Automobiles René Bonnet
Encyclopedia
Automobiles René Bonnet was a French
automobile
maker.
The firm was the continuation of Deutsch et Bonnet (DB)
by René Bonnet
when Charles Deutsch
, the "D" in DB, founded his own firm CD. The business was based at Champigny-sur-Marne
to the south-east of central Paris
.
A principal cause of the breach had involved the determination of Deutsch to stay loyal to Panhard engines while Bonnet was keen to switch to Renault
power plants.
The company produced light front wheel drive sports car
s with very aerodynamic fiberglass
bodies mainly powered by enhanced Renault
engines. Its cars participated in the LeMans 24 Hours race
in 1962, 1963 and 1964. Management concentration on racing activity may nevertheless have come at the expense of commercial focus, and relatively few cars were sold during this period: by 1964 the cash was running out.
In 1962 the René Bonnet company launched its Djet model
, generally remembered in retrospect as a Matra. However, between 1962 and 1964 198 Bonnet Djets were sold. A further 1491 would be sold as Matra Djets between 1965 and 1968. The car went through a succession of engines based on Renault units, and the early ones were powered by the 996 cm³ engine then appearing in the Renault 8
: this was quickly supplemented by the 1 108 cm³ engine which Renault would introduced on the Renault 8 for 1964.
The firm worked increasingly closely with its principal investor Matra
. Matra was at the time an armaments manufacturer concentrating on missiles, but they were also enthusiastic about the future of the fibreglass technology in which Bonnet was a pioneer. An important role in bringing Bonnet's business and Matra together was also contributed by an energetic former fighter pilot and national politician called André Moynet whose involvement with the enterprise appears to have outlasted Bonnet's own. Matra's rapidly evolving partnership with René Bonnet's auto-making business was the beginning of the subsequently better known Matra Automobile division, formally inaugurated in October 1964. After this Bonnet himself appears to have had little further significant involvement in the business that for two and a half years had carried his name.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
maker.
The firm was the continuation of Deutsch et Bonnet (DB)
DB (car)
DB was a French automobile maker between 1938 and 1961, based in Champigny-sur-Marne near Paris. The firm was founded by Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet...
by René Bonnet
René Bonnet
René Bonnet was a French driver and automobile constructor.He started building race cars in 1936 with Charles Deutsch and in 1946 they founded Deutsch et Bonnet in Champigny-sur-Marne, using Citroën and Panhard mechanics. They separated in 1961 and René Bonnet founded the firm Automobiles René...
when Charles Deutsch
Charles Deutsch
Charles Deutsch was a French aerodynamics engineer and automobile maker, founder of the brand "DB" with René Bonnet, and later of the "CD".-Career:...
, the "D" in DB, founded his own firm CD. The business was based at Champigny-sur-Marne
Champigny-sur-Marne
Champigny-sur-Marne is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:Champigny-sur-Marne was originally called simply Champigny...
to the south-east of central Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
A principal cause of the breach had involved the determination of Deutsch to stay loyal to Panhard engines while Bonnet was keen to switch to Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
power plants.
The company produced light front wheel drive sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s with very aerodynamic fiberglass
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
bodies mainly powered by enhanced Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
engines. Its cars participated in the LeMans 24 Hours race
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
in 1962, 1963 and 1964. Management concentration on racing activity may nevertheless have come at the expense of commercial focus, and relatively few cars were sold during this period: by 1964 the cash was running out.
In 1962 the René Bonnet company launched its Djet model
Matra Djet
- External links :* * * *...
, generally remembered in retrospect as a Matra. However, between 1962 and 1964 198 Bonnet Djets were sold. A further 1491 would be sold as Matra Djets between 1965 and 1968. The car went through a succession of engines based on Renault units, and the early ones were powered by the 996 cm³ engine then appearing in the Renault 8
Renault 8
The Renault 8 and Renault 10 are two small family cars produced by the French manufacturer Renault in the 1960s and early 1970s....
: this was quickly supplemented by the 1 108 cm³ engine which Renault would introduced on the Renault 8 for 1964.
The firm worked increasingly closely with its principal investor Matra
Matra
Mécanique Aviation Traction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and now operates under that name.Matra was owned by the Floirat family...
. Matra was at the time an armaments manufacturer concentrating on missiles, but they were also enthusiastic about the future of the fibreglass technology in which Bonnet was a pioneer. An important role in bringing Bonnet's business and Matra together was also contributed by an energetic former fighter pilot and national politician called André Moynet whose involvement with the enterprise appears to have outlasted Bonnet's own. Matra's rapidly evolving partnership with René Bonnet's auto-making business was the beginning of the subsequently better known Matra Automobile division, formally inaugurated in October 1964. After this Bonnet himself appears to have had little further significant involvement in the business that for two and a half years had carried his name.
Cars
- René Bonnet DjetMatra Djet- External links :* * * *...
1962 - 1964 (and subsequently produced as Matra-Bonnet Djet/Matra Jet until 1967) - Aérojet René Bonnet 1964 - 1965 (Car competition, only nine in world !)
External links
- ORTF reportage, INA archives video (French soundtrack)
- http://dbrb.free.fr/