| Renault Dauphine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Renault |
| Also called | Renault Ondine[1] Renault Gordini[2] Renault 850 Dauphine Alfa Romeo[3] IKA Dauphine IKAGordini |
| Production | 1956–1967 |
| Assembly |
|
| Designer | Fernand Picard, Robert Barthaud, Jacques Ousset[7] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Small family car oreconomy car[8] |
| Body style | 4-doorsaloon |
| Layout | RR layout |
| Related | Renault Floride/Caravelle Henney Kilowatt Hino Contessa |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 845 cc (51.6 cu in)VentouxI4 |
| Transmission | 3/4-speedmanual 3-speed push-buttonsemi-automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,267 mm (89.3 in) |
| Length | 3,937 mm (155.0 in)[9] |
| Width | 1,524 mm (60.0 in) |
| Height | 1,441 mm (56.7 in) |
| Curb weight | 650 kg (1,430 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Renault 4CV |
| Successor | Renault 8 Renault 6 |
TheRenault Dauphine (pronounced[dɔfin])[10] is arear-engine, rear-wheel-drive four-dooreconomysedan withthree-box styling, manufactured and marketed byRenault from 1956 to 1967 across a single generation.
Along with such cars as theCitroën 2CV,Volkswagen Beetle,Morris Minor,Mini andFiat 600, the Dauphine pioneered the modern European economy car.[8][11][12] More than two million Dauphines were manufactured, many under licence by other manufacturers outside of France.
Renault marketed numerous variants of the Dauphine, including a luxury version, theRenault Ondine; a decontented version, theDauphine Teimoso (Brazil, 1965);[13] sporting versions marketed as theDauphine Gordini and theOndine Gordini, and the1093 factory racing model; as well as a prominent derivative, theCaravelle/Floride, a Dauphine-based two-door coupé and convertible.
AsLouis Renault's successor, and as Renault's chairman,Pierre Lefaucheux continued to defy the postwar FrenchMinistry of Industrial Production – which had wanted to convert Renault solely to truck manufacture.[14] Lefaucheux instead saw Renault's survival in automobiles and achieved considerable success with the 4CV, with over 500,000 produced by 1954.
The Dauphine was born during a conversation with Lefaucheux and engineerFernand Picard. The two agreed the 4CV was appropriate in its postwar context, but that French consumers would soon need a car appropriate for their increasing standard of living,[7] and the onset of theFrench Autoroute national highway implementation.
Internally known as "Project 109"[15] the Dauphine's engineering began in 1949[14] with engineersFernand Picard, Robert Barthaud and Jacques Ousset managing the project.[15]
A 1951 survey conducted by Renault indicated design parameters of a car with a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph), seating for four passengers and fuel consumption of less than 7 L/100 km (40 mpg‑imp; 34 mpg‑US).[16] The survey indicated that women held stronger opinions about a car's colors than about the car itself (See below,Marrot at Renault).[17]
Engineers spent the next five years developing the Dauphine.[16] Within the first year, designers had created a ⅛th-scale clay model, studied the model's aerodynamics, built a full-scale clay model, studied wood interior mockups of the seating, instrument panel, and steering column – and built the first prototype in metal.[7]
Having largely finalized the exterior design,[7] testing of the prototype began at Renault's facilities atLardy, France[15] – by secrecy of night, on July 24, 1952.[16]
Using new laboratories[7] and new specially designed tracks,[7] engineers measured maximum speed, acceleration, braking and fuel consumption as well as handling, heating and ventilation, ride, noise levels and parts durability. Engineers tested parts by subjecting them to twisting and vibration stresses, and then redesigning the parts for manufacture.[7]
By August 1953, head engineer Picard had an almond-green prototype delivered to Madrid for dry condition testing, ultimately experiencing only five flat tires and a generator failure after 2,200 km (1,400 mi).[7] Subsequently,Lefaucheux ordered engineers to test a Dauphine prototype directly against a Volkswagen Beetle.[7] The engineers determined that noise levels were too high, interior ventilation and door sealing were inadequate and most importantly, the engine capacity was insufficient at only fourCV (748 cc). Thefour-cylinder engine was redesigned to increase its capacity to 845 cc by increasing the bore to 58 mm, giving the car a new informal designation, the 5CV.[7] By 1954 a second series of prototypes incorporated updates, using the older prototypes for crash testing.
Lefaucheux followed the testing carefully, often meeting with his engineers for night testing to ensure secrecy,[7] but did not live to see the Dauphine enter production. He was killed in an automobile accident on February 11, 1955, when he lost control of hisRenault Frégate on an icy road and was struck on the head by his unsecured luggage as the car rolled over.[18] TheFlins factory was renamed in his honor, and he was succeeded on the project byPierre Dreyfus.[14]
By the end of testing, drivers had road tested prototypes in everyday conditions including dry weather and dusty condition testing in Madrid, engine testing inBayonne, cold testing at theArctic Circle in Norway, suspension testing inSicily, weatherseal testing in then-Yugoslavia – a total of more than two million kilometres of road and track testing.[16]
In December 1955, Pierre Bonin (director of theFlins Renault Factory) and Fernand Picard presented the first example to leave the factory toPierre Dreyfus, who had taken over the project after Lefaucheux's death.
Renault officially revealed the model's existence to the press throughL’Auto Journal andL’Action Automobile et Touristique in November 1955, referring to it simply by its unofficial model designation"the 5CV".
Advance press preview testing began on February 4, 1956, under the direction of Renault press secretary Robert Sicot, with six Dauphines shipped toCorsica. Journalists were free to drive anywhere on the island, while under contract not to release publication before theembargo date of March 1, 1956.[19]
The Dauphine debuted on March 6, 1956[14][20] at Paris'Palais de Chaillot[14] with over twenty thousand people attending,[14] two days before its official introduction at the 1956Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva.[21]
In addition to its internal project number, Project 109, the prototype had been called by its unofficial model designation, the"5CV".[16] Lefaucheux, Renault's chairman, often simply called itLa machine de Flins (the Flins machine),[16] referring to theFlins factory where Renault would ultimately initiate its production (and which would later be named in Lefaucheux's honor).
Renault considered the name Corvette[22] for its new model, but to avoid a conflict with the recently launchedChevrolet Corvette[23] instead chose a name that reinforced the importance of the project's predecessor, the 4CV, to France's postwar industrial rebirth.
The final name was attributed to a dinner conversation atl'auberge de Port-Royal, chaired by Fernand Picard, where either Jean-Richard Deshaies or Marcel Wiriath said "the 4CV is the Queen of the road, the new arrival can only be the Dauphine.[16]Dauphine is the feminine form of the French feudal title ofDauphin, the heir apparent to the throne.
Ironically, bothRobert Opron andFlaminio Bertoni ofCitroën had wanted to name theCitroën Ami 6 the Dauphine, though by that time, Renault had registered the name.
At introduction, the Dauphine was positioned in the marketplace between the concurrently manufactured4CV, and the much largerFrégate. The new model followed the 4CV's rear-engine, four-doorthree-box sedan format, while providing greater room and power and pioneering a new focus for Renault on interior and exterior color and design.[16]
The Dauphine used a version of the 4CV's water-cooledVentoux engine with capacity increased from 760 cc to 845 cc, and power increased from 19–32 hp (14–24 kW). According toRoad & Track, the Dauphine accelerated from 0–110 km/h (0–68 mph) in 32 seconds. Engine cooling was facilitated by air intakes behind each rear door and a vented rear fascia.
Heavier and 12 in (300 mm) longer than its predecessor, the 4-door body featuredmonocoque construction with "a pair of perimeter-shaped longitudinal box sections and substantial cross-bracing",[20] but without the 4CV's rear-hingedsuicide doors.
| Engine | Fuel | Displ. | Power | Torque | Top speed | 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) | Power-to-weight ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type Ventoux 670–1 | Gasoline | 845 cc | 27 hp (20.1 kW) at 4000 rpm | 66 N⋅m (49 lbf⋅ft) | 112 km/h (70 mph) | 37 s | 38.43 W/kg (41.54 hp/tonne) |
| Gordini – Ventoux 670–5 | Gasoline | 845 cc | 36 hp (26.8 kW) at 4000 rpm | 65 N⋅m (48 lbf⋅ft) | 130 km/h (81 mph) | 30 s | 40.68 W/kg (54.55 hp/tonne) |
Overall, Dauphine styling was a scaled down version of theRenault Frégate,[23] itself a classicthree-box design of theponton genre. Renault received styling assistance for the Dauphine at the request of Lefaucheux in June 1953 fromLuigi Segre ofCarrozzeria Ghia, especially with integrating the engine's air intake at the rear doors.[16]
The Dauphine had a front-hinged trunklid, which housed the headlights and opened to a seven-cubic-foot trunk.[20] The spare tire was carried horizontally under the front of the car, behind an openable panel below the bumper.
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The interior featured adjustable front bucket seats and a rear bench seat, a heater, painted dash matching the exterior, twin courtesy lamps, a white steering wheel,[23] rear bypassing (vs. roll down) windows, twin horns (town and country) selectable by the driver and twin open bins on the dashboard in lieu of gloveboxes. Exterior finishes included a range of pastel colors.[23]
Subsequent to its introduction, and as a promotion for both companies (and an early instance ofco-branding), Renault worked with Jacques Arpels of the prominent jewelersVan Cleef and Arpels to turn a Dauphine dashboard into a work of art.[28]
In 1950, the president of General Motors (GM) had visited Renault, noting the cars' drab colors, inside and out.[17] According to their own1951 Survey, Renault's studies had shown that women held stronger opinions on the colors of a car than the actual choice of a particular model.[17] Coincidentally, well-known Parisian textile artistPaule Marrot (1902–1987) had written to Renault's chairman, Lefaucheux,[16] giving her opinion that the cars of postwar Paris were a uniformly somber parade, and wondering whether an artist could not help find fresh, vibrant colors.[17]
Marrot had attended Paris' prestigiousL’école des Arts Décoratifs, had won a gold medal in 1925 at theExposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes and had received a 1928Prix Blumenthal.[16]
Convinced of her value to the project,Pierre Lefaucheux made her a member of the Dauphine team — "to rid Renault of their stuffy image. After decades of being dipped in various shades of black and grey, car bodies [would be] painted in happy pastels."[28]
Working with four others and after setting up a new test laboratory to measure fabric wear as well as paint wear and uniformity, Marrot proposed new body and interior colors. The new paint colors contrasted with those from the competition, thePeugeot 203 andSimca Aronde, including bright colors with names such asRouge Montijo,Jaune Bahamas,Bleu Hoggar andBlanc Réja.[16] Marrot and her team then developed complementary interior fabrics for the seats and door panels, turning to Paris' large textile houses.[16] Marrot also designed the Dauphine's emblem of three dolphins over a crown,[28] which adorned the Dauphine's steering wheel and hood throughout its production.[16]
Later in life, Marrot went on to win the FrenchLégion d'honneur (Legion of Honor),[29] and Marrot's textiles were later licensed by companies as diverse asNike and Hayden-Harnett.[29]
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The Renault Ondine,[30] an upmarket variant of the Dauphine, was introduced in 1961 and was offered for two years.[31] It featured a 4-speed transmission.[31]
TheGordini version was offered with a 4-speed transmission, four-wheel disc brakes from 1964 and increased horsepower, performance tuned byAmédée Gordini to 37 hp (27.2 kW). Both Dauphine Gordini and Ondine Gordini variants were offered.[32]
The 1093 was a factory racing model limited edition of 2,140homologated, which were tuned to 55 hp (41 kW) and featured a twin-barrelcarburettor, four-speed manual transmission and tachometer, had a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph), and were produced in 1962 and 1963. All were painted white with two thin blue stripes running front to back along the hood, roof and trunk.
Renault manufactured the Dauphine at itsFlins factory, with a car leaving the assembly line every 20–30 seconds, and with engines from the company's headquarters factory onÎle Seguin inBillancourt, Paris. The highly automated Billancourt site could produce an engine every 28 seconds.[33]
The Dauphine was also manufactured worldwide:
Argentina:[34]Industrias Kaiser Argentina produced the Dauphine under the Renault License in the Santa Isabel facility. 97,209 IKA Dauphines and Gordinis were produced as follows:
Argentinian regulations required the manufacturers to incorporate extra bumper bars as seen here in the photographs of an Argentine unit.
Australia: Renault (Australia) Pty Ltd assembled the Dauphine atSomerton,Victoria.[36]
Brazil: The Dauphine was produced under license byWillys-Overland, between 1959 and 1968, in the following versions: Dauphine: 23,887 units (1959–1965); "Gordini": 41,052 units (1962–1968); "Renault 1093": 721 units (1963–1965); "Teimoso" (simplified model, without accessories): 8,967 units (1965–1967).
A total of 74,627 units was produced in Brazil.
Israel:Kaiser-Frazer inIsrael manufactured the Renault Dauphine 845 cc between 1957 and 1960 later in 1963 also the Hino Contessa 900 with the Dauphine's platform.
Italy: The Dauphine was manufactured under license byAlfa Romeo at itsPortello, Milan facility[37] from 1959 to 1964 and marketed as theDauphine Alfa Romeo — featuring a Magneti-Marelli 12 volt electrical system, rather than 6 volt in the French model, and carrying a logo "Dauphine Alfa Romeo" or "Ondine Alfa Romeo." As a chief competitor to Alfa Romeo,Gianni Agnelli, Fiat's chairman, targeted the Dauphine by lobbying to revise the basis for taxation from engine-displacement to overall length, successfully damping Dauphine sales. 73,000 Dauphines were manufactured in Italy.[37]
New Zealand: Dauphines were assembled under contract to W R Smallbone Ltd by Todd Motors' Petone plant from 1961 to 1967, according to Mark Webster's book Assembly. This lists 1964 output at 199 units, 384 in 1965, 354 in 1966 and 233 in 1967.[citation needed] Renault assembly shifted in 1967 to Campbell Industries in Thames and Campbell Motors took over the franchise in 1968. Campbell's also assembled the Hino Contessa from 1966 to 1968. When Renault assembly began in Australia in the late 1960s, Campbell's supplied jigs.[citation needed]
Japan: In Japan, theHino Contessa 900 used the Dauphine's platform under license.[38]
Spain: In Spain, Renault's subsidiary F.A.S.A built Dauphine FASA between 1958–1967 (125,912 units).[39]
United States: The Dauphine was the base vehicle for theelectricHenney Kilowatt. Among the aftermarket options for the Dauphine was asupercharger from United States company Judson Research & Mfg. Co.; this sold in 1958 for US$165, and was designed to be installed in about two hours without any chassis or body modifications.
By the early 1960s, Renault sought to avoid the single-model-culture that had nearly destroyed Volkswagen, accelerating the development of the Dauphine's successor, theR8, which supplemented the Dauphine in 1962.[23] Renault celebrated the end of Dauphine production with a limited edition of 1000 models.[8] The last of the base-model Dauphines was produced in December 1966 and the last Gordini models were sold in December 1967.[40] By this time the Dauphine had been excluded from the manufacturer's production lines and Dauphine assembly during the model's final years was subcontracted, along with that of theCaravelle, toBrissonneau and Lotz atCreil.[40]
In 1956, according to a retrospective inThe Independent, when the Dauphine debuted "it proved an almost instant success across the globe: the new coachwork was deemed highly elegant, the price was low, and the Dauphine's overall size was still suitable for congested Parisian streets."[23]
In 1957 the US motoring weeklyThe Motor called the Dauphine the "prettiest little four-seater in the world".[33]
In June 1957Popular Science gave a phonetic tip on how to pronounce the car's name asRenno DOUGH-feen, saying "the car feels and acts like a Detroit product, despite the caboose engine"[41] and adding "Nimble, it reaches 50 mph in 19 seconds. It darts through traffic like a beagle after a cottontail."[41]
By 1958Popular Science had both good and bad to report, saying "It has a host of exquisite touches, you can lock the steering wheel with the ignition key, an ideal frustration for thieves. Choking is automatic. The engine, for its size, is one of Europe's best. Driver visibility is good. The ride is soft, the cornering excellent. Overall maneuverability may be tops among the more popular imports. The owner's manual is the most complete." On the negative side, the magazine said "Yet the Dauphine incorporates a bag of annoyances peculiar to itself. On the car tested, too much reach was required in moving the transmission-mounted shift lever. There was inadequate toe clearance above the pedals. In an anxiety to shrink the body, the maker intrudes the wheel wells into the front compartment. Passengers have to stoop and squat to get in. The doors lack hold-opens. The transmission whines. Too-liberal use of plastics cheapens an otherwise attractive interior and inclusion of two-toned horns for town and country is – for the U.S.A. – pure caprice. But the real fault of this car is low power and too-ambitious transmission and axle ratios. Above 40 mph the remarkably quiet little engine begins sighing over its chores. It has a marked reluctance for passing at highway speeds. Will Paris please synchronize that first gear?"[42]
In 1962Road & Track tested the Dauphine Gordini and called it 'peevish,' with a top speed of 80 mph (129 km/h) and a 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time of 22.3 seconds.[43]
In 1969Motor Trend said "There is nothing in the handling at normal speeds to indicate that the engine is stowed in the rear but push up to some high-speed cornering and the rear end becomes quite skittish, requiring skilled control of an oversteer condition that presents itself."[20]
A retrospective inThe Evening Chronicle noted the Dauphine's propensity to rust if not given careful attention,[8] saying also a Dauphine "has to be treated with a lot of respect because it was one of the true pioneers of the modern continental car."
In July 2010 Jonathan Burnette, a Texas mechanic, set out to drive his 1959 Dauphine toAlaska and back, saying "I've driven these cars all over the country, many, many times, and I've never had that much trouble at all. A lot of people don't like this car, so it's kind of like theunderdog."[44][45]
In 1966 aRenault press statement said Dauphine production passed the million mark in just four years – more quickly than any other car manufactured in Europe.[46]
In the United Kingdom, the Dauphine was one of the first imported cars to sell in large numbers, in a market formerly dominated by British manufacturers and local subsidiaries of American manufacturers.
A total of 2,150,738 Dauphines were produced in its production run of 10 years.[33]
A 1958Time article said: "The car that has come up fastest in the US market in the past year is Renault's Dauphine. A snub-nosed 32-hp Sedan, it is low-priced, economical and small enough to shoehorn into a small parking space."[23] The same article said "The Dauphine is already outselling Volkswagen in eleven U.S. states, including Texas. So brisk is demand that Renault and the French Line have formed a new shipping company CAT (Compagnie d'Affrètement et de Transport).[47] with six freighters that ferry up to 1,060 Dauphines each across the Atlantic. To serve the U.S. buyer, Renault in just 18 months has also built a nationwide network of 16 U.S. distributors and 410 dealers."[48] In 1959 survey, 85.4% of users rated the car as excellent, and only 0.7% as poor, while only 5.4% experienced a breakdown.[49] By that time it was second most popular imported car after Volkswagen, which apart from having only two doors, offered slightly worse economy and manoeuvrability.[49]
After initial success in the U.S. market, the Dauphine began to suffer.[50] An internal agent,Bernard Hanon (who would later become chairman of Renault),[51] conducted a thorough market study that signaled trouble, and sent his report to the director ofRenault Inc. in New York.[50] The director filed the report away without acting on it; it was found years later by envoys from corporate headquarters inBillancourt. The damage had already been done; thousands of unordered Dauphines sat at ports worldwide, decaying. The damage to Renault was immense;[50] and the company faced the first serious crisis in its history.[47]
By October 1960 a slump had hit imported cars in the US.Time reported that "In August the U.S. imported 50% fewer French cars than in July, and for the first six months of the year imports ran 33% below the rate for the same period in 1959. Two ships loaded with Renault Dauphines were turned back in mid-Atlantic because the docks in New York were already overcrowded with unsold Dauphines."[52]
In the U.S., Renault sold 28,000 Dauphines in 1957, 57,000 in 1958 and 102,000 in 1959[14] — falling to 12,106 by 1966.[20]
A 2008 retrospective article inThe Independent said "as soon as the US market had come to grips with the Dauphine's swing-axle manners and useless acceleration, they werepole-axed by its abysmal corrosion record. It would take only one New York winter of driving on salt-strewn roads to give a Dauphine frontwings that resembled net curtains."[23]
In 1967, in debut U.S. magazine advertising for the Dauphine's successor, theRenault 8, Renault said: "Our [earlier] cars were not fully prepared to meet the demands of America ... More than a fair share of things went wrong with our cars. Less than a fair share of our dealers were equipped to deal with what went wrong," describing the Dauphine's replacement as "The Renault for people who swore they would never buy another one."[20]
In a 2000 survey,Car Talk named the Dauphine the 9th Worst Car Of The Millennium, calling it "truly unencumbered by the engineering process"[53] — albeit in a survey whereTom Magliozzi called the voters "a self-selecting bunch of wackos, most of whom are really aggravated by a bad experience with one of the cars".[54]
In 2007,Time with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalistDan Neil named the Dauphine one of the50 Worst Cars of All Time, calling it "the most ineffective bit of French engineering since theMaginot Line" and saying that it could actually be heard rusting.[22]
The Dauphine achieved numerous motorsport victories, including taking the first four places in its class at the 1956Mille Miglia with a factory team of five cars with five-speed gearboxes;[20] winning the 1956Tour de Corse (Corsica Rally) with Belgian female drivers Gilberte Thirion and Nadege Ferrier; winning the 1958Monte Carlo Rally and the Tour de Corse with drivers Guy Monraisse and Jacques Féret; winning the 1959Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast Rally);[33] and in 1962 winning the Tour de Corse (Dauphine 1093 with drivers Pierre Orsini and Jean Canonicci). Between 1963 and 1971 did win with different drivers the Class B in the Argentine Touringcar championshipTurismo Nacional. The Dauphine also participated in the1966 Trans-American Sedan Championship.[55]
The Dauphine may be a forgotten orphan of France, but it has to be treated with a lot of respect because it was one of the true pioneers of the modern continental car.
Renault Dauphine: Along with the Volkswagen Beetle, Mini and Fiat 500, the Dauphine pioneered the small family car. The rear-engined Dauphine replaced the 4CV but was even more popular, with more than two million sold between 1956 and 1967. It was also manufactured in Argentina, Brazil, Israel, Italy (badged as an Alfa Romeo), New Zealand, Japan, Spain and the US.
Like models such as the original VW Beetle, Fiat 500 and even the Morris Minor, the Dauphine became yet another hot-selling European economy car, a segment very popular after World War II.
Ein gewisser Bernard Hanon, von dem später an anderer Stelle noch zu lesen sein wird, schreibt während seines Studiums in den USA einen Bericht über die Marktentwicklung des nord-amerikanischen Marktes und schickt diesen an den Direktor der RENAULT Inc. in New York. Dieser reagiert verärgert und stopft den Bericht in eine Schublade. Jahre später werden ihn dort Abgesandte aus Billancourt finden. Doch dann ist es bereits zu spät. Hanon soll Recht behalten. Der Markt in den USA bricht für RENAULT zusammen. Tausende Dauphine stehen in den Häfen zur Verschiffung bereit, warten auf die Bestellungen aus Übersee. Doch die Auftragsbücher bleiben leer! Die Fahrzeuge auf Halde an den Seehäfen verrotten. Der Schaden ist immens!
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