Renault – 120 Years Of Innovation!
It is said that all good things come in 3’s, so it should come as no surprise that the Renault brand has had three epochs to its 120 year history, with each adding something different to the Renault legend. At first there was Renault under its original founder (1898-1944), this was followed by Régie Nationale des Usines Renault (1945 – 1995), a wholly owned French state subsidiary; and finally there is the Renault of today, which thanks to its alliance with Nissan , has firmly established itself as an automotive manufacturing leader.
Vehicles That Changed the World
Renault has never been a company that was scared to innovate, and during its 120 year automotive reign it has launched some of the most iconic cars, LCV’s, pickups and people carriers of their time. The following vehicles are just a few of these amazing vehicles that it is worth revisiting:
1898: Type A voiturette
Type A voiturette
The car that started it all was the Type A voiturette, a vehicle that embodied the passion that a young mechanic named Louis Renault had for the fledgling car manufacturing business. He was a man driven by an insatiable curiosity, and always strove to change the rules of individual locomotion. The Type A voiturette was built in shed in Boulogne-sur-Seine near Paris, and was the first of many Renault designs to break all of the current vehicle manufacturing rules of the time. The Type A voiturette saw the introduction of a lightweight tubular chassis, 1.75-horsepower De Dion engine, and a game changing three-speed gearbox direct-drive transmission that revolutionized engines of that time.
1924: Renault 6-roues
Renault 6-roues
This was the vehicle that helped to tame the wildest parts of Africa! Unveiled in 1922 as a direct competitor to Citroën’s autochenille, the Renault 6-roues was a powerful twin wheeled truck that utilised low-pressure tires and a revolutionary two-axle drive to enhance its off-road handling. It bested the African continent on numerous occasions and travelled to Colomb-Béchard and Lake Chad in 1924, and even to the Cape of Good Hope right here in South Africa in 1925.
1937: Renault Primaquatre
Renault Primaquatre
The years between the First and Second World Wars in Europe were difficult for many people and saw the birth of vehicle manufacturers such as VW who wanted to produce affordable cars for the people. As is often the case Renault took the road less travelled and introduced the Renault Primaquatre, the first ever family car that was built to comfortably seat 4 people thanks to its massive (at the time) 3.70 meters length. The Primaquatre also saw Renault moving away from its conventional 6-cylinder engine, as the new Renault Primaquatre used 10-11-horsepower engines to power it to an impressive top speed of 105 km/h.
1952: Renault Colorale
Renault Colorale
Often seen as the precursor of today’s SUV’s, the Renault Colorale came in multiple variations and were all built for use in urban and country environments. Both paneled and curtain-sided LCV and 7-seater people carrier versions were built and variants included The Prairie, The Savane, and the Fourgonnettes. There was even a 4×4 version which was used by the French Military at the time.
1959: Renault Estafette
Renault Estafette
The Renault Estafette utility vehicle can be seen in almost every French movie made during the 1960’s and thanks to its robust build it became an icon of the working class. It provided artisans and tradesmen with ample loading space at an affordable cost, while also offering ease of use thanks to its large double loading doors at the back and a sliding sidewalk door on the side. There were numerous versions of the Estafette manufactured during the course of its production run, and these included The Zone Bleue Delivery Van, the tarp-covered Pickup version, and the 9-seater Microcar minibus. The Renault Estafette was also utilised across the social and business spectrum in France, and workshop, ambulance, and motorhome versions of the Estafette were often seen on the roads of Europe during the 60’s.
1961: Renault 4
Renault 4
Possibly one of the most versatile vehicles ever built up to that point, the Renault 4 could be used as both a family car and a utility vehicle by simply tilting the back bench seat to create more loading space. This meant that many family owned businesses used this vehicle as a workhorse from Monday to Friday, and over weekends it was transformed back into a family car within seconds simply by adjusting the seats. The Renault 4 became a symbol of the growing French Middle Class, and helped fuel an exodus of people from the country into the suburbs.
1969: Renault 12
Renault 12
Simple, affordable, and unbreakable – these were the core design and manufacturing principles behind the creation of the Renault 12. It was a car that not only helped make Renault a global brand, but it is believed to be one of the catalysts for social revolution that took place in South America and Eastern Europe at the time. The Renault 12 put people behind the wheel of an inexpensive car, and was the first true “People’s Car” since the launch of the VW Beetle in Germany 3 decades earlier. The influence of the Renault 12 was so large in fact that it even became a top seller in Romania and Czechoslovakia, an almost unthinkable thing to happen at the height of the Cold War. It was even one of the first Western Designed Cars to be built in the Eastern Block under the Dacia brand.
1972: Renault 5
Renault 5
As the role of women in society changed, Renault did what it knows best and read the signs of the times to produce a car built with woman in mind. The Renault 5 was a first of its kind, as woman in France were not allowed to be issued with drivers licenses until the early 70’s. It not only changed the way people perceived cars, but also helped shake up social categories and family patterns. It also hastened the expansion of the French middle-class as it helped set the groundwork for the fledgling 2-vehicle home, with a car for dad and a second car for mum.
1984: Renault Espace
Renault Espace
Things never get boring at Renault, and as the mid-1980’s approached engineers decided that the world needed an automotive wakeup call. The result of this was the Renault Espace, a vehicle that was half utility vehicle and half sedan. It was the first vehicle to use a flat floor, modular cabin with 5 or 7 seats, and a big powerful engine to create a “car cocoon”. Loved by kids, driven by moms, and paid for by dads, it was the very first Family SUV of its time, and many of the original designs of the Renault Espace can still be seen in large family SUV’s of today.
1996: Renault Scénic
Renault Scénic
The Renault Scénic was the world’s first (and at the time only) minivan designed specifically for the mid-size vehicle segment. The Renault Scénic was an instant hit with families, as not only was it affordable, but it was also a car that became easy to travel in thanks to some very innovative features. These included a sliding central rear seat which could easily be used as a table, rear passenger airplane tray-tables, a huge amount of storage space (including underneath seats and in the vehicle floor), and even a bottle rack. The Renault Scénic was in essence a vehicle designed to make road journeys as comfortable as possible, and is still remembered fondly by many kids who grew up in France during the 1990’s.
1999: Renault Avantime
Renault Avantime
If ever there was a car that embodied driving pleasure and comfort it was the Renault Avantime! It took all of the sportiness of a coupé and added a bit of minivan practicality to create a vehicle that was, as its name suggests, ahead of its time. From its trend breaking high-set stance and absence of soft lines, to its broad picture windows and all-glass roof, the Avantime tore up the car design rulebook and did everything its own way.
