DJET ENGINE

THE MATRA DJET IS THE ORIGINAL MID-ENGINE MARVEL.

- CHRIS PERKINS

THE RENE BONNET DJET-the "D" is silent-is the creation of designer René Bonnet, co-founder of Deutsch-Bonnet. Unveiled in 1962, it was the world's first mid-engine production car. It's also so obscure that people frequently forget it exists, instead dubbing the Porsche 550 Spyder of the Fifties the first mid-engine production car. However, the German automaker made only 90 550s, and all were intended as race cars, not series production road cars. A dedicated road vehicle, the Djet was nonetheless spartan like a competition car. In 1966, Autosport described the Djet as basically a Formula 3 car for the road. There's not much to it: steel backbone chassis, double wishbones, fiberglass body, 145/R-15 front and 155/R-15 rear Michelin XAS tires, a four-cylinder from the Renault 8, and a four-speed transaxle from a Renault van. Automobiles René Bonnet built early Djets, with Matra, then mostly known for making missiles, supplying bodywork. Matra bought out Bonnet in 1964 and brought out the Djet V in 1965. That's what appears here, on loan from Nashville's Lane Motor Museum.