1965 Matra Djet V S
Production of the world’s first mid-engined road car resumed under Matra ownership in April 1965, with designer Philippe Guédon refining René Bonnet’s original 1962 design.
The fiberglass bodywork stretched about 166 inches in length while standing roughly 47 inches tall, creating aerodynamic proportions that helped the lightweight coupe exceed 115-120 mph in top V S tune, depending on gearing and conditions.
The V S designation indicated Gordini tuning for the mid-mounted 68-cubic-inch (1,108 cc) Renault inline-four, extracting approximately 94 horsepower through twin dual-choke carburetors. At about 1,455 pounds, the backbone-chassis construction with bonded composite panels provided exceptional power-to-weight ratios.
Four-wheel disc brakes and independent wishbone suspension with coil springs delivered handling characteristics that rivaled purpose-built competition machinery.
French government officials presented cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin with a Djet V S during his 1965 tour of France, later photographed with Soviet license plates.
Among approximately 1,495 total Matra Djets produced through 1968 (including all variants), the V S represented the most performance-oriented 1.1-liter specification before the introduction of the larger-displacement Jet 6.
Source
