Matra in Rally, such a long road to recognition

When Jean-Luc Lagardère was appointed to the management of Matra Sports in October 1964, following the purchase of René Bonnet automobiles, he inherited the Djet which appeared in 1962. With its central beam, its polyester bodywork and its 4 cylinders Renault in the central rear position, this coupe has no shortage of assets for rally, even if the creation of engineer Jacques Hubert especially shone on the circuit. Things are bound to change. As early as 1965, Hubert and his technical director Jean Caubet imagined a very special version of the Djet, called MS610, whose debut was planned for the Tour de Corse. Nicknamed “Napoleon”, this “silhouette” before its time no longer has much to do with the production car. The chassis, now tubular, accommodates running gear of F3 ainsi qu’un moteur Ford-Cosworth 1600 de 145 ch, couplé à une boîte de vitesses Hewland. N’étant pas prête pour la Corse, c’est au Critérium des Cévennes que la bête effectue ses débuts, où l’espoir du rallye Philippe Farjon est associé au pilote de F3 Johnny Servoz-Gavin. Celui-ci effectue, à cette occasion, ses débuts chez Matra. L’idée de mettre deux pilotes dans le même cockpit peut se révéler hasardeuse, surtout lorsque la voiture manque de mise au point. Farjon effectue plus