Seller's comments about 1966' Matra Djet Vs Gordini
The first Djet was a Le Mans 1962 prototype, powered by a completely new Gordini racing engine.
Four months later, René-Bonnet presented a road legal version of the Djet, almost identical to the race car : it was the first mid-engined production GT in History...
The 1962 road-legal Djet was a breakthough, the Birth of a Breed, soon imitated by the De Tomaso Vallelunga, the Dino and the Lamborghini Miura...and all modern supercars.
The production of the Djet was continued by Matra-Sports after René-Bonnet failed. Matra will then become famous with triple Le Mans Victory and Jackie Stewart's Formula 1 World Champion title in 1969 with the Matra-Cosworth MS80.
The Djet VS is a remarkable race-inspired 2-seater GT, powered by the famous Renault-Gordini 1100cc engine with big valves, hemispheric combustion chambers, "hot" cams, and delivering 100 BHP...same as the 1963 Alpine-Renault 1100, but in the Alpine, the engine is behind the rear wheels, not quite as sexy.
A true road-legal prototype, the Djet VS has a lightweight glassfibre bodywork, and a breathtaking, aerodynamic and spectacular shape. In 1966, it cost three times the price of a middle-class sedan.
This example is one of the rare survivors recorded today (only 355 Djet VS were ever built), original, in excellent condition throughout - and matching colours. A frame-off restoration of chassis, bodywork has been done in the nineties. More recently engine and suspensions were rebuilt, and the engine has hardly 2000 km. The extremely rare original bodywork, engine and interior make this example a very desirable one. Engine, gearbox, transmission, brakes, clutch, electricity, and all elements are in excellent working condition.
Or course the Gordini 1100-powered Djet V-S is by far the best version, not to be confused with the simple Renault-powered (not Gordini) Djet V, more common and much less sought-after.
The historic significance of the Djet is very high as "the mother" of all mid-engined GT cars, so this is a unique opportunity to acquire an important Classic.
The race-car looks and driving sensations of the Matra Djet VS are very close to the original Le Mans prototype, with the wonderful born-for-racing Gordini engine. This Classic automobile is of course eligible for many international racing events (Tour de France, Le Mans, Monte-Carlo, etc).