20 FACTS ABOUT THE RENAULT 4

Today marks the 60 birthday of not just one of Renault’s most important models but one of the most remarkable cars in motoring history. Here they are:

1. The 4 was Renault’s first FWD car; the front-wheel-drive Estafette van dates from 1959.
2. Work on the R4 commenced in 1956 and it was intended as a replacement for the long-established 4CV and as a direct rival to the Citroen 2CV. The company’s president Pierre Dreyfus regarded the project as a “blue jeans” car.
3. Power for the new Renault was from a four-cylinder 747cc engine with a sealed cooling system married to a three-speed gearbox. The asymmetrical wheelbase was three inches shorter on the left to accommodate the torsion bar rear suspension.
4. Renault unveiled the ‘R4’ (the prefix lasted until 1965) to the press on 26^th August 1961. It made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show.
5. 1962 saw the launch of the 4 Fourgonette van; one of its most notable features was the ‘giraffon’ (giraffe hatch) over the rear door to accommodate ladders.

1. That same year marked the introduction of the 4 Super, which was subsequently powered by the Dauphine’s 845cc engine.
2. Renault GB promised the buyer space for “children, prams, wives, groceries, husbands, dogs, bags, baggage and room to spare besides”. They also claimed, with no small measure of hyperbole, that the 4 was “not just a car but a miracle!”.
3. The two trim levels offered to the British motorist were the ‘base’ and the L, the latter featuring windscreen washers, rear three-quarter windows, an interior lamp, an ‘anti-theft’ lock and “a wealth of chromium trim”.
4. The very first 4s were partnered by the R3, a version notable for its lack of distracting luxuries - namely interior door panels, hubcaps and a petrol gauge. There was also, quite incredibly, no ignition key. Power was from a 603cc engine, resulting in 0-100 km/h in approximately seven years. As for the colour choices, they ranged from grey to grey plus the ever-popular grey. Sadly, or mercifully – according to your point of view - the R3 was not available in the UK, while French sales ended in September 1962.
5. Autocar, 30^th March 1962, tested the 4L; the price was £616 13s 1d. The writer remarked: “This car has few pretensions as a status symbol, its performance is marginal, and it is obvious that no artistic stylist spent sleepless nights pondering on this venture. To say that it would sell well in the United Kingdom would perhaps be the remark of a real optimist.”
6. However, Motor Sport was somewhat more enthusiastic: “for comfort, economy and spaciousness, coupled with freedom from servicing worries, the Renault 4L is remarkable.”
7. In 1963 Sinpar (Société Industrielle de Production et d'Adaptation Rhodanienne) of Courbevoie offered a 4WD version with modified gear ratios and a larger fuel tank that displaced the spare wheel. The principal markets were the French Army, the post office and the
8. That same year Renault introduced the upmarket Parisienne with its distinctive “wicker-work” exterior finish. It was initially devised as a 4 that appealed to the female driver, with publicity from Elle magazine Production lasted until 1968.
9. Autocar of 1966 seemed more appreciative of the 4; even so, they still grumbled it was “singularly lacking in aesthetic merit”.
10. By 1967 the 4 was France’s best-selling car.
11. In 1968, the model gained a four-speed gearbox.
12. Between 1968 and 1970, Sinpar converted 500 4s into the “Plein Air” beach car.
13. Sales passed the five million mark in 1977 and seven million in 1985.
14. More than 60% of production was to overseas markets, with the 4 made in 27 countries.
15. French production ended in 1992. The final 4s left Renault’s Slovenian plant in 1994.

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