Classic Car Insurance for Renault

Renault Classic Car Heritage

Société Renault Frères was founded in 1899 by brothers Louis, Marcel and Fernand Renault. Louis, a young engineer with an eye for compact design would be assisted in running the business by Marcel and Fernand. Taking full control in 1909, following the death of Fernand and retirement of Marcel, Louis renamed the company Société des Automobiles Renault, or the Renault Automobile Company. Building on the early success of the Renault Voiturette Type A, Louis and his fleet of small cars continued to secure sales following success in early forms of European motorsport.

After weathering WW1, Renault would struggle to compete with the release of the Ford Model T. A slump that wouldn’t be rectified until after WW2 and the death of Louis Renault that saw his company nationalised to become the Régie Nationale des Usines Renault.

These post-war years saw Renault modernise and achieve global success with the Renault 2CV and later Renault 4CV, marketed as the first ‘small car for everybody’. This continuation of Louis’ vision established the marque as experts in small, accessible, versatile cars.

An ethos that saw the successful release of a broad range of future classic Renaults including the Renault Dauphine, Renault R8 Gordini, Renault Caravelle, Renault 16, Renault 5 Turbo, Renault Espace and the Renault Clio V6 of the modern era.