Classic Car Review Oldtimer Classics Cars video
So far in this series, we saw that British car this stockyard While most of its inhabitants are from the UK, there were also some continental Europeans Thus, the words of Monty Python, and now for something completely different in things automotive, the french can always count on something quite different, and while Renault could be one of their more conservative brands, the R4 is a little out of line with north American standards.
In the mid 1950s, the Renault 4CV looking a little outdated next to its best selling Citroen 2CV rival Even as Citroën kissed the front wheel catalyst to both the upper and lower end of the market, Renault jumped in the rear engine design in general after the Second World war with the new R4, Renault, realizing perhaps much earlier than others that the rear engine models were out, switched to a front-engine, the setting training page of the front wheel or maybe they were just hedging their paris from their 8, 10 and other models continued with rear engines.
Unlike a modern front wheel drive car, it wasn t transverse engine layout with the gearbox on the side; the engine was placed longitudinally, with the gearbox to something image before a disposition classic rear-wheel turned with the gearbox, drive-shaft and differential in a single It was a very logical move for Renault since it was the same configuration they were using in the rear engine 4CV, now just mounted up front.
At the time, represented a new front wheel drive technical innovation; the construction of the R4 body was not 4CV was one of the earlier adopters of unibody construction, but with the R4, Renault returned to the construction of the body-on-frame, both for its ability to resist difficult rural roads and cheaper cost production.
It was very good, that Renault was able to create some other R4-body variants, including Outdoor and, six years later, Rework mainly to create more modern look Renault 6.
Sage engine, Renault took the road safely, using the former four water-cooled engine 4CV in the first cars they considered a unit air-cooled Volkswagen as the German's, or motor two cylinders along the lines of the 2CV's, but its debut a new untested engine and front wheel drive simultaneously, Renault has decided to offer the unit of 4CV tired and tested in two different displacements R3 was offered with very basic trim and 603 cc under the hood, while R4 was provided with a 747 cc engine, in the two base trim levels and more complete in 1963, the underpowered R3 has been removed, and R4 has obtained a motor 845 cc, essentially the same unit used in the Renault Dauphine is slightly larger engines available depending on version and market sales during the 70s and the late 80s.
A strange decision saw the R3 R4 launched a three-speed transmission with a first non-synchronized gear when the Citroen chief rival already had a box with four speeds Even Odder, gearbox wasn ta postponement previously built years before -war, but a new design it took until 1963 for the three reports have synchronizers, and until 1968 for a four-speed unit to replace the three-speed gear lever itself is a little thing weird that shoots the dashboard.
A Fiero packed tightly in front me from opening the cover for a picture, but I remember the design to me from a friend of mine showed me the link there are about seven or eight years, is a steel bar that starts at the shift lever through the dashboard and on top of the engine, and finally down into the gearbox As you can imagine, sensation is a little vague, but probably no worse than a car rear engine of the shifting time is a somewhat strange affair you must rotate and move the shift lever to find a train, I told becomes second Nature with enough practice.
Steering is by rack and pinion, and there was drum brakes all around Suspension-wise, the R4 R 4 has been deleted in 1965 exhibited a independent design four-wheel drive to the front torsion bars triangles longitudinal and rear torsion bars, all strongly influenced by 2CV rear torsion bars have a cross, and the rear wheels have been shifted 1 9 inches, giving a side slightly longer wheelbase long flexible travel shocks been installed to better cope with the France roads so rutted in practice, the R4 has given a very soft ride on any terrain, and the safe handling with much rolling of the French body style Renault suppressed in same time lubrication points, which reduced need scheduled maintenance This suspension may be postponed following Renau lt five.
The interior is itself basic fantastically, with only a handle levers and toggle switches Even doors strips of fabric for limiting the travel Our example has the update 1967 dashboard that featured a speedometer backlit and a bank of toggle switches.
Outside, the car has the grille update that surrounds the headlights Debuting in 1968, it shows the Renault name spelled in place of the Renault logo on the grid before 1972 if any of you can nail the exact year, I'll be thankful side windows are a simple slip case.
Produced on an impressive run of 31 years that ended in 1992, sold 8,135,424 R4 4 examples in almost all parts of the world except the largest He was never officially sold in the US Maybe Renault figured it wouldn t sell in chrome, comfort, size and performance-obsessed America 1960 course, the Beetle has found a ready market in the same period of time, and I to judge 4 more convenient than the Bug more It sells famous for a short time and in limited numbers, in Canada the only other that I have seen is this very bright 1971 Renault F4 van at a show and shine some years like most other French cars, I think he had greater success in Quebec.
Chrysler has tinkered briefly with a very similar vehicle called Renault 4 Chrysler Composite Concept Vehicle, a product easy, cheap to run four-door hatchback If you squint, you can see what might have watched a modernized as 4.
During our visit to the Netherlands in 1979, my uncle was one, and we went around with 8 people crammed into his cousin My R4 and I were in the trunk compartment.
I love this link to change, I can imagine being a fly on the wall considering the design for it.
Well, uh Now the gearbox is back and the gear lever is behind the grill We could use cables, or one of those nifty links F3 cars use but not too expensive Let s put a collar rubber on the end of a stick and bring it out through the firewall.
First, I want to say that I am French man who likes to read this site all the lunch hours.
So, for my first comment here, I like to add that the Renault 4 was nicknamed quatrelle here.
Initially, Renault sold the Renault 3, Renault 4 and the Renault 4 L, the L for Luxe 4 L or quatrelle then became the common name.
I also like to add that Renault was not part of the most conservative French manufacturer at least until recently.
Historically, the conservative French manufacturer Peugeot has always been.
If Renault was not as revolutionary as Citroën was, he was definitely a car manufacturer on and now for something completely different side.
Many vehicles built by Renault created their own niche in Europe Renault 16, Renault Espace that nobody wanted to build, especially Peugeot who basically turned a moneymaker when they refused the offer to build Matra this car, the Renault Twingo, the Renault Scenic.
The problem is Renault prompted reflection on the box thing a little too far in creating the Renault Avantime and Vel Satis Renault, the design should not be discussed at family gatherings, unless someone wants to start a fight .
Renault is much more conservative in its current design, mainly because of the failure of the Avantime and Vel Satis.
I would not really call body on the frame, the frame can not stand on its own Unlike the Beetle platform, the R4 platform is not as rigid When the body is off, the frame must be jigged or bow It really is something between the two, more like a sub-frame integrated front and rear with the body above fitted together, they support each other Citroen did something similar with the CX, where the sub frames are connected to thin rails frame below the body.
From what I read them aren t as easy as one might suspect precisely restore for this reason.
I had the pleasure of driving my uncle David Renault 6, the larger version of this car and the gearbox was a pain in the ass to learn, althought you have been accustomed.
However, the R4 is a classic car for the end of the 70 models are very difficult and low compression engines can run on unleaded Spain had leaded gasoline until panting 2000 versions of the 80 had extremely comfortable seats, as long as you aren t fat, they offer a pleasant walk a glimpse of too Spanish ad of 1983.
A Commeter said nicknames in France in Spain, where the bottom was the 4L model on sale, it was called 4 latas four boxes because of the quality of the sheet.
When I lived in Paris sorry, never tires to drop this line to the mid 90s, these things were still everywhere, especially in versions of light commercial vehicles Here's a belonging to France Telecom, about two blocks house of my apartment near the Eastern railway station, I assigned to the cohort awhile.
great concept I never trust the French engineering or ethics of German business, see Daimler Chrysler and Volkswagen, recent history, but I can understand the concept and applaud the flexibility Imagine a basic car that minor changes can be a beach buggy or wagon or sedan delivery.
Especially rare is to find in one room in America and hitting the lottery to find a side rarity to a type 181 Kubelwagen VW Thing.
German business ethics, the Germans need hardly defend myself so I won t - but as if our business ethics are better.
In fact, I think so low that the two are so crudely exploitative that GM was in the 1960s, 70s high as 80 to Daimler a whole new level when staging a takeover of Chrysler and raid on his treasure by claiming that it is a merger of equals, I understand maximum Bob had a few things to say about BMW lapidary of alleged ethics, although I have not yet read them and VW good old-driven the value VW to know what their sales in the dumpster in the early 1990s good cars, and some not so good sold and serviced by people with the ethics of a thief falls I had a Westfalia Vanagon to time, had trouble with the fuel pump in the tank it its long history and off-topic, but they used me as a peep show boss uses a Kleenex.
So yes there are differences Renault, for all its proven inferior engineering activities did the best to both AMC and later Nissan Nissan marriage, in fact, was a perfect fit successful engineering and lighting design and managed to the benefit of all.
interesting perspective, but my little bomb is known as the French Corolla because of its reliability and French cars were until recently made in parts of Africa where roads are optional, so just what part of 'French engineering is untrustworthy.
In the mid 80s, I was traveling in Europe in a rental Opel Corsa and taken over in the UK, where I stayed with some old family friends Their eldest daughter offered to take me and his sister on a trip to a day in the south of England, and since she knew the road and had a more spacious car, she would drive I expected Cortina Marina or British or some thing, was surprised when she pulled up in a R4 but after a few hours, the charm had faded It was slow, noisy and moving was a constant distraction for me in the passenger seat, I'm pretty sure I've ever seen in the States, although I saw 4CV in rural France, I saw a lot of R4 stuffed with cattle of the smaller variety.
I'm sitting here thinking stereotypically I had never owned or drove a Renault and was turning back if I liked the 4cv was pretty big when I was a child and I think I remember that I the 'liked.
Then it hit me that the Nissan Cube in my driveway a Renault counterpart running across Europe and probably Brazil As for stereotypes about French cars I like the one I have and would have had the 4cv I think he volkswagened the vw beetle.
Although the R4 was not the first small front wheel drive hatchback, it takes credit for popularizing this body style, it was remarkably spacious, well close to its overall size A generation of Europeans have experienced the benefits of a sedan through R IKEA largely owes its existence to the R4.
IKEA owes its existence to the R4 is absolutely brilliant nails.
Great little car that was part of the French landscape for decades and is now gaining popularity as a popular classic, they were almost everywhere until the end of the 1990 course, they were loud and slow, but a slightly less than their main competitor, the 2CV you've had families of 4 liters and you families of my 2CV was a Citroën family so I am biased, but over time I began to appreciate the old Renault daughter too you can always spot some of them being used as daily drivers, particularly in rural areas, they are easy to solve, the dirt cheap to run, and among the best light vehicles off-road, you can find short of a FWD make sure they do t rust completely through.
BTW, the one shown here by David looks remarkably good, won t save someone Hey, they might even throw in free Kubelwagen Or the reverse.
It's really hard to nail down the exact year on this one, it should be 1970, give or take Thanks for posting.
I thought long and hard to buy, but this after recalling that he was sitting in the long grass for ten years, I wasn t sure how it could be rusty below.
Rust is the enemy still this old French cars if they arent supported early in life fair disolves body later cars like mine are fully galvanized.
Did you buy anything on the court if so, what.
I tried to buy one that is yet to come had to go when the brakes were not blocked solid a big problem in the comfort of a garage, but a great many hundreds of miles from the house in a court Couldn very, very muddy not even leave the drums.
was also popular Renault 4 in Argentina, I see this vintage ad late 1960s early 1970s.
I had one of those in 2004, when I lived in London for three short months before he was not on the MOT rust and went to the scrapyard My memories were quite POSITIVE seats in my GTL less were extremely comfortable- better than anything I d had including US luxury car, I hadn t yet still had a Citroen and Saab compare to this shift was actually quite positive, well positioned and fun to use and 1100cc, he was able to drive very nippily on motorway- and leaning-tower-of-french-car kind of fun way on winding roads.
As Olivier said that rust is the killer in the UK, people pay good money for this scrapper in the mine image didn t look that bad, but I had a squeak out a few bumps when I swung the car, I could see the flex chassis where the rear suspension arm mounted in the frame of the heel, it has been bolted rear threshold had rusted on the sides and top, and that has been suspended by bending metal at the bottom, it was beyond economic repair, and unfortunately was taken by Scrapper 20 great car in many ways, and if it has been galvanized, would have been a real winner.
Ventoux and the motor similar cleon by the way are in the form of 1400cc in the Volvo 340 of all things, coupled to a rubber band transmission.
Renault has always done well in making ingenious small boxes for dry climates These 4S and most other simple could be very reliable Renaults until moisture got in them.
Since the mid 90s, the reputation of Renault has declined significantly they sold the electronics brigade, and suffered one of the worst reputations in Europe for having the trinity breakdowns- defects engine, poor electrical and automatic gearboxes- evil, but at least now they t rust.
I know Lada Renault seeks to teach quality, but I trust? D an old Lada five years on a journey long before an old Renault five years.
While the team of Barcelona to the French border in 1969, a young man stopped to give me a lift in his R4.
Franco was still in power at the time and my driver was not a friend of the Fascist General Whenever he told another transvestite that Franco had been working on the Spanish people, he slammed the gearshift lever in the dashboard and just as quickly slipping back again, ready for another visceral importance in a litany of sins that happened during the duration of our trip.
I enjoyed immensely the tour and developed a real respect for a car that could lend its mechanical design to put the tin horn dictator in his place.
As a child in the early 70s, I saw some of those in Canada, but they were rare few friends of our family-owned, and I remember going to check that I had never seen anything like it close, and in my old mind ten years, it was a very strange and unusual car, especially next to my dad then all new coupe Impala 73 that was the last time I saw one of these in all but one movie set in France.
Due to circumstances of the family and the location, I was exposed to many obscure European cars since I grew up in the US in the 50s to 60s I even had a brief craze s R16 in high school, but I remain generally held stereotypical prejudice against Renaults Two events rocked me, although I once ran out of gas in Virginia rural Sunday morning in the middle of the seventy years dozen families in American cars me passed, probably on the way to church last a man driving a R10 stopped, took me to the gas station, and gave me a ride back and made sure that I can restart my 72 F100 I still remember the man had a small Buddha figurine on the dashboard that was my only ride in a Renault until 2004 when I rented a Megane Diesel and drove over 1,000 miles France and Spain M me after the novelty of driving a turbo diesel powerful, economic and Renault had disappeared, the car was really great, I do not know the long-term reliability and durability, but the blend of comfort, ride, handling the efficiency of space, and yes, accoutrements of this car was better than any equivalent car I d resulted in the US Everywhere I drove, small snow covered roads crossing the Pyrenees, an endless grind the motorway from Paris to Provence, and treatment of downtown Barcelona traffic, this car was excellent carrying four of us and a lot of luggage Even the rear unusual profile provided a good space and visibility the current Nissan Versa hatch sold in the United States seems to have a little Megane heritage, at least visually.
I grew up in these little my mother had a lot of them, a new one in a different color than two or three years, I remember an orange, red, yellow and finally green, my mother knocked down a hill in the rain day no harm was done, but the car was totaled I remember awfully tight and the frog, it was green looked dealers lot when she shopped for a new and disappointment, it was that the dealer had sell the last available weeks earlier must have been some time in 1988 1989 so next was a blue SUPERCINQ instead, with almost as much personality.
Ahh, good memories that I liked my fathers Citroen CX much much more.
Oh, the car my father had one like that, we called El Choclo shoe because of its shape, it was 1974 R4, as it was sold in Mexico The gas tank only hold 22 liters and was can cover a distance of just over 250 miles we used to drive that distance from Chihuahua to El Paso and we still have some gas left before completing the Crosswinds in this city and caused drafts with heavier vehicles are a problem, perhaps because the excellent suspension and front wheel drive the shift pattern is the same as that of the shift lever mounted on the floor, and reverse was all the way to the right, then back to the front seat on one of these trips deposit coolant of a crystal bottle shattered on die because of the excessive heat, and we tried to get the replacement in stores pi ecies located on Montana Avenue without luck the first time we went to El Paso in the car at the border crossing point, the customs officers asked about the characteristics of the car one of if she was Mexican, well, they even asked the name of the car, they probably have never seen before, they abounded in Chihuahua in the 60s and 70s, faded in the mid 80s Oh, what memories and what car.
If you want to see lots of 4s or soucth go in the middle of France where the climate is good for old cars lost count of how many I've seen a few years Nice article and many prefer the 4 to the Citroen 2CV .
The suspension and the mechanical arrangement is inspired by the Citroen Traction Before the 2CV the main difference being the traction has an axis of dead beam, the rear arm much like a torsion bar, at the rear, but the R4 is the longitudinal and completely independent arm.
As for the strange shifter, the oldest car I've seen this type of shifter is a line of L29 in the museum of classic car in Turin, Italy.
I have memories of 4L when working in the northwest of rural France at the turn of the century, 4L was the car of choice for farmers, it was used as a pick-up truck with a rear seat removed once I was talking to a farmer and asked him what was the point of using R4 in his work, he came out with a good rational explanation I reproduce here.
I have no other viable choice, whether I should buy a small Japanese pickup truck that is too expensive or French van that is not strong enough for use on unpaved tracks here.
This statement really shows the popularity of this car in rural France, it is a shame that Renault has not discovered this market niche and eliminated 4L, they could upgrade with a diesel engine and stiffened chassis to create a real horse agricultural work.
I like to echo comments of Juan We had a 71 R4 in Germany and bought another 10 years later, the pattern of change in the 71 was a gap H cane is right when Twist neutral left and shoot back in the first forward thrust to neutral and a spring snaps upward, pushing straight again and you are in 2nd Pull back straight and you are 3rd push forward stalled and turn right, push forward in 4 the advantage of this model is that 2 and 3 are in a straight line which covered about 80 displacement.
In our second R4 they went to a classic H, we hated that.
form aside rust weak point was the brakes 4 tiny drums 4 tiny wheels they focus constantly need this car was cheap and proud All glass is flat, the windows were sliding windows, ventilation was a simple flap cover but there were door locks children safe on the back headlights could be settled in the bottom position with a lever when the car is loaded the ride was incredibly comfortable especially when appearing tot he beetle VW miss the R4, I do not miss my beetle Moreover, the orange car is indeed a thing VW, the Rodeo Renault wouldn t have the tank in the front, because it is an engine design before the longest journey we did in the R4 was across the Alps to the Mediterranean near Rijeka, Yugoslavia and now the R4 is the same Pope approved.
I 1974 I drive Renault 4l DAILY Alabama ICU love my car and plan on holding onto it, but if there would be someone interested, I could sell it for the right price 256-403- 8756 Thank you.
Hello, I'm Julian yung guy who is looking for a Renault 4 by U S A.
I live in Houston, TX and was looking for this car for 7 years If someone eny information to help me find a goodbye, I'll be very happy for your suport This car was my childhood and it will be great to have return to me.
Renault Park Storage Classic 4 Basics French, storage, courtyard, classic, renault.