8. Matra Djet
Virtually unknown outside of France, the Matra was an innovative and influential car manufacturer. Originally, the company was dedicated to airplane and military production. But they also built cars and developed concepts for various manufacturers like Renault, for example. In 1965, Matra took over the Djet project from racer Rene Bonnet.
Matra introduced the Djet to the public as the first mid-engined production car in the world. In those days, the concept of mid-engined cars was reduced to racing prototypes. So, Matra decided to introduce similar cars for the road. The custom-built chassis with a diminutive Renault 8 engine may look slow now, but since the car only weighed 1,455 pounds, it was fast for the standards of the day.
The Matra Djet was an influential car since it showed the world a new engineering concept. Later, most leading sports car manufacturers accepted Matra’s manufacturing concepts.