Rene Bonnet

Rene Bonnet (1904-1983) was a French racing driver and car builder who was most known as a creator of the first road-legal mid-engined sports car, the Bonnet Djet, which later became the Matra Djet.

As a racer, he was active mostly in sports car races, regularly competing at 24 Hours of Le Mans until 1955. He recorded two class victories at Le Mans in the S750 class, winning in his own DB-Panhard race cars in 1953 and 1954.

Charles Deutsch (left) and Rene Bonnet

Starting to build cars in 1936, started to race in 1938

Born in December 1904 in Vaumas in central France, Rene Bonnet established a partnership with French engineer Charles Deutsch in 1932, buying a firm that Deutsch senior founded in the early 1900s. Their partnership led to a foundation of the company Deutsch et Bonnet (DB) after World War II.

After they failed to secure a ride for the 1936 French Grand Prix, Deutsch and Bonnet started to build their own car, using Citroen parts and Citroen engine. Their first car was christened DB1 and they raced with it at Paris 12 Hours race in September 1938.

Before the World War II stopped all racing activities, Bonnet recorded few more racing attempts in 1939, finishing second at Grand Prix des Frontieres and fourth at Bol d'Or race.

Debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949

After World War II, Bonnet was developing both his business with Deutsch and his racing career, using their cars in sports car races all over Europe.

In June 1949, Bonnet and Deutsch made a debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving Citroen-powered DB5 in S1.5 class. They reached tenth place overall before an engine expired in the 20th hour of the race.

Racing with Panhard engines since 1950

At 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours, Bonnet raced for the first time in the small S750 class, using 611cc Panhard engine in his DB Barquette. He and Elie Bayol finished 23rd overall and third in class. At Paris 12 Hours, they were 18th overall and fourth in S750 class.

At 1951 Le Mans race, Bonnet and Baloy raced in the #48 DB Sport with 851cc Panhard engine, finishing 20th overall and second in the S1.1 class.

In 1952, Bonnet participated for the first time at Sebring 12 Hours, taking a victory in S750 class, together with Americans Steve Lansing and Wade Morehouse. In that year's Le Mans race, Bonnet and Bayol didn't reach the finish.

Rene Bonnet (in the middle) and Andre Moynet at 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours

Two class victories at Le Mans in 1953 and 1954

In March 1953, Rene Bonnet and Wade Morehouse clinched one more S750 class victory at Sebring 12 Hours in a DB HBR. In June, Bonnet was a class winner at Hyeres 12 Hours and then finally scored a class victory at Le Mans, together with Andre Moynet in the #57 DB-Panhard HBR LM53.

A year later, in June 1953, Rene Bonnet and Elie Bayol clinched not only the S750 class victory but finished in the tenth place overall, what was a sensational result for a car powered by 745cc Panhard engine.

Bonnet's last participation at Le Mans 24h was in 1955, the race marred by the greatest accident in the history of motorsport. Rene Bonnet was sharing the #57 DB HBR with Claude Storez, retiring after nine hours (44 laps). Bonnet's last recorded race was the Paris 1000 Kilometers in June 1956.

Rene Bonnet with his masterpiece - Bonnet Djet

Bonnet created a revolutionary Djet in 1962

Rene Bonnet left racing at the age 52, switching focus on his business. He and Charles Deutsch parted ways in 1961 and Rene Bonnet founded his own company, the Automobiles Rene Bonnet. The main reason of separation was that Deutsch wanted to stay loyal to Panhard engines while Bonnet wanted to switch to Renault machinery.

Bonnet's company continued to produce race cars but the most known vehicle was the first street-legal rear mid-engined sports car, the Djet. The Renault-engined car was using a fiberglass body made by Matra and it was produced in a factory owned by Matra.

The financial troubles stroke Rene Bonnet in 1964 and Matra took over his firm in October 1964. Bonnet never returned to automotive business afterward. He lost life in a traffic accident in January 1983, at the age 78.