THE BEST BERLINETTE ?

Jacques Durand started by building model cars with internal combustion engines for Vega in the early 1940’s. Then he moved on to a larger scale in 1958 to build cars in Anthony, with the Alta fitted with a Renault engine, then in Paris and Bordeaux with the Sera with a Panhard engine. In 1961 he moved to Barcelona with the Panhard-powered Arista project, but administrative problems halted the Spanish adventure. Still in Spain he made accessories for René-Bonnet before meeting André Morin and designing the Sovam...
In 1969 he leaves Sovam and creates his own brand: Jidé, from the initials of his own name. This time the brand will have a sporting vocation unlike the first models. The production starts in Chatillon sur Thouet in 1969 but the car is officially presented, at the Salon de la Voiture de Course, in 1970. The first orders will arrive thanks to the first sporting results...
The Jidé coupe is tiny with a length of only 3,59 m and a height of one meter! The line is stocky, tense and inspired by the Ford GT40. Like all the others, it uses elements from production cars with Matra 530 headlights, a Renault Florida windshield, rear lights and door handles of Renault 8. In 1970 the kit (the body, the doors, the hoods, the chassis with Renault front cross member and the dashboard) was sold for 6300 Francs. For 10,000 francs, the car could be delivered assembled but still without engine and front axle. For this, it was necessary to spend 23800 F for the 1300 Gordini version. The access to the cockpit is very delicate because of the low height of the machine and the steel cable incorporated in the fiber and girdling the windshield and the doors. It does not allow the doors to encroach on the roof. Once seated in the bucket, with the legs shifted to the right because of the pedals, one finds oneself facing a complete instrumentation. The Jidé will be one of the only "kit-car" to have passed all the UTAC homologation tests (frontal impact, road holding, braking, ...) in 1972, implying the destruction of 2 complete cars. All the cars built until 1973 will have a registration card in the name of Jidé. It is thus from this moment that they will receive a national chassis number in the name of Jidé (number with 6 digits starting from the number 100). In 1973 the service of “Mines” does not accept any more the Jidé and after a last collective passage (approximately 12 cars), all those finished after will have an individual homologation.
Apart from the CG exception which will get its engine from Simca, Jidé does like the others and adapts its chassis to the Renault mechanics. The engines are all in a central rear position but receive two different mountings. The first proposal was to have one of the 1100 or 1300 engines of the R8 Gordini. With a power of 88 hp DIN at 6700 rpm, the performances of the 1300 announced are 202 km/h, the 400m in 15,8 s and 1000m in 30s. For a price of 23800 F, the Jidé is a serious rival for the Alpine A110 1300 v85 less powerful. On this assembly of the engine in central position, the box (with conical couple) had to be reversed compared to that of the R8, as on the Formula Renault. For the anecdote, the first three Jidé 1300 received engines bought directly from Sovam.
The Jidé is based on a chassis consisting of a central beam and two other parallel beams on each side with a rectangular section (60x40 mm) with, at the front, a welded Renault 8 Gordini crossbar and, at the rear, two longitudinal members receiving the engine cradle. It is very rigid and makes the Jidé a very handy coupe thanks to its short wheelbase of 2.24 m but with a rather neutral behavior. The chassis is embedded in resin in order to be integrated into the polyester bodywork. The front axle is that of an R8 Gordini with a Dangel cam system for camber adjustment and the rear axle is based on the front axle of an R12 Gordini mounted upside down and blocked. At the rear of the cabin was a roll bar contributing to the rigidity and safety. As for the latter, a steel cable ran along the door and windshield frames to prevent the body from breaking up in case of impact and an interchangeable safety box was mounted at the front of the chassis. The unassisted braking system is dual circuit and uses Renault 16 TS discs at the front and R12 discs at the rear. The rear end uses a removable cradle to accommodate the two different setups, depending on the engine type chosen. For the engines of the R8 range, the elements of the rear train were of Renault origin whereas for the second assembly, with 1600, the suspension is with double triangulation with combined spring-dampers. The two assemblies are interchangeable without any modification.
THE JIDE IN COMPETITION
The Jide start to race officially in 1969 at the Tour de France automobile with Patrick Champin and Pierre Madelaine. Jacques Durand will never have the means to compete officially, that's why he will lend cars, but it will be the pilots who will pay the entry fees. In 1972, 1600 S Competition are entrusted to the hands of Jean Ragnotti, Henri Rimaudière (first scratch victory at the Poitou rally) and Michel Robini to run in national rally (group 5), regional and national hill climb and slalom until 1974. The Jidé will continue its sporting career with the preparator and pilot Georges Queron on his Jidé 1860 or 1600 which will take over until 1980, date at which the Jidé passes in group N. In 1981, he raced with an i2000, an enlarged and lengthened Jidé with a new chassis and a 2.0l of R20 pushed to 200 hp. Christian Alexandre and Charly Carcreff will start to race on Jidé in 1983 then, in 1985, Charly Carcreff will replace it definitively by his Scora Maxi. Christian Alexandre will drive his Jidé until 2005.
The Jidé having proved to be gifted for competition (hill climb or rally), it had to have more powerful engines. In 1972 it was therefore proposed to mount the 1600 Renault in several configurations and, this time, with a non-reverse gearbox. The Jidé 1600 was equipped with the engine of the R16 TS developing 83 hp at 5750 rpm. The Jidé 1600 S received the 1565 cm3 of the R12 Gordini with 113 hp at 6250 rpm and 140 Nm at 4500 rpm as well as its 5-speed gearbox for 26600 F. The last version is the one developed for the race, the 1600 S Competition. It is based on the 1600 Gordini equipped with the 807 G kit with carburetor or Lucas injection, developed by the Renault-Gordini engineers. The modifications concern a new set of liners and pistons bringing the displacement to 1596 cm3, on the segmentation, the lightened connecting rods, the camshaft, the spark plugs and the admission. All this allowed to get 150 hp at 7200 rpm with the Lucas injection. The performances became sensational with a 400m D.A. slaughtered in 13,1 s and the 1000m in 25s! The Jidé 1600S Competition cost then 51000 F, assembled and prepared. In 1973, the Jidé received for modification a spoiler integrated into the front, slightly widened wings, a spoiler and wider rims. The other aesthetic modifications that we can see according to the models will be made by the owners themselves or by the various buyers after 1974. Small anecdote: like his competitor Jean Rédélé and his Alpine A108, Jacques Durand sold the production license of his Jidé to Morocco where 9 examples were built by the company Plastique Technique, based in Mohammedia, specialized in boat hulls. Unfortunately, at the end of 1973, as for all the other small French manufacturers, the oil embargo, the suspension of racing on French soil and financial difficulties meant that Jacques Durand sold the Jidé brand to Michel Baxas. This one will produce only one copy thereafter.
After the sale of Jidé, Jacques Durand settles in Corrèze to manufacture elements in polyester. But it will be stronger than him and a new car is started. The Scora (Société CORrézienne d'Automobiles) presents its model at the Salon de l'Auto 1974.
JIDE PRODUCTION
Jidé (assembled) 1969-1974: 120 ex
Jidé (kit) 1969-1974: 50 ex
Jidé (Humeau) 1990-1993: 25 ex
Jidé (Cosnefroy) 1994: 5 ex
The small French sports car will remain a financial headache for the reckless enthusiasts who will embark on the Jidé adventure after its creator Jacques Durand. In 1980, Jacques Herment creates the Jidé club and recovers the molds and the tools from Michel Baxas who does not have any more money to continue. Jacques Herment finishes the few remaining models and sells 6 kits and spare parts. In 1990, Jean-François Humeau reappoints the brand Jidé, which allows him to have the Utac tests, modernizes some elements and builds 25 examples until 1993 with a new windshield of Citroen GS. The coupe was then sold 150.000 F. Then it is the turn of Lucien Cosnefroy to take over the construction of 5 examples and continue to manufacture elements for the Jidé.
M. Arrault buys the kit n°76 from Jidé on July 22, 1972, and Jacques Durand passes the vehicle to the Mines in June 1973 for a first registration on September 21, 1973.
Our car is registered 5041 QF 37, in orange color with the JIDE brand on the Carte Grise.
In 1974 it is sold to Ghislain Nouhant who repaints it in blue.
Sold again in 1978 to Thierry Philippe it is then registered 2038 FF 94.
In 1985 it passed into the hands of François Boyer of Rougiers and then in 1987 to Mr. Rigaud who painted our Jidé in yellow. It carries then the registration 63 AEE 974.
In 2008 it is sold to Alain Rambaud of St Roman in red with the registration 5960 XT 26.
The current owner buys the car in May 2011.
After a restart and first overhaul by Pierre Poli Auto, he begins a complete restoration and preparation in the workshops "O-one" in Paris. The car is restored to its original orange color. A demanding collector, the owner follows the restoration of his car with attention to detail. The rear spring and shock absorber assembly is entrusted to Stac, the engine preparation to Ferry.
Recently, the car has benefited from important interventions: camshaft change (Tecno Profil), total engine check, front and rear drive train adaptation, bearings replacement... It is equipped with a Boulay gearbox with clutches made by Transconcept.
Delivered with numerous maintenance and restoration invoices, our Jidé is in a rare, if not unique, condition for such a model.
Numerous parts accompany the car: starter, alternator, water radiator, ball joints, belts, fuel cap, windshield wiper, new BT 15 tires, wheel nuts, windshield, spoiler and its mold etc... International FIA passport
In short, a car prepared without any economy and very funny. Perfect for the Tour Auto of which it has taken the start several times, or the Tour of Corsica.