Renault 4 CV - with a good 20 hp at the Mille Miglia

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Renault 4 CV - with a good 20 hp at the Mille Miglia

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Created on May 19, 2015

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

33

Renault

3

Archiv Reinhard / Max Pichler

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Archiv

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - good for an average speed of over 100 km/h at the Mille Miglia in the 1950s

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the rear-engine design allows good access to the technology

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - Mille Miglia-tested Renaul rear end

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the Germans affectionately call it Crèmeschnittchen

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - three gears must be enough for the 4 CV models on sale

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - compact car for four people

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - a pleasure to drive

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the rear engine creates good space conditions

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - The compact Renault is 3.63 meters long, significantly shorter than a Beetle

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - Black was a very common color for the 4 CV

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - counter-opening doors

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - relaxed driving position

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - Central instrument for the most important information, retrofitted additional instruments for the Mille

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - simple main instrument panel

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the central instrument from Jaeger

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the lighting system is operated by the lever to the left of the steering wheel

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - buttons instead of pedals

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - long gearshifts ...

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - ... and in the rear position the gearshift reaches between the seats

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - extensive equipment for timekeeping at rallies

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - many engines were already upgraded at that time

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the in-line four-cylinder engine in the Renault rear, here the 1062 version

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - clear declaration of the engine type

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the tank and spare wheel can be found under the hood

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the later models only have three chrome crossbars at the front

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - with additional headlights for night driving

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - reflective wheels on the trunk lid

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - the chrome trim at the front also serves as a ...

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - ... Opener for the trunk

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - this construction prevents the two doors from hitting each other

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - Decoration on the rear mudguard

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - Air pressure information for the tires

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Renault 4-CV prototype (1942) - The 4-CV prototype completed its first test drive on April 26, 1942

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Renault 4-CV prototype (1942) - The engine of the first prototype was also located in the rear of the car

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Renault 4-CV prototype (1943) - When the first prototype was considered too ugly, number two was created

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Renault 4 CV (1946) - at its premiere at the Paris Motor Show

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Renault 4 CV (1946) - on the road in the early Crèmeschnittchen

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Renault 4 CV (1946) - without rear lighting rear left

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Renault 4 CV (1948) - The Renault and the caravan

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Renault 4 CV (1946) - early models had six chrome stripes on the front

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Renault 4 CV Décapotable (1948) - Spring fever

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Renault 4 CV (1948) - in front of the Paris landmark

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Renault 4 CV (1949) - plenty of space for four people

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Renault 4 CV (1955) - the police also used the '1063' version

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Renault 4 CV (1961) - the 'Sport' version in green surroundings

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Renault 4 CV (1955) - proven in tough rally use - Illustration from a sales brochure

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Renault 4 CV (1955) - Version '1063' in rally use

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Renault 4 CV (1951) - Class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1951

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Renault 4 CV (1951) - Class victory at Le Mans

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Renault 4 CV (1951) - Class victory at Le Mans

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Renault 4 CV (1961) - Version 'Affaires' - View of the friendly interior

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Renault 4 CV (1955) - already with simplified radiator grille

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Renault 4 CV (1954) - something to be proud of

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Renault 4 CV (1961) - also suitable for wineries

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Renault 4 CV (1955) - also cuts a fine figure on the beach

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Renault 4 CV (1961) - the roofline is characteristic

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Renault 4 CV (1958) at the Dübendorf slalom in 1959

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Renault 4 CV (1955) - pretty car, appealing design

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Renault 4 CV (1956) - Invalid Renault with special clutch

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - plenty of space for four people

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Renault 4 CV (1955) - beguiling openness - Illustration from a sales brochure

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - for sporty people - Illustration from a brochure

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Renault 4 CV (1959) - for woman and dog - Illustration from a sales brochure

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Renault 4 CV (1959) - a late model - Illustration from the sales brochure

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - those were still colors - illustration in a sales brochure

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Renault 4 CV (1955) - sectional drawing - simple technology made transparent

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Renault 4 CV (1957) - sectional drawing of the rear-wheel drive - from a sales brochure

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Renault 4 CV (1954) - simple operation - a look at the thin manual

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Summary

Between 1946 and 1961, Renault produced over 1.1 million of the 4 CV, also known as the Renault Heck or Crèmeschnittchen in our part of the world, creating a true Volkswagen of France. However, the rear-engined four-door was not only successful in everyday life, but also in racing, as evidenced by class victories at the Monte Carlo Rally, Le Mans and the Mille Miglia. This vehicle report portrays a Renault 4 CV R 1062 from 1957, which completed the historic Mille Miglia in 2012, and looks back on the sporting history of the Renault 4 CV, supplemented by archive images and around a dozen sales brochures.

This article contains the following chapters

Post-war design
Variety
Success at the 1949 Monte Carlo Rally
Reliable and comfortable everyday car
Further development to the R 1062
Fulminant entries at Le Mans and the Mille Migla
Factory tuning with the Type R 1063
A joy to drive
On the road in the R 1062
Further information

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

106 km/h was the average speed that Jean Rédélé drove at the Millie Migla in 1954. In 15 hours, 4 minutes and 33 seconds, he covered 1597 km in a car that produced just 21 hp in series production with a displacement of 748 cm3. Of course, the Renault 4 CV that Rédélé drove was souped up by every trick in the book, but the production version also offered many talents and became the true Volkswagen of France as a Renault Heck or Crèmeschnittchen. More than 50 years later, a small Renault is better suited to the historic Mille Miglia than a Ferrari or Maserati worth millions, because firstly, you have a roof over your head and secondly, a Renault 4 CV is the rarer car at the Mille today, which means that the chances of getting one of the highly coveted starting places without making a large investment are above average. Not even half of the registered vehicles make the cut. The Renault portrayed in this article made it at the first attempt!

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