Classic Cars
From France
RENAULT S.A.
Quoted as the fourth largest car manufacturer in the world via its strategic
alliance with Nissan. (*1)
From its first
273cc 2 seater in 1898 (*1)
to its
dominance in Formula 1 racing in the first decade of the 21st century, Renault
has always been at the forefront of the motor industry, if not a little behind
in sophisticated European design.
Renault vehicles are manufactured/assembled and/or distributed in no less than
91 countries. (*2)
Named the 4CV
(strangely similar to the more illustrious 2CV of Citroen in the same period),
this model brought popularity to Renault that stayed with the company from the
4CV launch in 1946 and well past it's demise in 1961.(*2)
Its design vindicates the objective of creating a local competitor to the
Volkswagen which had already demonstrated the viability of a small, cheap car
for the international market.
The forerunner of many similar models, the 4CV set the stage for
Renault's international longevity.
The Renault 16 was produced between 1965 and 1980. It was voted European Car of the
Year in 1966 and 1,845,959 models were sold during its 15 year life span.
The "hatchback" design became a trademark of Renault for at least 6 other models and was imitated by
several other manufacturers of the time.
(*3)
This particular model proved to be Renault's more commercially popular and successful vehicles.
The Société Anonyme des Automobiles
Alpine
was a company created by Jean Rédélé in 1954 to account for some early, mild successes
in rallying and racing beginning shortly after WWII. The Alpine name had earlier
been used by the Sunbeam car company which caused legal issues for many years
although nothing really eventuated.
In 1973, Akpine's financial woes prompted a take over by Renault and to this day, the Alpine name is still used but
The A106 and A108 models were replaced by the hugely successful A110 in 1961 and
continued production until 1977. It came in a 2 door coupe with 5 speed manual
and 5 engine sizes ranging from 1.1L to 1.6L in both Renault and Lotus origins.
Production never exceeded 2,000 units but any of the A110s are great value for
collectors and with Renault's continuing support of the brand, parts and details
remain readily available.
The 16 year production of the A110
inevitably lead to it's demise as technology outpaced the Alpine. Recognising
the need for serious upgrades, Alpine itself and later Renault, introduced the
A310 in 1971 with a 1.6L 4 cylinder Renault engine and in 1976, a 2.7L V6 was
added, both with 5 speed manuals on the same 2 door coupe configuration. 2,340
of the 4 cylinder models and 9,276 of the 2.7L units were produced making them
all, highly desirable collectibles.
The A310 continued the rallying and
racing successes of its predecessor with wins in the French Rally Championships.
It is difficult to think that the number 4 car producer in the world could present
such difficulty in selecting more than two models in a 100 year history, that
could be respectfully referred to as "classics".
Join my Forum and have your say.
The truth is that very few models have ever received
international accolades for their contributions to the world's automotive
industry, coupled with the fact that there are literally hundreds of French car
manufacturers no longer in production.
This of course, is all despite its worthy position in the top 4 and its amazing successes on the
international race tracks.
Nominate your preference; Take a poll.
See my Blog.
References
*1 -
Wikipedia
*2 -
Renault
*3 -
Wikipedia
International Driving Licenses
Full Expatriate
Insurances
Worldwide
Insurance Cover