Misplaced Pages

#511488

39-692: The car started out as the René Bonnet Djet in June 1962. This model became known in retrospect as the Djet I. Bonnet named it "Djet" as he wanted it to be pronounced by French speakers more like the English word "jet" instead of the French word "jet". The name is often styled "D'jet" or "D'Jet". It was powered by a 65 PS (48 kW) 1,108 cc engine from a Renault 8 in a mid-engine location mated to

78-483: A Smiths design. The transmission itself was a three-speed mechanical unit similar to that of the Dauphine, but from the beginning with synchromesh on all gears in this version. The system used a dash-mounted push button control panel where the driver could select forward or reverse and a governor that sensed vehicle speed and throttle position. A "relay case" containing electromagnetic switches received signals from

117-533: A gearbox from the Renault Estafette van. This power-train gave the car a top speed of 165 km/h (103 mph), or 190 km/h (118 mph) in the later Djet III with a Gordini engine. A fiberglass body was chosen for its lightness, ease of repairs, and to keep initial investment costs low. The body was made by Matra 's Générale d'Applications Plastiques subsidiary in Romorantin , and

156-595: A further 1,491 cars were produced before production ended in 1968. Fewer than 60 Vallelungas were built before De Tomaso replaced it with the Mangusta in 1967. The Djet was priced at 20,000 French francs at launch, the same as its much larger and more luxurious contemporary, the Facel-Vega Facellia . The Bonnet did not impress with its level of finish, and the unisolated fibreglass bodywork made for an extremely noisy environment inside. Bonnet believed that

195-617: A great opportunity for Matra to expand into the automobile market. Chassagny hired Jean-Luc Lagardère away from aeronautics competitors Avions Marcel Dassault to run the newly formed Matra Sports and Engins Matra divisions. Former Simca designer Philippe Guédon was hired to modify the original Bonnet Djet. The car became slightly bigger, measuring 4,220 mm (166.1 in) long by 1,500 mm (59.1 in) wide by 1,200 mm (47.2 in) high and weighing 660 kg (1,455 lb). Production resumed in April 1965 with two new versions;

234-520: A performance close to that of the R8 Gordini '1100' and midway between the standard Renault 8 and the 1255cc Gordini. The Alconis offered 0–60 mph in 11.9sec, top speed of 97 mph, (according to "Car" magazine road test) and sold for about 10% over the standard car. It was sold new through their dealer network in South Africa and covered by their factory warranty. The local concept

273-607: Is a rear-engined , rear-wheel drive small family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault in the 1960s and early 1970s. It also formed the basis for the larger Renault 10 , introduced in 1965. The 8 was launched in 1962 and ceased production and sales in France in 1973. By then the related Renault 10 had already been replaced, two years earlier, by the front wheel drive Renault 12 . They were produced in Bulgaria until 1970 (see Bulgarrenault ), and an adapted version of

312-705: Is scheduled by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles , which considers it a major international auto show. In 2016, the Paris Motor Show welcomed 1,253,513 visitors, making it the most visited auto show in the world, ahead of Tokyo and Frankfurt. The key figures of the show are: 125,000 m (1,350,000 sq ft) of exhibition, 8 pavilions, 260 brands from 18 countries, 65 world premieres, more than 10 000 test drives for electric and hybrid cars, more than 10 000 journalists from 103 countries. Until 1986, it

351-502: The 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans . The Djet's suspension was quite advanced for the time, being a fully independent system having upper and lower A-arms with coil springs and disc brakes at all four wheels. The car accommodated just two people, as the engine took the space where a rear seat would otherwise be. The Djet I was 3,800 mm (149.6 in) long by 1,400 mm (55.1 in) wide by 1,150 mm (45.3 in) high and weighed only 600 kg (1,323 lb). Announced in 1962,

390-544: The First World War motor shows were suspended, meaning that the show of October 1919 was only the 15th "Salon". There was again no Paris Motor Show in 1925, the venue having been booked instead for an Exhibition of Decorative Arts . In October 1926, the Motor Show returned, this being the 26th Paris Salon de l'Automobile . The outbreak of war again intervened in 1939 when the 33rd Salon de l'Automobile

429-866: The Paris Motor Show in 1965, the Roman numerals and the Bonnet name were dropped. The car was now called the Matra Sports Djet 5. In 1966, a version with a bigger Gordini engine became available and the Djet name was dropped in favour of its original meaning: Jet. The model range now consisted of the Jet 5 (1,108 cc Renault 8 Major engine), Jet 5 S (1,108 cc Renault 8 Gordini engine) and Jet 6 (1,255 cc Renault Gordini engine). There were four types of René Bonnet Djet: Only 198 René Bonnet Djets were built between 1962 and 1964, 179 of which were of

SECTION 10

#1732801411512

468-518: The Rallye Côte d'Ivoire and Rallye du Maroc . Bob Watson won the 1970 Australian Rally Championship and was runner-up in the 1971 Australian Rally Championship driving an R8 Gordini. R8s also competed in the 1966 Australian Touring Car Championship , 1979 Australian Rallycross Championship , 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 and 1965 International 6 Hour Touring Car Race . In 1963 the Renault 8

507-593: The Bonnet Djet was the world's first mid-engined production road car, beating the De Tomaso Vallelunga which was introduced in 1963, even though the first production Djets did not leave the factory until July 1963. During the two years before Matra took over, 198 Bonnet Djets were produced, with all but 19 being built to the lower-powered Djet I specification. After becoming the Matra Djet in 1964

546-529: The Contessa, and it was also built as a 2-door coupé. Through their South African subsidiary, Renault Africa Ltd, a special performance version of the 1108cc '8' (model 1132) and '10' (model 1190) was assembled at their East London assembly plant. It sold in that country only as a Renault Alconi, a combination the names of the developers, John Conchie and Eric 'Puddles' Adler, who traded as "Alconi Developments". Engine upgrades resulted in 68 bhp (net) and

585-562: The Matra-Bonnet Djet V and the Djet V S, the latter having a Gordini-tuned engine. During his 1965 tour of France, Yuri Gagarin was presented with a Matra-Bonnet Djet V S coupé by the French government. The car was later photographed wearing Soviet license plates. Production was gradually moved away from the old Bonnet plant, and late Jets were built entirely at Matra's home plant in Romorantin-Lanthenay . After

624-531: The R1135 Gordini – the middle ones were for high beam only. The car was delivered with black "RENAULT 8S" tapes, intended for the rear wings but their fixing was left to the customer. The Romanian sport version was named Dacia 1100 S. Alongside the new Renault 10, less powerful versions of the Renault 8 continued in production at the Flins plant . The 8 was still sold in France as late as 1973. FASA-Renault,

663-590: The Renault 8 continued to be produced in Spain until 1976. In Romania, a version of the 8 was produced under license between 1968 and 1972 as the Dacia 1100. In total 37,546 Dacia 1100s were built. The R8 (model R1130) was released in June 1962 and was based on the Renault Dauphine , with which it shared its basic architecture and its 2,270 mm (89.4 in) wheelbase. The style, closely following that of

702-515: The annual International Total Lourenco Marques Rallies. Between the years 1963 and 1969, South African motor sport sponsorship by Renault (Africa) Ltd and private driver enthusiasm resulted in class and endurance race and rally domination (including frequent wins) by the R8 and Gordini R8, which enhanced market penetration and popularity of the vehicles Renault R8 and Gordini also won the 1968 and 1970 South African Saloon Car Championship. The car also won

741-748: The car was built for French driving conditions which were much more localized. When driving the 8 in city environments, it is nimble and easy to get around crowded conditions. France did not begin to build the Autoroutes of France until French Law 55-435 was passed April 18, 1955, to create a similar highway system previously built in Germany, called the Autobahn during the 1930s. For 1963 (initially only in France), Renault offered an automatic transmission of unique design, developed and produced by Jaeger. It

780-471: The car. Drawbacks included performance loss (with only three available gears) and a somewhat jerky operation during gear changes. The transmission was also used in the Dauphine and the Caravelle . A more powerful model, the 8 Major (model R1132), was released in 1964, featuring an 1108 cc engine developing 50 PS (37 kW; 49 hp). A still more powerful version, the 8 model R1134 Gordini ,

819-574: The company's Spanish arm, continued to produce models 8 and 8TS (similar to the French-built 8S) until 1976 for the Spanish market, and components for the 8S and 8TS assembled in Mexico. In 1964, Hino and Renault had a partnership, where Hino was manufacturing a licensed version of the Renault 8 while making some changes to the updated Contessa . Configuration and engineering changes were made on

SECTION 20

#1732801411512

858-548: The competition record of the Djet and his company would be enough to convince the public to purchase it, but this was not to be the case. When Bonnet got into financial troubles, Matra, who already supplied both the bodyshells and the factory for the Djet, took over René Bonnet Automobiles and its debts in October 1964. Production of the original Djet was stopped in December 1964. Matra's President Marcel Chassagny considered this

897-534: The first prototype produced, at unusually short notice, by Philippe Charbonneaux, was fashionably boxy; however, while the Renault 8 was actually 30 mm (1.2 in) narrower than the Dauphine, the manufacturer was able to install thick cushioned front seats that were actually each 60 mm (2.4 in) wider, at 560 mm (22.0 in), than those fitted in the Dauphine. The 8 was powered by an all new 956 cc Cléon-Fonte engine developing 44  PS (32  kW ; 43  hp ). The R8's engine followed

936-439: The governor and push buttons and then controlled a coupler, a decelerator to close the throttle during gear changes, and a solenoid to select operation of the reverse-first or second-third shift rail, using a reversible electric motor to engage the gears. The system was thus entirely electromechanical, without hydraulics, pneumatics or electronics. The relay case was located in the front trunk. On cold days, with no source of heat in

975-510: The lesser Djet I model. Three types of Matra-Bonnet/Matra Sports Djet/Jet were produced from 1965 until 1967: Apart from these model designations, a luxury version with wooden dashboard and bigger bumper was available. Production of the Jet ended in 1967 with a total of 1,495 Matra (D)Jets and it was replaced with the Matra 530 . The last Jets (all Jet 6s) were sold in 1968. Renault 8 and 10 The Renault 8 ( Renault R8 until 1964)

1014-545: The madly motor sport minded South African public with their active racing and rallying participation and sponsorship program, offering a multitude of Gordini and Alconi race components. During the years 1963–69 when the R8 model was sold, they won seven overall 1st Saloon car to finish trophies in the annual Kyalami International 9-hour Endurance Races (3 x 4th overall, 1 x 5th overall, 3 x 9th overall). The competition included many international purpose built sports cars (Ferraris, Jaguars, Porsches, Cobras). Also three overall wins in

1053-545: The modern buildings of the Parc des Expositions , on the south western edge of central Paris at the Porte de Versailles , where the show had been held since 1962. There was no "Salon de l'Automobile" in 1920 There was no "Salon de l'Automobile" in 1925 due to the venue having been allocated to an Exhibition of Decorative Arts No shows were held from 1939 until 1945 There was no "Salon de l'Automobile" in 2020 due to

1092-438: The pioneering example of the recently introduced Renault 4 by incorporating a sealed for life cooling system. A distinctive innovation on the French produced cars was the fitting of four-wheel disc brakes, a first for a saloon car of this size. However, when in 1965 Renault's Spanish affiliate introduced their own version of the Renault 8 for the (then tariff-shielded) Spanish market, it came with rear drum brakes. The 8

1131-499: The trunk area, the relays would freeze and required the "Open, Push, Whack, and Jump". Essentially, the driver had to open the trunk, push the Drive button on the dashboard, whack the relay box, and jump back into the moving vehicle. On extremely cold days, the relay box was unreliable and intermittent, seemingly having a mind of its own. Benefits included comparable fuel economy to the manual transmission version, and easy adaptability to

1170-495: Was also distinguishable from the 8 Major by the bigger 200 mm headlamp units. In 1965, the Renault 10 Major, a more luxurious version of the 8 with different front and rear styling, was released, replacing the 8 Major. In 1967, the R8 Gordini (model R1135) received a facelift including two additional headlights (in effect Cibie Oscar driving lights), and its engine upgraded to a 1255 cc unit rated at 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp). The R1134 Gordini cross-flow head design

1209-424: Was also released that year, with a tuned engine of the same capacity but developing 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp). The extra power was obtained by a cross-flow head and twin dual-choke 40mm side-draft Solex carburetors. A four-speed close ratio manual transmission, dual rear shock absorbers and uprated springs were fitted. The R1134 Gordini was originally available only in blue, with two stick-on white stripes. It

Matra Djet - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-571: Was awarded Wheels Magazine Australia's Car of the Year Award. Paris Motor Show The Paris Motor Show ( French : Mondial de l'Automobile ) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently takes place in Paris expo Porte de Versailles . The Mondial

1287-620: Was bonded directly to a steel chassis. The chassis were built in Bonnet's factory in Champigny-sur-Marne (a Paris suburb), where final assembly also took place. As part of Bonnet's contract with Renault, the Djet was developed to be able to compete in several different classes, but in the end only 1,000 and 1,100 cc models were made. The competition Aérodjet of 1963 (pictured in the gallery) came with special long-tailed bodywork and bigger fenders to accommodate wider wheels. Multiple Aérodjets were entered by Automobiles René Bonnet at

1326-586: Was called the Salon de l'Automobile ; it took the name Mondial de l'Automobile in 1988 and Mondial Paris Motor Show in 2018. The show was held annually until 1976; since which time, it has been held biennially. The show was the first motor show in the world, started in 1898 by industry pioneer, Jules-Albert de Dion . After 1910, it was held at the Grand Palais in the Champs-Élysées . During

1365-424: Was cancelled at short notice. Normality of a sorts returned some six years later and the 33rd "Salon" finally opened in October 1946. In January 1977, it was announced that no Paris Motor Show would take place that year, because of the "current economic situation": at the same time the organisers confirmed that a 1978 Auto Salon for Paris was planned. The 65th Salon de Paris duly opened on 15 October 1978 in

1404-538: Was first shown at the September 1962 Paris Motor Show . Although it was described as a form of automatic transmission at the time, in retrospect it was more realistically a form of automatic clutch, inspired by the German Saxomat device which appeared as an option on several mainstream German cars in the 1950s and 60s. The clutch in the system was replaced by a powder ferromagnetic coupler, developed from

1443-609: Was intended to increase vehicle sales to a racing mad South African public by taking advantage of their race-track successes in local "Sprint" and "Endurance" races. About 400–500 vehicles seem to have been sold. As well, many hundreds of performance kits to upgrade the standard vehicles were sold over their parts counters. The car has won the Tour de Corse , Rally Poland , Rallye Açores , Rali Vinho da Madeira , Boucles de Spa and Rajdowe Samochodowe Mistrzostwa Polski . Renault (Africa) managed good sales penetration increases amongst

1482-420: Was retained, and twin dual-choke 40mm Weber side-draft carburetors. Both the 8 and the 10 were heavily revised for 1969. Some of the 10's features being incorporated in the 8, resulting in a new 8 Major which replaced the basic model. The changes also saw the addition of the 8S, a sportier model with a 1108 cc engine rated at 60 PS (44 kW; 59 hp). The 8S model also had the same twin headlights as

1521-477: Was sold in the United States with an unusual marketing approach that acknowledged that the previous Dauphine had many shortcomings for American owners, and that the 8 was an improvement. While an all new engine was built that was more powerful, and many changes were made, most of the criticism summarized the 8's shortcomings when driving on the recently constructed United States Interstate Highway System as

#511488