A little info about the anti-brd indicator: The anti-brd indicator lights up when a german car approaches, it stands for "anti bundesrepublik deutchland" and was a common feature in most french cars after WW2. The idea behind it was that the french driver would get a heads up when a traitor or enemy would show up in his BMW so you could dispose of him. Most of the early cars were fitted with flame throwers and leftover machineguns from ww2 but ever since the french signes the Geneva declaration the practice was outlawed and replaced mostly by throwing your baugette at the german cars or "baugettin" as they called it in France. The last car equipped with the ant-brd indicator was the 1977 year model of the Simca 1100 wagon(the sedan never had it)
Matra DJet : very rare even on French roads by now. Thanks for showing! Matra also made missiles - the two manufacturing companies were separated. Other Matra cars : 3-front-seat Bagheras ...
+Amesie's Automotive Corner Weirder than the semi-conventional Sonett III - try finding a 2-stroke Saab Sonett II, or the Sonett V4 ! Four speed on the column, and free wheeling!
perfect tiny car for a perfect tiny man. Dear Torch, I know that you love driving all kinds of strange automobiles. If you ever make it to Germany, please try the Melkus RS 1000, the Wartburg-powered central mounted sportscar of the Eastern-block. I have seen one IRL and it seems perfect for you; Bright orange, under powered and a mid mounted engine.
Would have been nice to include some engine information in the text. Engine is the 1100cc four also used in the Renault R-8 if I understand correctly. OHV, putting out about 60 hp.
love the back window bit reminds me of my o9ld 78 Triumph 2.5 S estate car back door opening up when going over a bump and i had to attach a rope to pull & shut it before the next hump or bump came along, great fun !
DUDE JALOPNIK FADE YOUR TRACKS! The popping every time you cut the sound bites really detours from a great video. Or it could be crappy mics but still...
The box between the steering wheel and dash looks identical to those used in Renault R8s and R10s. Regardless, the turn signal lever you describe I have encountered in many French cars - instead of a ratcheting system of canceling which often prevents you from engaging the signal if the wheel is at a certain angle, they have a long thin coil spring that attaches to the top and bottom of the turn signal lever, and wraps around the steering column. The signal lever only has a strong detent at the center off position. So if you signal right and then proceed to turn right the spring is pulled by the steering column in the right direction - and it has enough slip to have no effect on the lever. As you start to turn the wheel left to straighten out after the turn it pulls the other way on the lever and it slides to the detent and stops in the off position. The same thing happens in the reverse direction for left turns. Very simple, you can latch it anywhere, and the main failure points I saw were A) ham fisted drivers acting like it was a steel pry bar instead of a small lever, B) I was at the shop once and a customer had gotten a piece of cloth into the spring and stretched it out of shape (took some work to do that as it was well covered) and C) when the plastic got old and brittle and the tang that held the spring broke off. On older models the entire thing was plastic and the handle would break after a few years.
cool little car, one of the very first mid engined sold on the market. it did cost more than the alpine, but was also a bit bigger. must have been very nimble compared to other cars on the road back then
If you can get past the quirks, I reckon a properly sorted one could show a clean set of heels to some very expensive exotic racing hardware - especially in the wet. I mean it weighs less than the drivetrain alone from some vehicles, a well sorted engine (make sure you get the good Gordini one) and good suspension and tyres, you could probably beat AC cobras on tight twisty tracks (of course the driver mod) ..
In the mid 60's a Djet showed up at a track day at Atlantic city. The car was impressive and then they came into the pit to figure out why it wasn't running right. One spark plug wire was hanging loose. So it was being impressive on 3 cylinders 😂 I looked into buying one but I couldn't even find a dealer 😞
+Hiway the djet had independant rear suspention, the GT did not. and it was heavier and slower :P one thing matters in the end: while one can afford a GT, the djet is waaay out of the common car guy budget. i'd love a twincam, 16 valve modern goodness powered GT tbh.
You guys could try to find a brazilian Puma GTE (the best years are from '71 to '74) or a Volkswagen SP2. A "what it's like to drive" about them would be great. By the way, finding an SP2 in the USA would be an extremely hard work.
In the modern solution to things, is the roof folded back automatically and at the same time the hatch open and on electrical actuators, people would be drooling all over this
Yeah till something screwed up with it or with the sophisticated electronic computer controls to it, that are integrated in your touch screen display. Then you have a roof that won't come off. And you really can't work on this shit yourself. Nope-I prefer simple older cars myself
Could have at least mentioned this was the first mid-engined production road car. And some technical details would have been nice also, instead of a useless rant on crash safety.
Also apparently the perfect car for Star Trek fans lol. Cool though. Very cool car. Spending a lot of time in Nashville. Cool. If you live here, and I ever run into you, I am buying you a beer sir
At least if you crashed the car and got horns from the steering wheel and your arm destroyed by that shift knob your Venom Snake cosplay would be on point.
Not once did you mention what kind of engine it has or how it cornered or how it stopped. I was half way through the video before I found out it was mid engine. Stop trying to be funny and witty and actually give us some specs on these cars.
+jtech87 a couple of different 4 bangers with 70 to about a 100 bhp from renault 8 and a 4 speed manual from a different renault. Altough i agree with you, i'd like a mention of those things in the video.
2:11 "I'm against BRD if you are buddy." lol
"If you own a Matra Djet, you just have to kinda accept the fact that it will be the coolest thing about you"
haha, Anti-brd stads for "Anti-Brouillard". It basically activates fog lights.
My favorite series from Jalopnik by far! Keep up the great work guys!
+computiNATEor I agree entirely, who can argue with pasta shoved into a steering wheel commentary?
+computiNATEor I subscribed to jalopnik just for these videos.
+computiNATEor I agree, Jason is a pleasure to watch. Something rare in car journalists these days. Thank god its not that Demuro guy.
This is one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen.
Ondřej
A little info about the anti-brd indicator: The anti-brd indicator lights up when a german car approaches, it stands for "anti bundesrepublik deutchland" and was a common feature in most french cars after WW2. The idea behind it was that the french driver would get a heads up when a traitor or enemy would show up in his BMW so you could dispose of him. Most of the early cars were fitted with flame throwers and leftover machineguns from ww2 but ever since the french signes the Geneva declaration the practice was outlawed and replaced mostly by throwing your baugette at the german cars or "baugettin" as they called it in France. The last car equipped with the ant-brd indicator was the 1977 year model of the Simca 1100 wagon(the sedan never had it)
Beautifully laid out interior! Simple and classic.
Matra DJet : very rare even on French roads by now. Thanks for showing!
Matra also made missiles - the two manufacturing companies were separated.
Other Matra cars : 3-front-seat Bagheras ...
Come
Drive My
Saab Sonett Broh!
I vote YES! :)
+Amesie's Automotive Corner ya! my neighbor has one with a small block V8 in it and side pipes!!
+Amesie's Automotive Corner
Weirder than the semi-conventional Sonett III - try finding a 2-stroke Saab Sonett II, or the Sonett V4 ! Four speed on the column, and free wheeling!
+Amesie's Automotive Corner But is the sonnet a notoriously crap car?
Thee Adjudicator My 40 year old Sonett is the most reliable car I own at the moment lol.
Anti Brd > Anti brouillard, fog lights.
Reminds me of pre Opel Monta and can see where lotus Elise/Exige got some of their curves.
I love french cars, They have something I miss in other cars, but I don't know what.
perfect tiny car for a perfect tiny man.
Dear Torch, I know that you love driving all kinds of strange automobiles. If you ever make it to Germany, please try the Melkus RS 1000, the Wartburg-powered central mounted sportscar of the Eastern-block. I have seen one IRL and it seems perfect for you; Bright orange, under powered and a mid mounted engine.
But does it djent
+Richard Harrold first thing I thought of, I had to
Dropped a whole octave on my 7, except my strings are too thin for it
+Richard Harrold I'm hopefully getting new strings, pickups, and paint job for it soon, haven't had a chance in between car parts and pc parts
69 string bass
SEND BASS
Is it strange that I find that car very pretty
No it isn't, it is a very nice looking car.
Would have been nice to include some engine information in the text. Engine is the 1100cc four also used in the Renault R-8 if I understand correctly. OHV, putting out about 60 hp.
Anti Brd is anti-brouillard in french, this is anti-fog in english ;)
Having worked as an automotive engineer for french clients, I totally understand how they ended up having to drive with the rear boot open :))
love the back window bit reminds me of my o9ld 78 Triumph 2.5 S estate car back door opening up when going over a bump and i had to attach a rope to pull & shut it before the next hump or bump came along, great fun !
Very beautiful car and the sounds it makes are fantastic!
Brd= shortened for "Brouillard" wich means Fog
Matra won a few times at Le Mans so I suppose they knew what they were doing.
This was pretty fun. Thanks for putting these up =)
2 things:
1: where do I store my baguette?
B: is the ride smooth enough as to not spill my glass of motering wine?
"i'm against brd if you are buddy!"
DUDE JALOPNIK FADE YOUR TRACKS! The popping every time you cut the sound bites really detours from a great video. Or it could be crappy mics but still...
+Matthew Ellena That's ok, I'm pretty sure he farted at the end, that kinda made up for it all. LOL
The box between the steering wheel and dash looks identical to those used in Renault R8s and R10s. Regardless, the turn signal lever you describe I have encountered in many French cars - instead of a ratcheting system of canceling which often prevents you from engaging the signal if the wheel is at a certain angle, they have a long thin coil spring that attaches to the top and bottom of the turn signal lever, and wraps around the steering column. The signal lever only has a strong detent at the center off position. So if you signal right and then proceed to turn right the spring is pulled by the steering column in the right direction - and it has enough slip to have no effect on the lever. As you start to turn the wheel left to straighten out after the turn it pulls the other way on the lever and it slides to the detent and stops in the off position. The same thing happens in the reverse direction for left turns. Very simple, you can latch it anywhere, and the main failure points I saw were A) ham fisted drivers acting like it was a steel pry bar instead of a small lever, B) I was at the shop once and a customer had gotten a piece of cloth into the spring and stretched it out of shape (took some work to do that as it was well covered) and C) when the plastic got old and brittle and the tang that held the spring broke off. On older models the entire thing was plastic and the handle would break after a few years.
Nice,classy, sports car,I love the wood dash/steering wheel and full guage layouts,bet it's a pleasure to drive.
But does it djet?
underrated comment
No, because it has to be tuned up. . . . . . .
How many s t r i n g s
Ditto: I too just subscribed to Jalopnik just for these videos. Love em
cool little car, one of the very first mid engined sold on the market. it did cost more than the alpine, but was also a bit bigger.
must have been very nimble compared to other cars on the road back then
I'm usually picky with my car video commentators, but you actually seem very entertaining. Neat video.
Loving these 'Jason Drives' videos :)
That car is BRILLIANT!
That thing is awesome. I want one!
That Ow for Eau prononciation is keeping me awake.
Come on très cher !
I really enjoy these videos
If you can get past the quirks, I reckon a properly sorted one could show a clean set of heels to some very expensive exotic racing hardware - especially in the wet. I mean it weighs less than the drivetrain alone from some vehicles, a well sorted engine (make sure you get the good Gordini one) and good suspension and tyres, you could probably beat AC cobras on tight twisty tracks (of course the driver mod) ..
In the mid 60's a Djet showed up at a track day at Atlantic city.
The car was impressive and then they came into the pit to figure out why it wasn't running right. One spark plug wire was hanging loose.
So it was being impressive on 3 cylinders 😂
I looked into buying one but I couldn't even find a dealer 😞
I'm glad you got a chance to drive the Bonnet DJet rather than the later Matra.
Gregory Timmons he is driving the Matra he even mentions it plus look at it it’s the later model.
Wouldn't the canopy open feature provide some air flow, from underpressure, taking hot air out of the car with the door windows closed?
Absolutely fucking beautiful video Jason!! Kept me amused. Thanks Jalopnik.
Just drove in a convertible one today in the north west of France :)
Oh, the nasties don't get that Jason and many of us are having fun checking out the cool little cars of days gone by in and from faraway lands.
Beautiful car. Very similar to an Opal.
+Hiway I was thinking the same.
+Hiway I was thinking the same.
+Ali Ahadi my 9lder cousin had an Opal GT. it was never very fast, but it was smexy and fun to drive.
+Hiway the djet had independant rear suspention, the GT did not. and it was heavier and slower :P
one thing matters in the end: while one can afford a GT, the djet is waaay out of the common car guy budget.
i'd love a twincam, 16 valve modern goodness powered GT tbh.
Côme Thiburs Not sure why that matters, GT was a GT, lol. Can't we just appreciate awesome cars in general?
Djason Drives
You guys could try to find a brazilian Puma GTE (the best years are from '71 to '74) or a Volkswagen SP2. A "what it's like to drive" about them would be great. By the way, finding an SP2 in the USA would be an extremely hard work.
beautiful interior...
I love these neat cars
Reminds me of a small version of an Opel.
This is a neat little car. I think I want one
my dream *.*
Great little car, a real oddball.
In the modern solution to things, is the roof folded back automatically and at the same time the hatch open and on electrical actuators, people would be drooling all over this
Yeah till something screwed up with it or with the sophisticated electronic computer controls to it, that are integrated in your touch screen display.
Then you have a roof that won't come off. And you really can't work on this shit yourself. Nope-I prefer simple older cars myself
Looks like some bits of the Renault Alpine in it, I'll have to read up on it.
It almost looked as if the rear hatch was a functional rear spoiler with the top down.
ha. Awesome. Love the hatch.
Does anyone else hear a really annoying buzzing in the video?
What a gorgeous little car. Looks like a mix between a Ferrari 250 and an RX-7.
Old French fabulousness!
Could have at least mentioned this was the first mid-engined production road car.
And some technical details would have been nice also, instead of a useless rant on crash safety.
Lovely, but Matra's racecars were a lot more exhilarating it seems. :)
Simple solution is the best solution
Also apparently the perfect car for Star Trek fans lol. Cool though. Very cool car.
Spending a lot of time in Nashville. Cool. If you live here, and I ever run into you, I am buying you a beer sir
what a brilliant little car
The fart/pet at the end is the highlight
the rear reminds me of a Lancia Stratos, and the front, a bit of Renault Alpine A110.
this is so great.
Gorgeous. I want one!
I love your pasta reference because its true the stalk loos so wongo.
I think it is beautiful! I wouldn't mind having one. :)
looks like a mix between a lotus evora and a 240z
it looks alot like a Ferrari Dino
"at least the gauges are indicated and its not just a bunch of moving needles"
If you made a feature film with RCR, I would pay money for it
Are you from Nashville, Jason?
Nice stylish old car
At least if you crashed the car and got horns from the steering wheel and your arm destroyed by that shift knob your Venom Snake cosplay would be on point.
An Essence gauge? I want that instead of my derpy mpg needle.
i love this
What sort of power does it have? Engine size? Price when new? Ever imported to the US when new? Is it even rare?
+civicex5speed 1.1 or 1.25 renault gordini engines sohv... this is what they called sporty in europe back then
That's an awesome little car. Looks like the cockpit of an English plane from the 30s.
Apart from rarity value, what's wrong with an MGB GT or Triumph GT6?
This guy is a genius
Did I miss the part about the engine? What is it?
Stephen Bianchi Renault
One of the cars you've presented that I have any interest in owning
dude, this car was built before the safety freaks took control. i like old vehicles. most of them had metal dashes.
Not once did you mention what kind of engine it has or how it cornered or how it stopped. I was half way through the video before I found out it was mid engine. Stop trying to be funny and witty and actually give us some specs on these cars.
+jtech87 a couple of different 4 bangers with 70 to about a 100 bhp from renault 8 and a 4 speed manual from a different renault.
Altough i agree with you, i'd like a mention of those things in the video.
He's a critic. What do you expect?
These videos are really more about entertaining than informing, if you want to know about specs Google is what you should be going to.
...the first production mid engined car. Shit you not.
A spec sheet doesn't tell you how the car drives or feels.
Of course it fits, you are a lively french type, the car isn't marked as to need help on the test drive
Matra used to be in F1 in the 60 s and 70s so..
That DS19 at 3:59!
Great review. Never seen this car before and i am at a age that i should know this one
+ i am from germany not that fare away from france.
The Matra looks like the the love child of a Saab Sonnet and a Opel GT
Next up, we have a Fradalake expadaed (France's Cadillac Escalade)
yellow charger on the left at 3:16
For hells sake!!! it's an old car, stop using modern comparisons
this shuld be made it a bigger show Jason is funny as hell showing off these shity cars the best
Does the Djet djent?
Instruments by Jaeger-Lecoultre... You just don't see that anymore.
old cars rock!
nice car, I heard of them, but it is like the unicorn, never ever seen one. I think I know where the Saab Sonett got it's design idea from