Renault 4
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Renault4.JPG
The Renault 4 known as the 4L (pronounced "Quatrelle" in French), that could be heard as "4 wings" in French, was the first Renault featuring front wheel drive.
In the spring of 1956, Renault Chairman Pierre Dreyfus launched a new project : designing a new model to replace the 4CV that would be able of competing with the Citroën 2CV on its own ground.
The Renault 4 was revealed at the Paris "Salon de l'Automobile" in 1961, in the L version (L for Luxe) hence the popular name 4L.
Early versions used engines and gearbox from the Renault 4CV. The gearbox had only three speeds what was a suprinsingly retrograde feature compared to the four-speed gearbox of the thirteen-years old 2CV.
Unlike the 4CV, which was a full monocoque, the R4 body was bolted on to a chassis. However the body had a structural role and the chassis could twist if the body was removed without proper shoring.
This semi-monocoque construction would later allow Renault to build other models on the R4 platform like the Renault 6 and the very successful Renault 5.
One of the most surprising, yet often unnoticed feature on the R4 is its shorter wheelbase on the left than on the right. This allowed a very simple design of the rear torsion bars suspension and proved not affecting the handling of the car.
While never as beloved as the Citroën 2CV in France, it is the most successful French car of all time, with 8 million units being produced between 1961 and 1992. European sales of the 4 ended in 1985, but production continued in South America until the car's eventual demise seven years later.
Renault 4s in racing
With its original 20hp engine the original Renault 4 wasn't appealing for racing.
However Renault introduced the "Coupe de France Renault Cross Elf" in 1974. It was a series of races in France on dirt tracks with slightly tuned 782cc R4s.
The 1108cc-powered Renault 4 GTL introduced in 1978 was a more interresting base for racing.
A Renault 4 Simpar (the 4WD version) was entered in the Paris-Dakar Rally 1979 by Bernard and Claude Marreau and came third.
The Renault 4 GTL was homologated in Group A Jacky Cesbron raced one in Monte-Carlo rally and Tour de Corse.
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