It is hard to imagine that the multinational automobile giant that is Renault was started by three brothers in a workshop at their family home in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris, where the company’s head office remains today. The journey began in 1889 when brothers Louis, Marcel and Fernand Renault setup Société Renault Frères. Louis, an enthusiastic engineer, was the driving force behind the vehicle production and design while his two brothers saw to the business side of things. The very first vehicle, or voiturette, was produced as a prototype, an experiment. When Louis showed it to several of his friends they were amazed, in fact when he took one of his father’s friends for a test drive the car was purchased straight away, and so the first ever Renault was sold.
The cars that were produced, and still are, have made Renault world leaders when it comes to cutting-edge design, engineering and car technology, always breaking new ground. From the very first Model A voiturette to the futuristic concept cars, Renault holds poll position when it comes to automobile design, technology and innovation.
Type A – With a front mounted engine, shaft transmission with universal joint and direct drive gearbox, this lightweight automobile was launched in 1899 when the three Renault brothers showcased it in the Amateur Drivers’ cup where they took first and second place.
Renault Type A
Type B – for the next few years, the brothers would concentrate on building Renaults with racing in mind. It was only in 1900 that they really thought about their vehicles as passenger cars. Up to now, Société Renault Frères was concerned primarily with two elements simplicity and innovation. But a third element was added: comfort. The closed off compartment of the Type B made it one of the first ever sedans to hit the roads. It also meant that drivers and passengers were not exposed to severe weather conditions.
Renault Type B
Type G – In just three years the Renault brothers has gone from A to G, and the following year would see them produce car models up to S. The model G was Renault’s first four-seater and could travel up to 200km thanks to the fuel tank under the seats which powered the single cylinder engine from De Dion – Renault were not making their own engines yet but were leading charge in other areas such as their advanced braking systems.
Renault Type G
Model CH – The Model CH went into production in 1910 during huge floods in Boulogne-Ballincourt. But this did not stop the ardent production of Renault’s newest model car, in fact, if anything it proved to be a stronger motivator. The cutting edge design of the Type CH caused a huge stir. It also boasted an ingenious engine design with a heated carburettor and patented cooling system with a newly patented gear box.
Renault was breaking the mould left, right and centre with their ingenuity and new technology, filing patents for concepts that included better lubrication, fuel consumption and engine temperature regulation.
Renault Model CH
Renault Road Sweeper – During the company’s formative years Société Renault Frères was determined to make its mark not just in the production of automotive vehicles for personal use but also for commercial and utility use too. Enter the Road Sweeper. A brush was positioned at the rear of the vehicle, controlled by the driver using an easy-to-use lever, with adjustable pressure.
While the Road Sweeper is a clear indication of Renault’s desire to be more than just car manufacturers, it also highlighted the huge mechanical and technological advances that they were making.
Renault Road Sweeper
Six-Roues Type MH – Always the pioneers, always breaking new ground, Renault took this ethos to the next level when they produced this vehicle. The six-wheeler was designed for desert crossing between Algeria and what was then French West Africa. This pioneering vehicle quite literally paved the way for what we now know as overlanding. Several great expeditions were undertaken, the longest of which saw Mr and Mrs Dellingette and their mechanic travel from Southern Algeria to Cape Town. Departing on the 15th of November 1924, and arriving at their final destination in the Cape of Good Hope on the 3rd of July 1925, the three intrepid travellers journeyed over 23, 0000km and crossed 35 rivers.
Renault Six-Roues Type MH
From the early days tinkering in the family shed to pioneering journeys across Africa, in under 40 years, the three Renault brothers built an automobile empire that would go from strength to strength, leading the way in innovation, simplicity and comfort. We will travel back in time in the next blog to see what Renault achieved over the next 40 years.
