DB was very active in competition especially in Le Mans 24 Hours. Deutsch introduced some very efficient and influential aerodynamic designs which allowed DB race cars to reach impressive top speed despite the small Panhard flat-twin engine.
Deutsch and Bonnet disagreed whether they should build cars with front-wheel drive or with central engine.
Charles Deutsch left DB in 1961 to found his own firm (CD) and DB became Automobiles René Bonnet, producing cars powered by Renault engines, which later became Matra Automobiles.