Renault Rodéo - healthy escapism

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Renault Rodéo - healthy escapism

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Created on September 18, 2025

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Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

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Renault

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Archiv Zwischengas

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - earlier models had a fold-down windshield

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - the body is completely colored

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - round headlights characterize the variant with the small engine

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - with plastic bodywork

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - you could transport a lot of vegetables with it

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - with flat windshield

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - by the time the roof is fitted, the next rain shower will probably be over ...

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - the linkage could of course also be removed (with some effort)

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - functional plastic bodywork

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - you can only get to the rear seats fairly easily when the car is open

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - simple and angular bodywork

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - particularly practical when open

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - also available in other colors

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - Controls from the Renault parts shelf

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - enough space for a whole family

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - the front seats are comfortable, the rear seats are more rudimentary

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - the speedometer goes up to 140 km/h, there are reserves in the 845 cc model

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - easily accessible four-speed gearshift

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - precise pistol grip gearshift

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - upright interior rear-view mirror

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - loops as door handles

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - simple and functional, the retainers for the doors

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - 34 DIN horsepower from the 845 cm3 engine

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - the longitudinally mounted engine from the Renault 4

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - how the pistol grip gearshift works

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - the ACL chassis badge

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - reference to the Renault type

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - looks faithfully out of its round eyes

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - round headlights, oblique indicators

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - three screws are enough

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - rudimentary hood catch

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - Leather strap on the hood

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - simply push in to open the small door

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - Step insert facilitates rear entry (with open roof)

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - weight specifications and dimensions as adhesive on the bodywork

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - clearly marked as Renault, earlier models were more likely to be Incognito

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1980) - Rear lights from R4

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Renault 4 "Polycarters" (1971) - with plastic body available as a kit

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Renault 4 L (1971) - Into the countryside with the family

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Renault 4 (1971) - with chrome at the front

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Renault 4 (1971) - for tricky transportation problems

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Renault 4 (1971) - also ideal for vacation vacations

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Renault 4 Plein Air (1970) - the beach car converted into a camera vehicle

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Renault 4 Fourgonnettes (1971) - the commercial vehicle version of the R4 also formed the basis for the Rodéo

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Renault 4 Fourgonnettes (1971) - Dimensions

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1971) - the first version, blurred picture

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Renault 4 Rodéo (1970) - Recreational vehicle

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1977) - successor to the Plein Air - with plastic body, built from 1970 onwards

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Renault Rodéo 4 (1977) - still with the 845 cm3 four-cylinder engine of the R4

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Renault 6 (1971) - against an impressive backdrop

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Renault 6 TL (1971) - four doors, four cylinders

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Renault 6 (1971) - 1100 version in the view-through drawing

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Renault 6 (1971) - the 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine

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Renault Rodéo 6 (1977) - differed from the Rodéo 4 in terms of engine capacity and body design

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Renault Rodéo (1977) - as Rodéo 6 and Rodéo 4

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Renault Rodéo (1975) - as Rodéo 6 and Rodéo 4

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Renault Rodéo (1974) - as Rodéo 6 and Rodéo 4

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Renault Rodéo (1977) - as part of the entire Renault delivery program 1977

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Renault Rodéo (1980) - revised bodywork, new hardtop

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Renault Rodéo 5 (1981) - with completely modified body with sheet steel elements

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Renault Rodéo 5 (1981) - with completely modified bodywork

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Renault Rodéo 5 (1981) - with completely modified bodywork

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Summary

In 1970, Renault countered the Citroën Méhari with the Rodéo based on the R4 Fourgonnettes. With a plastic body and Sinpar all-wheel drive available for an extra charge, the Rodeo was a robust and versatile leisure vehicle, but failed to make a major breakthrough on the market. This report proves that driving pleasure is also possible with 34 hp, with plenty of historical and current photo material.

This article contains the following chapters

Reaction to Citroën Méhari
Initially based on the R4
From 1972 with R6 engine
From 1973 in Switzerland, from 1976 in Germany
Continuous modifications
Break with the Rodéo 5
Not enough success
For eternity

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

According to Wikipedia, "escapism" is an attitude of flight or escape and can be understood as a conscious or unconscious rejection of social objectives and ideas for action. This is generally seen in a negative light, but it can of course also be seen as a healthy pursuit of an alternative. The journey in the Renault Rodéo provides an understandable example of this. Let's assume that we have just stepped out of a complex modern car with a wide range of electronic assistance systems, comfort attributes and large, confusing dimensions. And now we sit down in the approximately 45-year-old Renault Rodéo 4. We have left the roof behind for the sake of simplicity, getting into the open "beach car" is easy, in fact the small doors would not have been necessary at all. An extremely rudimentary cockpit stretches out in front of us, with nothing more than a speedometer with integrated fuel gauge and voltmeter with a few additional control lights. After all, it comes from Veglia. To the right of the main display instrument, however, there is a clock and then the gearshift, which serves as a Renault 4-style thrust instrument.

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