About Renault Cars
The Renault Corporation was founded in 1899 by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand. The first Renault car produced was the Renault Voiturette 1CV that was sold to a friend of the family in 1898. In 1905 they introduced mass-production techniques, and manufactured cars, taxis and even buses. The first commercial truck was introduced in 1906. It made military aeroplanes during World War I as well as making the revolutionary Renault FT tank.
In 1918 they started producing agricultural machinery with the introduction of the Renault tractor. The Type GP that was made between 1919 and 1930 was based upon the FT tank. In 1920 they signed contracts with Gustave Gueudet, who was an entrepreneur from northern France.
Renault produced a wide range of cars from very small to large models. In 1928 they produced 45,809 cars, with seven models ranging from the 6cv up to the 40cv. The smaller models proved to be more popular as they were cheaper and they included the Roadsters and Torpedoes.
In 1928 Peugeot started operations in the UK at its London base and their vehicles were modified to include enhanced cooling and special body work. They also started to export to the USA by 1928. The whole range was conservatively engineered and built. The newly introduced 1927 Vivasix, model PG1, was sold as the "executive sports" model. This incorporated lighter weight factory steel bodies powered by a 3180 cc six-cylinder motor which provided a formula that went through to the Second World War.
The "de Grand Luxe Renaults", was manufactured in very small numbers and in 1927 the Renault models NM, PI and PZ were introduced with new three-spring rear suspension allowing them to travel comfortably at 90 mph.
In 1928 they upgraded the "Stella" fitting a new interior and above the front hood a Renault diamond and from the 1930s all their cars changed to the Stella suffix. 1931 saw the introduction of Renault's diesel engines for their commercial vehicles.
In 1940 Renault refused to produce tanks for Nazi Germany who had taken control of his factories and instead produced Lorries for the German occupiers. Renault had to rebuild their Billancourt plant due to bombing and in September 1944 the gates reopened.
Louis Renault had developed in secret during the war a rear engine 4CV and this was launched under Lefacheux in 1946 and debuted in the Renault Frégate from 1951-1960.
The Renault Dauphine that was manufactured next sold well and helped the company to expand further abroad to Africa and North America. Renault then launched two cars, the Renault 4, made until 1992 and the Renault 8. This was then followed by the rear-engined Renault 10.
In 1970 they celebrated the 25th anniversary of its 1945 rebirth and in October 1969, they had launched the Renault 12 to huge success. 1970 was the first year that Renault produced more than a million cars in a single year.
The Renault 5 model was launched in 1972 followed by the four-door Renault 12. This then led the way for the production of the Renault 6 and Renault 16 and the introduction of a new theme including the Renault 18 and Renault 20.
Renault was privatised in 1996 and in 1999 the Renault-Nissan Alliance formed. During the early 2000s, Renault sold the Renault Véhicules Industriels truck and bus division to Volvo.