Renault S.A. is a French manufacturer of cars, vans, buses, tractors and trucks. The company is also known for its revolutionary design, for the many technological advances (including safety of passengers and pedestrians) and the engines used in sports competitions.
The Renault corporation was founded in 1898 by three brothers Renault, Louis, Marcel and Fernand, but also by the friends of Louis, Thomas Evert and Julian Wyer. Louis was the one who had the idea of designing and building a few models before co-opting the team and his brothers, giving up their work on their parents' textile business.
The first Renault car, Renault Voiturette 1CV, was sold to a friend of his father, but not before Louis tested the car. The customer was impressed with how the small car behaved on the road. The three brothers say that the only way to promote their products is automobile competitions. Renault has been successful since the first race, which has led to the expansion of the company. Louis and Marcel participated in atumobilistic races such as Paris-Trouville, Paris-Rambouillet and Paris-Ostende with their cars, but in 1903 during the Paris-Madrid race, Marcel, 31 years old, died of an accident .
in the same race, 15 other competitors suffered from accidents, the organizers had to cancel the race. Louis suffered a huge loss, not only had his brother lost, but had also lost a great proponent of his ideas. Since then, Louis has never participated in automotive competitions, hiring professional pilots to defend the prestige and color of the company in numerous automotive competitions around the world (South Africa, the United States, Cuba, South America).
in 1906, the AK 90 CV won the first Grand Prix. in 1909, Louis took over the company's total control after the death of his brother Fernand, a dead man after a long period of suffering. from the beginning, Renault has brought in the car industry a number of innovations that have contributed to the opening of new horizons. Renault was the first manufacturer of sedans and patented turbocharger. At that time cars were luxury products, and the minimum price for a Renault was 3000 French francs, an important sum for which a regular worker had to work for ten years.
September 26, 1918: FT-17 tank used by US troops.
in the years before World War I, Renault produced taximeters, buses and commercial trucks. during the First World War (1914-1918), Renault produced ammunition, military aircraft, military vehicles (such as the revolutionary Renault FT-17 tank) and ambulances and generating sets. Renault has become the world leader in aircraft engine production, the aircraft equipped with Louis-produced engines record record-breaking speeds. This performance has been achieved due to design, which made Louis Renault be congratulated by the Allied Forces for his company's contributions to victory. As a result of this success, the Renault logo illustrated a winning tank. After the war, Renault became the largest and largest private producer in France, and Louis Renault held 85% of the company's shares. A new plant is built on Seguin Island at Billancourt; the plant was a symbol of prosperity. In 1913, Louis introduced a new method of improving production, Taylor's method, but the workers were not staring at it. Louis saw this method on his visit to Ford, where he noticed the high efficiency of this manufacturer. in the years leading up to World War I, the factory had 5,000 employees producing 4,200 cars a year.
The Interwar Period (1919-1938)
Louis Renault has expanded its range of products during this period, introducing into production also agricultural and industrial machinery. Even so, Renault has fought the explosion of affordable passenger cars, truck and labor stockpiles, factors that have slowed down the company's progress. Also, Renault had to find an efficient way to distribute cars; so in 1920 a distribution contract was signed between Louis Renault and Gustave Gueudet, a businessman in northern France.
before World War One, Renault cars had a particularly special appearance at the front, due to the unusual position of the radiator behind the engine. in the post-war period, from 1920 to 1930, all Renault models began to have the radiator in front of the engine. Thus, in 1925, the logo on the hood of the engine changes its shape, changing to the form of a romb, familiar today.
Renault has produced a wide range of products from small series to models in very large series. For example, 1928 was the year when Renault produced 45,809 units of the seven model series, starting with 6cv, 10cv, Monasix, 15cv, Vivasix, 18 / 24cv and 40cv. There were eight body styles and the longest chassis were available for carriage coaches. The models were produced in different sizes, but the smaller ones were preferred by a large number of customers.
in 1928, Renault decided to export its cars to the UK, making a series of changes to make the models fit for the traffic conditions in the Regatta. consequently the models were higher, they had higher radiators and bodywork. Exports to the United States narrowed almost to zero after reaching a peak before World War I. The NM 40cv Tourer had in the United States a price of over $ 4,600, similar to a Cadillac V12 Tourer, and the closed sedan named "7" cost $ 6,000, being more expensive than a Cadillac V16 Limousine. the whole series was built in a conservative style. in 1927 the Vivasix - PG1 was launched, which was a luxury sports model. It had an iron body and was equipped with a 6-cylinder engine and a 3180 cc engine capacity.
The "Grand Luxe Renaults" model, with a wheelbase of over 3.68 meters, was produced in a limited number of copies in two 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder engines. For the Grand Renault (NM, PI and PZ) in 1927 with the six-cylinder in-line engine, a three-point rear suspension was introduced, resulting in increased stability when the models reached speeds above 144 km / h. The 8-cylinder Reinastella was introduced in 1929 and was based on the Suprastella model (1939).
For the Grand Renault series, large amounts of aluminum were used. The engines, brakes, transmission, and other components of the car were made of aluminum. Unfortunately, the models were destroyed for aluminum that was necessary for the production of military technology.
Postwar period (1939-1971)
during the Second World War, the German forces invaded France during Operation Red (May 10, 1940), advancing to the Atlantic coast. The Renault factory was taken over by the Germans, being managed by Daimler-Benz producing cars for Nazi Germany, eventually Renault's Billancourt factory was among the first targets of the Allied Force bombing to free France from Nazi occupation. After the release of France, Louis was arrested and incarcerated in Fresnes, being accused of "commercial relations with the enemies." before his release in 1944, Louis Renault died as he prepared his defense. Following necropsy, it was discovered that death resulted from fracture of the throat. This clue puts into question the causes of Louis Renault's death, suggesting that he was killed. After his death, his industrial assets were confiscated by the provisional government led by General Charles de Gaulle. The Renault factories were nationalized to become the Régie Nationale des Usines Renault run by Pierre Lefaucheux.
in the years after nationalization, Renault has seen a rebirth, illustrated by the launch of the 4CV model with the engine located in the back of the car. The model was launched in 1946 and soon it was shown to be a rival rival of famous cars such as Morris Minor and Volkswagen Beetle; the success consisted in sales of more than half a million units and convinced Renault to leave it in production until 1961. Also between 1951 and 1960 was the Renault Fregate model, which had a motor 4 cylinders and a cylinder capacity of 2 liters.
Renault has used the automotive competitions to promote the Renault 4CV, the car winning twice the 24-hour race from Le Mans and the Mille Miglia racing as well as the Monte Carlo rally.
the replacement for the 4CV model was the Dauphine model, which was sold extremely well, so the company expanded its production and sales to other countries, including Africa and North America. in Romania, the model enjoyed great success with the latest version called Gordini. but in North America, since the beginning (1960) the car has not sold well. in an attempt to return to the success of 4CV, Renault launched two cars that were to become successful models, Renault 4 and Renault 8 (it was also produced in Romania - and was called Dacia 1100) in 1961 and respectively 1962. Renault 4 was produced until 1992. Both cars have continued the tradition of participating in automotive racing; this tradition was later supported by Alpine. Thanks to the success of the two models, Renault also launched the 1966 model in 1966. With this Renault, it created the first hatchback in the world, then the subcompact class.
It was modern (1972-1980)
in 1972, Renault launched a compact and economical model called Renault 5, anticipating the 1973 fuel crisis, the model being sold in the United States under the name of Le Car. in the same year, Renault became the World Rally Championship through the remarkable results Renault 5. 5 remained in production until 1984 when it was replaced with Super5. The recipe was somehow the same, Renault Super5 inherited the parent's forms. The energy crisis has given Renault the chance to recapture the North American market; despite the success of the Dauphine model in the United States in the 1950s, practically the 1970s meant for Renault the disappearance of the American market.
However, at the beginning of the decade, when the energy crisis struck the continent and needed less and more economical cars, Renault was keen to plan a return to the American market through an association with the American Motors Corporation (AMC) manufacturer. This was not the first collaboration between the two companies. Previously, AMC Rambler was marketed through IKA-Renault in Argentina under the Renault Torino brand.
From 1962 until 1967, Renault assembled in its Belgian factory the Rambler Classic sedan. Renault did not have luxury or large cars in the range of products, so "Renault Rambler" was an alternative to the Mercedes-Benz "Fintail" model. Similar to the fate of the Mercedes model, many of the Ramblers have become taxis.
This was one of the series of collaborations; between 1960 and 1970, Renault founded subsidiaries in Eastern Europe - the most important being the Dacia Factory in Romania - in South Africa and set up a partnership with Volvo and Peugeot (for example, for the development of the PRV V6 engine, which was used after 1970 on Renault 30, Peugeot 604 and Volvo 260). in North America, Renault continued to increase its control over AMC, in 1980 it held 55% of the company's shares; the association of Renault-AMC has resulted in the entry of Jeep vehicles in Europe. Some believe the Jeep XJ Cherokee was a project by the engineers of the two AMC and Renault makers, based on the XJ Series (AMC insisted that XJ Cherokee be designed by them, but engineers from Renault designed the suspension of the part of the " Quadra-link "for XJ series.
Renault has sold a number of interesting models in the USA in the 1980s, especially cars with a simple but unmistakable image, the Renault Alliance GTA (Renault 9) and convertible GTA (an automatic converting system) also the 2.0 liter engine - a great engine for a car in her class; Renault sold other models in the United States during the 1980s. However, after the assassination of Renault president Georges Besse in 1986, Renault sold AMC to Chrysler. Renault Medallion (25 in Europe) (sedan and wagon) was sold between 1987 and 1989 through Jeep-Eagle representatives. Jeep-Eagle was a new division created by Chrysler after buying American Motors Corporation (AMC). Renault products have not been imported into the United States since 1989.
following the recent collaboration between American Motors Corporation and Renault, the Eagle Premier was born; this was a large four-door sedan designed by a common team. The model was designed in Bramalea, Ontario, Canada, and would be based on other models with a common platform (Chrysler LH platform): Eagle Vision and Chrysler 300M.
between 1960 and 1980, Renault began to become more active in motor sport, especially in Formula 1. The company has revolutionized the car industry through the Renault Espace, which was the first minivan in the world. 5, Renault 9 (winner of the title "The best car of the year in Europe") and the luxury model Renault 25 contributed to building the reputation, but at the same time the company suffered in terms of quality; the problems reached the pinnacle of the Renault 14 in the early 1980s.
Restructuring (1981-1991)
Although the Renault models enjoyed success both on the street and in the sports competitions, the company lost one million francs a month, and in 1984 it recorded a deficit of 12.5 million francs. This led the state to intervene and appointed Georges Besse as president. He has drastically reduced his costs, the company withdrew from sports competitions and fired many employees. Basse's attempt to reduce the deficit in previous years began to produce results, but in Noemember 1986 he was assassinated by the terrorist group Action Direct. The successor to the company's management was Raymond Lévy, he continued on the same line as Basse, and at the end of 1987 the company recorded a financial recovery.
In the early 1990s, Renault launched several successful models, including Clio, which replaced the successful Renault 5 model, the launch of the second generation Renault Espace, Renault Twingo, Renault Laguna and Renault 19. In the mid-1990s , Renault 19 was replaced by Renault Mégane which was the first car in the world to have won 4 stars in EuroNCAP safety tests. in 1998, Renault continued to surprise, by launching the Mégane Scénic, a model that represented the debut of a new class of automobiles, namely the compact monobloc class. The success of the company has led to re-entry into the Formula One race. Thus, Renault collaborated with Williams in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997, and with Benetton in 1995.
Privatization (1996-1999)
The company's privatization, which took place in 1996, allowed it to open new factories in Eastern Europe and South America, including a new factory in Brazil and modernization of Argentina and Turkey. At the beginning of the 21st century, Renault is distinguished by a distinct and strange design; the second generation of the Laguna and Mégane models are also successful thanks to their angular design. but there were models that did not have the same success, so the coupé Avantime, which had a bizarre design, recorded very low sales. in a similar situation is the Renault Vel Satis luxury model. Renault is the maker with the highest number of models that got the highest star on the EuroNCAP tests, the first to receive the 5 stars was the Laguna.
Renault is the owner of Samsung Motors (Renault Samsung Motors) and Dacia; also owns 20% of the Volvo Group's shares, excluding Volvo's car division, which is owned by Ford Motor Company. Renault owns 99% of the Dacia plant, the factory where more than 2 million cars have been produced for over 30 years, most models based on Renault platforms.
Renault Nissan Alliance (2000-present)
On 27 March 1999, the Renault-Nissan Alliance was formed, forming a mixed-fraco-Japanese company, each with its own brand identity. Thus, Renault owns 44.4% of Nissan shares, and they own 15% of Renault shares, but without the right to vote. in 2005, Nissan held 5.74% of the world market and the Renault Group had a lower share of only 4.04% of the world market, so the Renault-Nissan Alliance had 9.8% of the market with 3,597,748 cars sold by the Japanese manufacturer and 2,531,500 cars sold by the Renault Group, placing the alliance in fourth place in the world after GM, Toyota and Ford.
in 2004, the cooperation between the two builders resulted in the creation of the "common platform B", based on the Renault Modus, Nissan Tiida, Nissan Lafesta, Renault Mégane (released in 2002) and Dacia Logan in 2004, but the model was produced on a modified version of platform B). Another example of cooperation between Renault and Nissan was the development of the first common engines.
in 2006, the Renault-Nissan Alliance has shown interest in the Daewoo plant in Craiova, the announcement was made by Dacia Automobile Director François Fourmont. but the competition for this plant is very tight, this was due to the Romanian state that intends to sell the majority stake to a strategic investor. in competition came: General Motors, Ford, Renault-Nissan Alliance and Chery Automobile (China). On July 6, 2007, AVAS announced the opening of the documentation submitted by Ford, which was the only manufacturer to continue the negotiations with the Privatization Commission. Thus Ford will buy 72.4% of the share of the Automobile Craiova Company (Daewoo Craiova).
At the end of 2006, the alliance searches for a North American partner to strengthen its position on the US market. currently Nissan is alone in the US market with a market share of only 6% and Renault has been missing out on this market for years. After talks with GM, the Renault-Nissan Alliance headed for Ford, but after the resignation of Bill Ford (Ford General Manager) the talks were blocked. Current director Alan Mulally, former director of Boeing, prefers to deal with the serious problems inside the company. An alliance between the three companies would reach a global market share of 21%. However, Ford managers are not rushing to start negotiations.
