It's fair to say that French manufacturers have not particularly excelled in supporting the lovers and guardians of their own past with special services or even parts. At the Rétromobile in Paris last February, however, Renault hosted a press conference to launch its new platform "The Originals Renault".
What is initially a website and a logo - a horizontal rhombus based on the Renault logo - is intended to become a place where garages and parts dealers as well as classic car enthusiasts can stock up on everything they need to run a classic Renault.
Workshop network
Renault is planning to certify around 25 service locations in its own network of agents in France for the first time this year. The aim will be to cover 80 percent of the French territory and enable every collector to find an expert less than 100 km away. Eight specialists were already part of the network when it was launched in February 2025. In the foreseeable future, this address list will also be created abroad. For the time being, it is still limited to garages that are part of the network of active Renault representatives, but independent garages could also benefit from being listed as The Originals Renault partners in the future.
At least that's how Renault's Global Chief Marketing Officer, Arnaud Belloni, put it at the launch in February 2025. He said that the bar should not be set too high for a potential partner to qualify. He was not referring to the quality of work, but to criteria relating to the size and appearance of the company in line with the brand's current corporate design. Or to put it another way: If a workshop can identify itself as a pronounced specialist for a Renault model or for Alpine, there is a chance that it will be found via an official Renault platform in the future. This could also apply to parts dealers who are not yet in direct contact with Renault. The extent to which this can ultimately be implemented remains to be seen. However, the fact that Renault is taking the initiative here is highly welcome in any case.
Certificates and attestations
The new Renault website also includes a link to request the build documents and original specifications of all cars built by Renault and Alpine that are more than 30 years old. This excludes commercial vehicles and Dacia cars. The extent to which models from other markets are also covered has not yet been conclusively answered. For example, a notchback version of the Renault 5 as built in Spain, the Renault "Siete", or even the IKA Renaults from Argentina come to mind. But that is probably asking too much. According to the website, however, it is clear that the Jeep models with Renault engines from the period of the alliance with AMC are excluded, as are Renault derivatives from third-party manufacturers, motorhomes or other Renault-powered vehicles. However, the vast majority of the models in question are covered.
Anyone looking for the exact specifications of their Renault from the last 127 years will not only find the essential information in the documents on offer, but may also find the exact delivery date helpful when it comes to re-registering the car if the papers are missing. Scrutineers for the FIVA ID card may also find it helpful if they have access to the relevant documents from the factory - not to mention the authorities. These documents can be ordered for a fee via the website.
Workshop books and spare parts catalogs
Another piece of very good news is Renault's announcement that the entire workshop manuals for the most important models, some of which are several hundred pages long, will in future be available online - and free of charge! So if you want to know how the major disassembly of a Renault 5 Turbo is done - and more importantly: how to reassemble it - you can find the necessary manuals under this link. For the time being, most of the documents are in French. However, the illustrations and adjustment data are helpful even without knowledge of the language.
In addition to the workshop manuals, the exploded views in the digitized original spare parts catalogs are also helpful when working on the following Renault models: 4 CV, R4, R5, R6, R8, R10, R12, R14, R15, R16, Frégate, Dauphine, Caravelle, Estafette, Fuego and the aforementioned R5 Turbo. All of this can be viewed free of charge and is therefore easily accessible.
Museum and archive
Since 2021, the extensive collections from the Renault collection have been made accessible piece by piece on The Originals Renault. Selected models can be accessed, including exotic models such as the Renault Alliance based on the R9 and various concept cars built by AMC for the American market. Like the brand itself, the virtual museum starts with the "A" model from 1898. The images, backgrounds and information texts are accompanied by sound examples, such as the engine starting or - if available - the sound of the indicators.
The Renault archives comprise over 2400 linear meters. These include 2200 posters, 10,400 design drawings, 32300 models and toys and 700 books on the subject. These are also to be digitized in the future and thus made accessible.
As Renault marketing boss Arnaud Belloni said in Paris at the launch, the origin and development of a brand's history will be much more important in future against the backdrop of numerous new entrants to the market. And Renault is currently playing up its own past more than ever - with the new Renault 5 E-Tech and Renault 4 E-Tech models, which are about to be launched and which make a clear stylistic reference to their ancestors of the same name.
