When
the Renault 4 was lauched, it was looked upon as Renault's answer
to Citroën's famous 2CV. In time it was to prove itself as much
more than that.
It was the first car with a fifth door, and thus it was the first
true hatchback. It led to the Renault 5, another of the most successful
Renaults produced to date. Today it remains the most produced French
car ever, reaching production figures over 8,000,000 by the end
of its career in 1994.
This Renault survived and endured through several model line-ups,
from
Dauphine to Clio. The Renault 4 was designed on an all new
platform which formed the basis for the R5, R6 and R7. Renault never
invested much in developing the car, and it used parts from the
Renault parts bin.
It used wheels, engines, switchgear, dials and transmissions that
were designed for other cars in the range. Its enduring success
was based solely on the fact that its design was so intrinsically
right.
Throughout its 32-year run, it was a simple car, ever practical,
and reliable. Due to its enduring design and long production run, the Renault
4 has only recently become a collectors car.
It has out-produced
legends such as the
BMC Mini (5 million), the
Morris Minor (2 million),
the
Citroën 2CV (over 3 million), and also the original Fiat Cinquecento
(4 million), to become one of the most produced cars ever.
It was popular worldwide, and was produced in France, Australia,
Spain, Portugal, Tunisia, Zaire, the Ivory Coast, Argentina, Colombia,
Uruguay, Ireland, Chile, Angola, Madagascar, Morocco and Slovenia.
It is without a doubt, one of the most influential cars ever made.
The Renault 4 was eventually superceded by the
Renault 6 in 1968.