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1947 - 1961
The first French car to reach the 1 million sales figure,
the Renault 4CV was manufactured from 1946 to 1961, it
being inspired by the economy and design of the Volkswagen
Beetle. During World War II and with Germany occupying
France Renault was under very strict instructions to
design and manufacture military and commercial vehicles. Fernand
Picard, Charles-Edmond Serre and Jean-Auguste Riolfo
lead the team to design a small economical motor vehicle
which was suitable for the difficult years that immediately
occurred post World War 2. More >> |
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1951 - 1960
Most commentators of the day felt the Fregate was Renaults
attempt to move "up market", an ambitious attempt
given the company was still under the control of the
French Government following its incestuous relationship
with the 3rd Reich. More >> |
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1956 - 1968
The Dauphine was, like its predecessor the 4CV, a unibody
constructed vehicle. The Dauphine however, was a four
door sedan with conventionally opening doors, unlike
the
"suicide" doors of the 4CV. More >> |
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1959 - 1968
Renault entered the American postwar market in 1949 with
the small 4CV sedan. This car struggled with its tiny
760cc 19-bhp rear-mounted, water-cooled engine. With
a top speed of around 55 mph it was almost unsalable
in the US resulting in only 1400 sales in that time declining
to 374 by 1952. In 1953 Renault made some changes of
adding the 110 ¼ inch wheel base, 60 bhp Fregate
sedan but it was priced nearly $400 more than a Buick
special, so it never got off the ground. More >> |
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1961 - 1993
The Renault 4 was the first car with a fifth door, and
thus it was the first true hatchback. Today it remains
the most produced French car ever, reaching production
figures over 8,000,000... More >> |
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1963 - 1973
It was when Renault put a modified 1600 cc. engine borrowed
from the R16 that the Alpine became a world beater, taking
the first 3 places in Monte Carlo Rally in 1971 and World
Rally Championships in 1971 and 1973. More >> |
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1963 - 1971
At the time, many journalists thought the R8 was a step
backward for Renault as they had, the previous year, released
the R4 with a more traditional front engine / front-wheel
drive configuration. What Renault engineers banked on
was the continuing popularity of rear engined cars in
the European market. More >> |
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1964 - 1979
When Renault introduced its model 16 in December 1964
the concept of a five-door saloon was very new. It used
a rear hatchback door with fold-down rear seats and although
it had awkward styling, at the time it was unique. More >> |
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1968 - 1979
The Renault engineers had done far more than simply bore the motor out a little, and the 16TS remains an object lesson in how to make something good something great. More >> |
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1968 - 1971
The Renault 6 was designed to supercede the Renault 4,
and part of its design brief was that it should be larger,
better looking and more luxurious - and thus more expensive. More >> |
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1969 - 1980
The Renault 12 featured very modern styling (for 1969!)
which had clean, straight-cut lines featuring a classic
"3 box" layout of four doors and a boot - however it
was never as good as the Renault 16. More >> |
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1965 - 1971
If you took the time to take more than a casual glance at the Renault 10, you would quickly realise just how magnificiently proportioned and well engineered this wonderful car was, its sleek thoroughbred lines, its discreet touches of chrome. It was beautiful, elegant and restrained, a beauty that was so typically French. More >> |
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1972 - 1996
It was Renault's first supermini, and its most prominent feature was its styling by Michel Boue (who died before the car's release), which included a steeply sloping rear hatchback and front fascia. More >> |
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1973 - 1979
Given the Renault 16TS had been released in 1968, to some extent the car had dated, however the TX remained a fascinating car nevertheless. More >> |
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1975 - 1981
On April 25th, 1975 the Renault 30TS went on sale in its native France, offering more of everything than any modern Renault, and signalling to the rest of the world that the French factory intended to continue offering highly individual machinery throughout their range. More >> |
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1982 - 1987
The Renault American Alliance was more than just a new car at its release. Indeed many considerred it to be an important political event, marking the strong return of Renault to the American market through the medium of its relationship with American Motors, which built the Alliance - an Americanized R9 - in its plant at Kenosha, Wisconsin. More >> |
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1980 - 1984
Set on fully exploiting their turbo image, the Regie Renault started to a modified R5 for Group 4 in 1975. Not only was the car intended to be a challenger in the World Rally Championship, it was also to be sold to the (sporting) public in detuned form, and was to embody a 'silhouette' look relevant to the front-drive/front-engined R5 hatchback so that the homme dans la rue could identify with the new car. More >> |
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1980 - 1984
By no stretch of imagination could Renault's pre 1980 coupe range be deescribed as an overwhelming success. But things were about to change, with the release of a new semi-sporting two-door series which the big French manufacturer made great efforts to combine good looks with technical refinement. More >> |
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1986 - 1994
It had never been fashionable in France to knock the Regie, even when it was in dire difficulties in 1984-85, and Renault's return to full health was never in any doubt; only the speed at which this resurgence had been achieved. The 21 Turbo was a fine car - and ushered a new era of performance Renaults that we enjoy to this day. More >> |
