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71-561: SCCA Enterprises also produces the Spec Racer Ford chassis. The SCCA Enterprises introduced the formula and sports racer in 2002. The formula car was allowed in the Formula Atlantic club racing class. In 2003 SCCA Pro Racing created Sports Racing Pro Series for the formula (FS) and sports racer (SRP) cars. For the 2004 racing season the class was merged with the U.S. F2000 National Championship . Elivan Goulart won

142-680: A 15% share of the company. Renault also has other subsidiaries such as RCI Banque (automotive financing), Renault Retail Group (automotive distribution), and Motrio (automotive parts). Renault has various joint ventures, including Horse Powertrain (engine development), Oyak-Renault (Turkish manufacturing), Renault Nissan Automotive India (Indian manufacturing), and Renault Korea (previously Renault Samsung Motors, South Korean manufacturing). Renault Trucks , previously known as Renault Véhicules Industriels, has been part of Volvo since 2001. Renault Agriculture became 100% owned by German agricultural equipment manufacturer CLAAS in 2008. Renault

213-468: A capable rival for cars such as the Morris Minor and Volkswagen Beetle ; its sales of more than half a million ensured its production until 1961. After the success of the 4CV, Lefacheux continued to defy the postwar French Ministry of Industrial Production , which had wanted to convert Renault solely to truck manufacture, by directing the development of its successor. He oversaw the prototyping of

284-412: A distinctive front shape caused by positioning the radiator behind the engine to give a so-called " coal scuttle " bonnet . This continued through the 1920s. Only in 1930 did all models place the radiator at the front. The bonnet badge changed from circular to the familiar and continuing diamond shape in 1925. The practice of installing the radiator behind the engine against the firewall continued during

355-634: A foreign nameplate to win the award. (In 2000, Motor Trend did away with separate awards for domestic and imported vehicles.) A surprising side effect of the AMC linkup was that Renault felt the effects of the Arab League boycott of companies doing business with Israel, as AMC built Jeeps there under license. Plans to sell the Renault 9 in the Middle East were mothballed as a result. Introductions in

426-653: A joint AMC/Renault project since some early sketches of the XJ series were made in collaboration by Renault and AMC engineers (AMC insisted that the XJ Cherokee was designed by AMC personnel; even though a former Renault engineer designed the Quadra-Link front suspension for the XJ series). The Jeep also used wheels and seats from Renault. Part of AMC's overall strategy was to save manufacturing costs by using Renault's parts and engineering expertise when practical. This led to

497-556: A range of cars and vans. It has manufactured trucks , tractors , tanks , buses /coaches, aircraft and aircraft engines, as well as autorail vehicles. Headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt , near Paris , the Renault group is made up of the namesake Renault marque along with subsidiaries Alpine , Dacia from Romania and Mobilize . It is part of Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance (previously Renault–Nissan Alliance) since 1999. The French state and Nissan each own

568-800: A significant downfall in drivers with resp. 2 and 3 drivers competing. Therefore, the IMSA decided to drop the L3 class for 2010. In 2010 SCCA Pro Racing launched the SCCA Pro Formula Enterprises together with the SCCA Pro Spec Racer class. The Formula Enterprises class raced with moderate success. At the end of the 2011 season it was announced that it would merge with the U.S. F2000 National Championship National Class. The national class also allowed Formula Continental cars. Sixteen-year-old Norwegian driver Henrik Furuseth took

639-482: A six-speed sequential gearbox manufactured by SADEV as an option for the transmission of the SRF3. The SRF rules dictate that no performance enhancing modifications other than suspension adjustments within described parameters can be made to the car. This effectively eliminates the never-ending need for design enhancements and associated large cash outlays necessary in other classes of racecars to remain competitive and puts

710-486: A small star fitted above the front hood logo. This proved to be a winning differentiator and in the 1930s all cars changed to the Stella suffix from the previous two alpha character model identifiers. The Grand Renaults were built using a considerable amount of aluminium . Engines, brakes, transmissions, floor and running boards and all external body panels were aluminium. Of the few that were built, many went to scrap to aid

781-747: A year later, on 4 April, this time delivered by the Americans, and on 3 and 15 September 1943. A few weeks after the Liberation of Paris , at the start of September 1944, the factory gates at Renault's Billancourt plant reopened. Operations restarted slowly, in an atmosphere poisoned by plotting and political conspiracy. In 1936, the Billancourt factory had been the scene of violent political and industrial unrest that had surfaced under Léon Blum 's Popular Front government. The political jostling and violence that followed liberation ostensibly reflected

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852-574: Is a class of racing car used in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and other series road racing events. The Spec Racer Ford, manufactured and marketed by SCCA Enterprises (a subsidiary of SCCA, Inc.), is a high performance, closed wheel, open cockpit, purpose-built race car intended for paved road courses, such as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca , Buttonwillow Raceway Park , Road America , Watkins Glen , and many other tracks throughout North America. With more than 1,000 cars manufactured, it

923-643: Is known for its role in motor sport , particularly rallying , Formula 1 and Formula E . Its early work on mathematical curve modeling for car bodies is significant in the history of computer graphics . The Renault corporation was founded on 25 February 1899 as Société Renault Frères by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand . Louis was a bright, aspiring young engineer who had already designed and built several prototypes before teaming up with his brothers, who had honed their business skills working for their father's textile firm. While Louis handled design and production, Marcel and Fernand managed

994-675: Is the most successful purpose built road racing car in the United States . Spec Racer was first conceived as low-cost sports racing class by a director of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), Ted Cronin, in the early 1980s. The car was developed and originally manufactured by Renault/Jeep Sport USA in Livonia, Michigan under direction of Vic Elford . The car, designed by Roy Lunn , was introduced into SCCA Club Racing in 1984 as "Sports Renault." After Renault bowed out of

1065-685: The Chevrolet Corvair . Renault also sold the Renault Caravelle roadster, which was called the Floride outside North America. During the 1950s, Renault absorbed two small French heavy vehicle manufacturers ( Somua and Latil ) and in 1955 merged them with its own truck and bus division to form the Société Anonyme de Véhicules Industriels et d'Equipements Mécaniques (Saviem). Renault then launched two successful cars –

1136-544: The Dauphine (until his death ), enlisting the help of artist Paule Marrot in pioneering the company's textile and color division . The Dauphine sold well as the company expanded production and sales further abroad, including Africa and North America. The Dauphine sold well initially in the US, although it subsequently became outdated against increased competition, including from the country's nascent domestic compacts such as

1207-593: The Grand Palais in Paris . During World War I, the company branched out into ammunition and military vehicles such as the revolutionary Renault FT tank . Production of aero engines also ramped up with additional licensed production of the firms' products being undertaken by various companies, including Rolls-Royce who got their start in the aircraft engine business producing a batch of Renault 70 hp air-cooled V8s. Renault's most successful aircraft engine

1278-598: The R 35 . During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Renault was surpassed by Citroën as the largest car manufacturer in France. Citroën models at the time were more innovative and popular than Renault's. However, by mid-1930s the French manufacturers were hit by the Great Depression . Renault could initially offset losses through its tractor, railroad and weaponry businesses, while Citroën filed for bankruptcy , and

1349-516: The Renault 4 (1961–1992), a practical competitor for the likes of the Citroën 2CV , and the rear-engined Renault 8 . The larger Renault 10 followed the success of the Renault 8, and was the last rear-engined Renault. The company achieved success with the more modern and more upmarket Renault 16 , a pioneering hatchback launched in 1966, followed by the smaller Renault 6 . On 16 January 1970,

1420-469: The Renault 6 and Renault 16 . The model was a success. 1970 was also the first year during which Renault produced more than a million cars in a single year, building 1,055,803. The company's compact and economical Renault 5 model, launched in January 1972, was another success, anticipating the 1973 energy crisis . The Renault 18 was introduced in 1978 and the larger Renault 20 in 1975. During

1491-526: The United States . The SCCA made the decision to replace the original Renault drivetrain with a 1.9-liter engine and five-speed transmission manufactured by the Ford Motor Company . This change gave the SRF an additional 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) to 105 - enough to push the cars along at speeds up to 135 mph (217 km/h). Ford Motor Company started to provide a new drivetrain in 1994 and

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1562-584: The XJ Cherokee , could be launched. When the bottom fell out of the four-wheel drive (4×4) truck market in early 1980, AMC was in danger of bankruptcy. To protect its investment, Renault bailed AMC out with cash – at the price of a controlling 47.5% interest. Renault replaced some AMC executives, and Jose Dedeurwaerder of Renault became President of AMC. The partnership resulted in the marketing of Jeep vehicles in Europe. The Jeep XJ Cherokee may have been

1633-928: The "Rambler Renault" was positioned as an alternative to the Mercedes-Benz "Fintail" cars. Later, Renault continued to make and sell a hybrid of AMC's Rambler American and Rambler Classic called the Renault Torino in Argentina (sold through IKA-Renault). Renault partnered with AMC on other projects, such as a rotary concept engine in the late 1960s. In the late 1960s and 1970s, the company established subsidiaries in Eastern Europe , most notably Dacia in Romania, and South America (many of which remain active) and forged technological cooperation agreements with Volvo and Peugeot , (for instance, for

1704-522: The 1930s had the suffix "Quatre" and the luxury six-cylinder models that were sold with the suffix "-six", later becoming "Stella." For example, in 1928, when Renault produced 45,809 cars, its seven models started with a 6CV, a 10CV, the Monasix , 15CV, the Vivasix , the 18/22CV and the 40CV . Renault offered eight body styles. The longer rolling chassis were available to coachbuilders . The smaller were

1775-559: The 1930s, the company took over the aircraft manufacturer Caudron , focusing its production in small airplanes, acquired a stake in Air France and partnered to establish the airmail company Air Bleu . Renault Caudron airplanes settled several speed world records during the 1930s. Renault continued developing tanks as part of France's rearming effort, including the D1 and the FT's replacement,

1846-427: The 1936–1938 strikes had left him without political allies and no one came to his aid. He was incarcerated at Fresnes prison where he died on 24 October 1944 under unclear circumstances, while awaiting trial. On 1 January 1945, by de Gaulle's decree, the company was posthumously expropriated from Louis Renault. On 16 January 1945, it was formally nationalised as Régie Nationale des Usines Renault . Renault's were

1917-545: The 1950s and 1960s on vehicles where the engine was installed longitudinally in the rear of the vehicle. Renault introduced new models at the Paris Motor Show , which was held in September or October of the year. This led to confusion about model years. For example, a "1927" model was mostly produced in 1928. Renault cars during this time period had two model lines; the economy four-cylinder engine models that in

1988-514: The British Royal Air Force (RAF) launched 235 low-level bombers at the Île Seguin, Billancourt, Paris plant, the largest number aimed at a single target during the war. 460 metric tons (450 long tons; 510 short tons) of bombs were dropped on the plant and the surrounding area, causing extensive damage along with heavy civilian casualties. Renault resolved to rebuild the factory as quickly as possible, but bombardments continued

2059-627: The Formula SCCA championship and Neil Tilbor won the SCCA Sportscar Championship. Due to the lack of entries for the 2005 season the series was canceled. The sports racer was allowed in the IMSA Lites L3 class for the 2007 season. The first season was a reasonable success with 8 drivers competing of which 4 raced the full season. Richard Spicer won the championship with 7 wins out of 12 races. 2008 and 2009 saw

2130-575: The French automobile industry. The disputes were eventually quashed by Renault in a particularly intransigent way, and over 2,000 people lost their jobs. After the French capitulation in 1940 , Louis Renault refused to produce tanks for Nazi Germany , which took control of his factories. As Renault was manufacturing the Renault UE tank for the Allies, he produced trucks instead. On 3 March 1942,

2201-456: The French military to transport troops during World War I which earned them the nickname " Taxi de la Marne ." By 1907, a significant percentage of London and Paris taxis had been built by Renault. Renault was also the best-selling foreign brand in New York in 1907 and 1908. In 1908 the company produced 3,575 units, becoming the country's largest car manufacturer. The brothers recognised

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2272-592: The LCVs were the 4, 5, and 12 Société and the Estafette. The company added 54,086 buses/coaches and trucks. In North America, Renault partnered with American Motors Corporation (AMC), lending AMC operating capital and buying a minority 22.5% stake in the company in late 1979. The first Renault model sold through AMC's dealerships was the R5, renamed Renault Le Car. Jeep was keeping AMC afloat until new products, particularly

2343-402: The SRF. The SRF still uses the original Renault brake calipers (with the option to change to an updated Wilwood caliper), outer CV joints, and suspension knuckles. In early 2013, SCCA Enterprises announced a third generation (GEN3) Spec Racer Ford powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, 135 HP Ford engine fitted to the existing engine mounts and transmission. On-track testing by a fleet of test cars

2414-623: The Type GP was produced between 1919 and 1930. It was based on the FT tank. Renault struggled to compete with the increasingly popular small, affordable "people's cars," while problems with the United States stock market and the workforce slowed the company's growth. Renault also had to find a way to distribute its vehicles more efficiently. In 1920, Louis signed one of its first distribution contracts with Gustave Gueudet , an entrepreneur from Amiens , France. The pre-First World War cars had

2485-504: The US by 1928 had declined to near-zero from their high point prior to WWI. A Type NM 40CV Tourer had a US list price of over US$ 4,600 ($ 81,623 in 2023 dollars ), about the same as a Cadillac V-12 , Packard Eight , Fiat 520 , or Delahaye . Closed 7-seat limousines like the Renault Suprastella started at US$ 6,000 ($ 106,465 in 2023 dollars ). Cars were conservatively engineered and built. The Renault Vivasix , model PG1,

2556-710: The US during the 1980s included the Renault Alliance GTA and GTA convertible – an automatic-top convertible with a 2.0 L engine – big for a car of its class and the Renault Fuego coupé. The Alliance was followed by the Encore (US version of the Renault 11 ), an Alliance-based hatchback. In 1982, Renault become the second European automaker to build cars in the US, after Volkswagen . However, bland styling and poor product quality proved insurmountable. Eventually, Renault sold AMC to Chrysler in 1987 after

2627-519: The US. Renault Groupe Renault ( UK : / ˈ r ɛ n oʊ / REN -oh , US : / r ə ˈ n ɔː l t , r ə ˈ n oʊ / rə- NAWLT , rə- NOH , French: [ɡʁup ʁəno] , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A. ) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company currently produces

2698-716: The assassination of Renault's chairman, Georges Besse by Action directe . The Renault Medallion (Renault 21 in Europe) sedan and wagon was sold from 1987 until 1989 through Jeep-Eagle dealerships. Jeep-Eagle was the division Chrysler created out of the former AMC. Renault imports ended after 1989. A completely new full-sized 4-door sedan, the Eagle Premier , was developed during the partnership between AMC and Renault. The Premier design, as well as its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bramalea, Ontario , Canada, were

2769-508: The business. The first Renault car, the Renault Voiturette 1CV, was sold to a friend of Louis' father after giving him a test ride on 24 December 1898. In 1903, Renault began to manufacture its own engines; until then it had purchased them from De Dion-Bouton . The first major volume sale came in 1905 when Société des Automobiles de Place bought Renault AG1 cars to establish a fleet of taxis. These vehicles were later used by

2840-517: The cars with the Ford powertrain renamed "Spec Racer Ford (SRF)." For a period of time, both Spec Racers (Renault powered) and Spec Racer Ford (Ford powered) both raced in the SCCA. Other more recent changes to what is now called "Spec Racer Ford" include the now-standard "tallman kit", which is an extension of the original rear roll hoop (which was designed too low), Penske shock absorbers in addition to

2911-579: The championship for Cape Motorsports . For 2013 the National class only allowed Formula Enterprises cars. However, National class saw poor car counts and the class was discontinued for 2014, again leaving no professional series using the formula. In 2018 an updated Mazda 2.0L engine and Sadev 6-speed sequential gearbox were introduced to replace the aging 2.3L and 5-speed Elite. The new Formula Enterprises 2 (FE2) spec ran alongside original FE cars in national competition, with champions in each class crowned at

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2982-513: The club’s yearly National Championship Runoffs in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, only the new FE2 spec was legal for SCCA National competition relegating original FE spec cars to regional-only competition. The Formula SCCA is raced in various SCCA national and regional events in the Formula Enterprises and C Sports Racer class. Below is an overview of the most important races and championships. Spec Racer Ford Spec Racer Ford

3053-420: The company into four business areas: automobiles (for car and light commercial vehicles or LCVs), finance and services, commercial vehicles (coaches and trucks over 2.5 tons GVW ), and minor operations under an industrial enterprises division (farm machinery, plastics, foundry, etc.). In 1980, Renault produced 2,053,677 cars and LCVs. The cars at the time were the Renault 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 30;

3124-685: The design was inherited by the Chrysler Corporation in late 1987 after Renault divested AMC – which debuted in 1989 as the Jeep Concept 1 (evolving into the Jeep Grand Cherokee in April 1992). The Renault-AMC marketing effort in passenger cars was unsuccessful compared to the popularity of Jeep vehicles. This was because, by the time the Renault range was ready, the second energy crisis was over, taking with it much of

3195-529: The desire for economical, compact cars. One exception was the Renault Alliance (an Americanised version of the Renault 9 ), which debuted for the 1983 model year. Assembled at AMC's Kenosha, Wisconsin plant, the Alliance received Motor Trend ' s domestic Car of The Year award in 1983. The Alliance's 72% US content allowed it to qualify as a domestic vehicle, making it the first car with

3266-692: The development of the PRV V6 engine, which was used in Renault 30 , Peugeot 604 , and Volvo 260 in the late 1970s). In the mid-1960s, Renault Australia was set up in Melbourne. The company produced and assembled models including the R8, R10, R12, R16, sporty R15, R17 coupes, R18, and R20. The unit closed in 1981 and the factory closed with LNC Industries taking over import and distribution of Renaults in Australia. When Peugeot acquired Citroën and formed PSA ,

3337-632: The end of the decade. Renault acquired a controlling stake in Automobiles Alpine in 1973, and over the decades, Renault developed a collaborative partnership with Nash Motors Rambler and its successor American Motors Corporation (AMC). From 1962 until 1967, Renault assembled complete knock down (CKD) kits of the Rambler Classic sedans in its factory in Belgium. Renault did not have large or luxury cars in its product line and

3408-545: The firm, assuming his responsibilities at once. Meanwhile, provisional government accused Louis Renault of collaborating with the Germans. In the frenzied atmosphere of those early post-liberation days, with many wild accusations, Renault was advised by his lawyers to present himself to a judge. He appeared before Judge Marcel Martin, on 22 September 1944 and was arrested on 23 September 1944, as were several other French automobile-industry leaders. Renault's harsh handling of

3479-410: The first Grand Prix motor racing event in a Renault AK 90CV in 1906 . Louis took full control of the company as the only remaining brother in 1906 when Fernand retired for health reasons. Fernand died in 1909 and Louis became the sole owner, renaming the company Société des Automobiles Renault (Renault Automobile Company). Renault fostered its reputation for innovation from very early on. At

3550-436: The focus on driver skill, rather than financial and technical investment. Every Spec Racer Ford has the same minimum weight using ballast that can accommodate drivers who weigh up to roughly 260 pounds, uses the same engine, one of two transmissions (the older manual or the newer sequential), the same fiberglass body, the same chassis, even the same tires. The idea is that all of the cars are meant to have identical performance, so

3621-480: The group's collaboration with Renault was reduced, although established joint production projects were maintained. Prior its merging with Peugeot, Citroën sold to Renault the truck and bus manufacturer Berliet in December 1974, merging it with its subsidiary Saviem in 1978 to create Renault Véhicules Industriels , which became the only French manufacturer of heavy commercial vehicles. In 1976, Renault reorganised

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3692-452: The improvement of the venerable AMC inline six – a Renault/Bendix-based port electronic fuel injection system (usually called Renix ) transformed it into a modern, competitive powerplant with a jump from 110 to 177 hp (82 to 132 kW) with less displacement (from 4.2 to 4.0 litres). The XJC Cherokee concept, which was conceived in 1983 as a successor to the XJ series, was also a joint collaboration with AMC and Renault engineers until

3763-469: The manufacturer celebrated the 25th anniversary of its 1945 rebirth as the nationalised Régie Nationale des Usines Renault . The 1960s had been a decade of aggressive growth: a few months earlier, in October 1969, the manufacturer had launched the Renault 12 , combining the engineering philosophy of its hatchbacks with the more conservative "three-box" design. The four-door Renault 12 model slotted between

3834-636: The mid-seventies, the already broad-based company diversified into more industries and continued to expand globally, including South East Asia . The energy crisis led Renault to again attempt to attack the North American market. Despite the Dauphine's success in the United States in the late 1950s and an unsuccessful assembly project in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec (1964–72), Renault began to disappear from North America at

3905-436: The most popular while the least produced was the 18/ 24CV . The most expensive body style in each range was the closed car. Roadsters and tourers (torpedoes) were the cheapest. The London operation was important to Renault in 1928. The UK market was quite large and North America also received exports for the luxury car market. Lifted suspensions, enhanced cooling, and special bodies were common on vehicles sold abroad. Exports to

3976-594: The new three spring rear suspension that considerably aided stability that was needed since some vehicles surpassed 90 mph (140 km/h). The straight 8-cylinder Reinastella was introduced in 1929 and expanded to a range culminating in 1939 Suprastella . Coachbuilders included Kellner , Labourdette , J. Rothschild et Fils and Renault bodies. Closed car Renault bodies were often trimmed with interior woodwork by Rothschild. In 1928, Renault introduced an upgraded specification to its "Stella" line. The Vivastella 's and Grand Renaults had upgraded interior fittings and

4047-431: The only factories permanently expropriated by the French government. In subsequent years, the Renault family tried to have the nationalisation rescinded by French courts and receive compensation. In 1945, and again in 1961, the Courts responded that they had no authority to review the government's actions. Under the leadership of Pierre Lefaucheux , Renault experienced both a commercial resurgence and labor unrest , that

4118-597: The only way to go faster is to be a better driver. The SRF's engine , transmission , and shock absorbers are sealed with tamper-proof devices that make it impossible to modify these components undetected. In addition, many parts of the car, including suspension arms, fiberglass , and sheet metal are marked for compliance checking with special holographic tamper-evident stickers bearing the Spec Racer Ford logo. SCCA Enterprises periodically deploys compliance officials to conduct surprise inspections of Spec Racer Fords at SCCA Major, SCCA Regional and SCCA Pro Racing events across

4189-441: The original Konis, Butler Built driver seat, alloy wheels, rear wheel well cutouts, engine coolant recovery system, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, a safety modification to the brakes and an optional, smaller alternator. During the life of the car, there have been some incremental changes in various parts to increase durability. Tires are Hoosier Racing Tire radials in both dry and rain tire versions, specifically manufactured for

4260-412: The pre-war years. The first real commercial truck from the company was introduced in 1906. Renault were also an important pre-war manufacturer of aircraft engines . The firm entered the business in 1907 with the first of what would become a series of air-cooled V8 engines . In 1911 the Renault 90 hp became the world's first V12 aircraft engine when it was exhibited at the Salon de l’Aéronautique at

4331-407: The program in 1989, the car was renamed "Spec Racer (SR)." The original Sports Renault/Spec Racer is now an SCCA Regional-only class and a few Renault powered cars still compete in National Auto Sport Association (NASA), Midwestern Council of Sports Cars Club (MCSCC) and Independent Motorsports Group (IMG) events. By 1994, the supply of rebuildable 1.7-liter Renault engines was drying up in

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4402-408: The rivalries between capitalist collaboration and communist resistance; many of the scores settled predated the invasion. Responding to the chaotic situation at Renault, a 27 September 1944 meeting of the Council of Ministers ( fr ) took place under de Gaulle's presidency. Postwar European politics had quickly become polarised between communists and anti-communists, and in France de Gaulle

4473-487: The time, cars were luxury items manufactured without assembly line advances. The price of the smallest Renaults at the time was 3000 francs (₣); an amount equal to ten years pay for the average worker. In 1905, the company introduced mass production techniques and Taylorism in 1913. In 1911, Renault visited Henry Ford at the Highland Park factory and adopted some of the manufacturing principles from his trip. Renault manufactured buses and commercial cargo vehicles in

4544-446: The value of publicity that participation in motor racing could generate for their vehicles. Renault made itself known through succeeding in the first city-to-city races held in Switzerland, producing rapid sales growth. Both Louis and Marcel raced company vehicles, but Marcel was killed in an accident during the 1903 Paris-Madrid race . Although Louis never raced again, his company remained very involved, including Ferenc Szisz winning

4615-432: The war effort. In 1931, Renault introduced diesel engines for its commercial vehicles. Renault was one of the few French vehicle manufacturers that pursued the production of aircraft engines after World War I. In the late 1920s, it attempted to produce a high-power military engine to compete with the American Pratt & Whitney units, which proved unsuccessful, although its civil engines achieved better results. In

4686-446: Was conducted during 2013 and 2014 for a roll-out into SCCA competition in 2015. As of 2015, the new SRF3, GEN3 class was created and is now racing alongside the previous GEN2 (1.9-liter) cars. The existing Ford 1.9-liter Spec Racer (SRF) will continue to be eligible for SCCA Club Racing a separate National class until the end of 2017 after which it will remain competing in SCCA Club Racing as a Regional-only class. The SCCA has authorized

4757-404: Was keen to resist Communist Party attempts to monopolise the political dividends available to resistance heroes: politically Billancourt was a communist stronghold. The government decided to "requisition" the Renault factories. A week later, on 4 October, Pierre Lefaucheux , a resistance leader with a background in engineering and top-level management, was appointed provisional administrator of

4828-463: Was later acquired by Michelin . Renault became again the largest car manufacturer, a position it would keep until the 1980s. Renault was finally affected by the Great Depression economic crisis in 1936. The company spun off Caudron and its foundry and aircraft engine divisions into related but autonomous operations, keeping its core automotive business. Between 1936 and 1938, a series of labour disputes, strikes, and worker unrest spread throughout

4899-443: Was sold as the "executive sports" model beginning in 1927. Lighter weight factory steel bodies powered by a 3,180 cubic centimetre (cc) six-cylinder motor provided a formula that lasted until the Second World War . "de Grand Luxe Renaults", those with a wheelbase over 12-foot (3.7 m), were produced in small numbers in two major types – six- and eight-cylinder. The 1927 six-cylinder Grand Renault models NM, PI and PZ introduced

4970-589: Was the 300 hp 12Fe with around 5,300 built during the war. The company's military designs were so successful that Louis was awarded the Legion of Honour for his company's contributions. The company exported engines to American automobile manufacturers for use in such automobiles as the GJG , which used a Renault 26 horsepower (19 kW) or 40 hp (30 kW) four-cylinder engine. Louis Renault enlarged Renault's scope after 1918, producing agricultural and industrial machinery . The war from 1914 until 1918 led to many new products. The first Renault tractor,

5041-429: Was to continue into the 1980s. In the early 1950s, Renault assembled at least two models; "Standard Saloon" and "De Luxe Saloon" in England. In secrecy during the war, Louis Renault had developed the rear engine 4CV which was subsequently launched under Lefacheux in 1946. Renault debuted its flagship model, the largely conventional 2-litre 4-cylinder Renault Frégate (1951–1960), shortly thereafter. The 4CV proved

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