc engine with a hemispherical Gordini cylinder head, replacing the factory’s original 996 cc unit. (Picture from: RaceCarsDirect)

Early production models offered modest but lively performance. The Djet I used a 1108 cc Renault engine producing around 70 horsepower, while the rarer Djet II featured a Gordini-tuned version with roughly 85 horsepower. Competition variants went further, including the Djet III and Djet IV, built specifically for circuit use with more advanced cylinder heads and bonded structures for increased stiffness. Weighing close to 600 kilograms, even the road cars delivered an engaging, agile drive. 

The Matra-Bonnet Djet V was launched after more than 100 improvements under the direction of designer Philippe Guèdon, including a longer body, a wider track, and significant gains in handling, build quality, and overall drivability. (Picture from: Classic)

Despite its technical ambition, commercial success proved elusive. Limited dealer support, high production costs, and inconsistent build quality made the Djet a difficult proposition for buyers, and by late 1964 René Bonnet was under severe financial strain. Matra, already responsible for manufacturing the fiberglass bodies, stepped in and took full control of the project. Bonnet’s name was gradually phased out, and the car re-emerged as the Matra-Bonnet Djet V, benefiting from extensive revisions under designer Philippe Guèdon, including a longer tail, a wider track, improved handling, and increased power.

A Matra-Bonnet Djet V S was gifted to Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, by the French government during his official tour of France in 1965, symbolizing technological admiration and international goodwill. (Picture from: Silodrome)

The Djet’s story, however, was not confined to engineering or motorsport alone. During Yuri Gagarin’s official visit to France in 1965, the French government presented the first man in space with a Matra-Bonnet Djet V S, turning the small mid-engined sports car into an unexpected diplomatic symbol. Gagarin embodied the spirit of technological daring and forward-looking optimism that defined the era, qualities that aligned naturally with the Djet’s unconventional design and engineering philosophy. In that moment, the car transcended its niche status and became a subtle cultural artifact of Cold War-era admiration and scientific progress. 

The Matra-Bonnet Jet 6 SS with chassis #30198 and powered by a 1255 cc unit producing over 100 horsepower and capable of exceeding 200 km/h. (Picture from: BringAtrailer)

Under full Matra stewardship, the Djet finally gained momentum. More powerful versions arrived using Renault Gordini engines, culminating in the Jet 6 with a 1255 cc unit producing over 100 horsepower and capable of exceeding 200 km/h. A De Luxe variant added touches such as wood trim, a lift-out roof panel, and larger bumpers, reflecting Matra’s effort to broaden the car’s appeal beyond purist enthusiasts. Sales peaked in 1966, but by the following year attention had already shifted toward its successor, the M530. | XVB4fwRXAas |

When production ended in 1968, fewer than 1,500 cars had been built across all iterations—René Bonnet Djet, Matra-Bonnet Djet, Matra Sports Djet, and Matra Jet. Today, the model remains largely overlooked, yet its importance is unmistakable. The Matra Djet quietly demonstrated that a mid-engined sports car could exist outside the confines of pure racing or unreachable exotica, laying down a blueprint that the automotive world would only come to fully embrace years later.  *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AMKLASSIEK.NL | HAGERTY | WIKIPEDIA | SUPERCARS.NET | RACECARSDIRECT | BRINGATRAILER | SILODROME | SECRETCLASSIC | 24H-LEMANS ]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.