3rd hand
In the collection since 1975
The most accomplished version of the small Djet prototype !

It is after the break-up of the René Bonnet and Charles Deutsch alliance that the D.B. brand is dissolved. René Bonnet left with an idea of a central rear engine like the new Lotus competition cars. To affirm and save his new company, his specifications required a sporty, reliable car with mass-produced parts to limit maintenance costs. It was with Renault that this project took shape, thanks to the engine of the future R8 Gordini. The production Djet will therefore be equipped with a beam chassis. Faced with financial difficulties, René Bonnet was forced to sell first part, then all of his company to Matra. Despite this takeover, the Djet remained in production until July 1968. This car was a real revolution for its time. In all, less than 1,700 examples were produced, making this car a true rarity and an authentic French sports car. Hervé Charbonneaux crossed paths with the René Bonnet Djet at a very early stage, as his cousin, Emmanuel Charbonneaux, took part in competitions at the wheel of these cars: the Tour de France Automobile in 1964, for example. The eyes of the passionate instigator of the Tour Auto soon fell on a mysterious Djet VS, the most powerful version of the range, driving near Saint-Dizier...
The car we present in these pages is chassis 20067, sold new by the Archambaud garage in Langres. On 10 June 1969, a secondary school teacher, Mr Langellier, from Wassy bought the car. Hervé tried more than once to buy his red Djet VS from him, but it was impossible! One cold day in January 1975, he came across his dream car, with the bonnet open, on the side of the road. After some discussion, he finally managed to buy the car! Rarely, if not uniquely, has the car ever left the Haute-Marne and it still retains its original registration. Aesthetically, some paint touch-ups have been done but the whole is very clean and the fiberglass body has not suffered from too much use. Inside the car, the dashboard is in very good condition, with its nice original steering wheel and its complete instrumentation. The headlining is impeccable, as are the carpets and the door panels. Only the driver's seat has worked with time and will deserve a touch-up for the most demanding. This car has had the chance to benefit from a meticulous maintenance, and all the invoices from 1975 to 1993 are still present. It will undergo a major overhaul in 1995, and will then go to EPAF in Romorantin in 2017 for a complete new service. During this trip, the fuel tank will be replaced by a hand-made aluminium competition type, and a stainless steel exhaust will be fitted. Hervé also wanted to have a ZF gearbox installed, as was Matra's intention for the latest evolution of the model. The factory assembly drawings will be given to the buyer.
Nowadays, few of these cars have had the chance to remain in their original configuration, and few of them have such a clear history as this car. With only 83,801 km on the clock, this Djet VS has never been restored but has always been preserved with great care. All the more reason to take an interest.

This car will be sold by auction by AGUTTES Auction House, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, on June the 20th, 2021.
The digital catalog is available by the following link
https://www.aguttes.com/en/catalog/113642?

Please contact us for any further details.
[email protected]
+33 147 459 301
+ 33 668 362 622