From the cellar to Paris: the rebirth of the DB6 Monoposte

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Fifteen years ago we first heard about a Deutsch Bonnet, a D.B. racing car, hidden away in a cellar. Recently we found ourselves in the area again and were finally given the opportunity to see the car. More importantly, we were allowed to take it with us to present it in Paris at the Salon Retromobile.

D.B. is a remarkable marque, and at the same time a rare one: only a small number of cars were ever built. The story begins in the early 1930s, when Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet meet. Deutsch sells his family garage to Bonnet, yet they remain in contact. A few years later they decide to design their own car together. This results in the DB1 in 1938, followed by the DB2 in 1939 and then the DB4, DB5 and ultimately the DB9. Thanks to successes in racing, D.B. establishes its name, after which production models are built as well – first with Citroën engines and later with Panhard technology.

The car we are presenting at the Salon Retromobile is the original DB6 Monoposte. It is powered by a 2-litre Citroën engine with twin carburettors and was built in Champigny. The history of this car is well documented. That people were especially proud of this project after the war is illustrated by the fact that every team member received a signed photograph from Deutsch and Bonnet during the construction of this single-seater, as a token of appreciation.

The DB6 was unveiled at the reopening of the Montlhéry autodrome and immediately won its first competition on the Côte de Bellevue (start number 44). A few months later the car was extensively modified: shortened, lightened and fitted with a more streamlined body featuring modern lines. In this form – which it still retains today – it was raced by René Bonnet in 1948 and 1949.

The DB6 boasts a rich competition history:

• 16-02-1947 – Reopening of Montlhéry – René Bonnet
• 11-05-1947 – No. 44 – Hill Climb Belleville–Moulins – René Bonnet – 1st in class
• 01-06-1947 – No. 1 – Grand Prix of Nîmes – René Bonnet
• 15-06-1947 – No. 26 – Circuit des Remparts – René Bonnet – 4th
• 12-07-1947 – No. 62 – Grand Prix of Albi – René Bonnet – 8th
• 27-07-1947 – No. 6 – Coupe de Paris – René Bonnet
• 10-08-1947 – No. 36 – Grand Prix de Comminges – René Bonnet
• 21-09-1947 – No. 40 – Coupe de Lyon – René Bonnet
• 16-11-1947 – No. 54 – Coupe du Salon – René Bonnet – 8th
• 25-04-1948 – No. 16 – Grand Prix du Roussillon – René Bonnet – 5th
• 11-07-1948 – No. 28 – Circuit des Remparts – René Bonnet
• 18-07-1948 – No. 32 – Coupe des petites cylindrées (Reims) – René Bonnet – 5th
• 10-10-1948 – No. 33 – Coupe du Salon – René Bonnet
• 22-05-1949 – No. 30 – Circuit of Marseille – René Bonnet – 8th in the series
• 21-06-1949 – No. 14 – Circuit of Aix-les-Bains – René Bonnet – 3rd
• 17-07-1949 – No. 34 – Grand Prix de l’ACF (Reims) – René Bonnet – 6th
• 07-05-1950 – No. 24 – Grand Prix of Roubaix – René Bonnet – 3rd
• 28-05-1950 – No. 10 – Circuit of Aix-les-Bains – René Bonnet
• 11-06-1950 – No. 8 – Angoulême – René Bonnet
• 30-08-1950 – No. 36 – German Grand Prix – René Bonnet

What sets this car apart from its predecessors is that it is significantly lighter and represents the marque’s first true monoposto. This was something René Bonnet, himself a racing driver, had aspired to since his racing debut. After the DB6, several more single-seaters would follow, with varying degrees of success.

For this first monoposto, D.B. selected a 2-litre Citroën engine, which was further developed in-house. After 1950, the collaboration with Citroën came to an end when the small manufacturer also set its sights on more luxurious automobiles. The DB6 subsequently came into the hands of AGACI (Association Générale Automobile des Coureurs Indépendants), a cooperative for racing drivers, which used the car for demonstrations and driving instruction.

The current owner had been searching for a historic racing car since 1984. Eight years later he came across this DB6 and acquired it. He drove it extensively, including at the Mont Ventoux hill climb. Gradually this became less frequent, until the car spent the past few years tucked away in a corner.

Now this remarkable single-seater sees daylight once more – at the Salon Retromobile 2026.

Details:

• Event: Salon Rétromobile
• Date: 28 January – 1 February 2026
• Location: Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles, Paris, France
• Tickets: Click here

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