I’ve done a post about the Djet before. But, as I told back then, the Djet didn’t start it’s life as a Matra. It’s body always was build at Matra’s but it’s créateur brought this to market under his own name: Automobiles René Bonnet.
And that actually was a continuation of another company already as René Bonnet at first had teamed up with Charles Deutsch. And together they became the firm DB, Deutsch et Bonnet.
And together they build lots of nimble light race and sports cars from 1938 to 1961. Using Panhard engines mainly. And after René decided the use of Renault engines was the way to go they separated as Charles insisted to stay with Panhard.
At first René kept on building the Le Mans, a car he already developed and sold together with Charles, renaming it eventually to the René Bonnet Missile. But the Djet (René feared the French would pronounce ‘Jet’ incorrect: ‘Zjet’) was the first car he constructed himself.
But after only 2 years of building the Djet it ended for René. He only was able to sell/build 198 Djets in this period and after Matra intensified it’s coöperation it ended in a coup d’état by Matra when they established the Matra Automobiles division. Resulting in an enormous production-boost as the Djet was sold almost 1500 in barely 3 years.
I won’t bother you with further details of the Djet, just check out my other post on that one for that. This model is an Altaya 1/43. And it’s quite good, as always.
And while shooting I pulled out the M35 I was reconstructing a bit (damage control as my lovely daughter dropped it) Karl Heinz, once again, showed up.
And if there’s one thing he won’t pass it’s a drive in a one-rotor Wankel so the M35 was up and running in a heartbeat. To do one final panning shot...
Excuse me for this intermezzo, I didn’t want to do a French Friday with just panningshots of a car I already showed. As there’s so much more French awesomeness to show you.
The Altaya of course comes with a display box and a pictured diorama. With it’s amazing specifications (1100cc, 80hp, top-speed of 175 km/h, 5-speed!) on the back.
C’est ca! I hope you enjoyed this little re-capture. This week is far from over but still I wish you all a very, very bon Week-end! Au revoir!
