The Hino Contessa is an automobile which was produced by Hino Motors from 1961 to 1967.
67-671: The Contessa was developed largely from the 1947-1961 Renault 4CV powertrain under license to Hino Motors . Offered in both coupe and sedan bodystyles, it replaced the Hino Renault, which was the Renault 4CV manufactured by Hino for Japan. It was adapted into a small pickup truck called the Hino Briska , but used a front engine and rear drive powertrain, while the Contessa used a rear engine and rear drive setup. The PC series coupé
134-483: A Smiths design. The transmission itself was a three-speed mechanical unit similar to that of the Dauphine, but from the beginning with synchromesh on all gears in this version. The system used a dash-mounted push button control panel where the driver could select forward or reverse and a governor that sensed vehicle speed and throttle position. A "relay case" containing electromagnetic switches received signals from
201-561: A blind eye to the whole business. In November 1945 the government invited Ferdinand Porsche to France to explore the possibility of relocating the Volkswagen project to France as part of the reparations package then under discussion. On 15 December 1945, Porsche found himself invited to provide Renault with advice concerning their forthcoming Renault 4CV. Earlier that year, after the death in suspicious circumstances of Louis Renault, newly nationalised Renault had officially acquired
268-569: A certain amount of criticism, a result of its long and cumbersome linkage from the steering column to the rear-mounted transmission. As Hino had a business relationship with Renault at the time, and the powertrain was largely adapted from an existing Renault product, there are clear similarities to the Renault Dauphine . The drivetrain and suspension were carried over from the Hino Renault 4CV (series PA) . The main improvement over
335-527: A dozen are estimated to exist today. In 1996, Renault presented a concept car — the Renault Fiftie — to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 4CV's début. It was a two-door, mid-engine design with styling similar to the 4CV. Renault 8 and 10 The Renault 8 ( Renault R8 until 1964) is a rear-engined , rear-wheel drive small family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault in
402-526: A mild similarity to the Renault 8 , and the second generation Chevrolet Corvair , and the lack of a front grille because the Contessa, Renault and the Corvair are both rear engined and rear cooled (air for the Corvair, water for the Contessa and Renault). Early Standard versions did not receive bumper horns and were fitted with single front headlamps with blanks where the second set would have gone. Later on,
469-585: A new boss, the former resistance hero Pierre Lefaucheux , who had been acting administrator since September 1944. He had been arrested by the Gestapo in June 1944, and deported to Buchenwald concentration camp. The Gestapo transferred him to Metz for interrogation, but the city was deserted because of the advancing allied front; the Germans abandoned their prisoner. Lefaucheux was enraged that anyone should think
536-520: A performance close to that of the R8 Gordini '1100' and midway between the standard Renault 8 and the 1255cc Gordini. The Alconis offered 0–60 mph in 11.9sec, top speed of 97 mph, (according to "Car" magazine road test) and sold for about 10% over the standard car. It was sold new through their dealer network in South Africa and covered by their factory warranty. The local concept
603-472: A single part to be consecutively performed by transferring the part from one station to another. The 4CV was ultimately presented to the public and media at the 1946 Paris Motor Show and went on sale a year later. Volume production was said to have commenced at the company's Billancourt plant a few weeks before the Paris Motor Show of October 1947, although the cars were in very short supply for
670-483: A version of the 8 was produced under license between 1968 and 1972 as the Dacia 1100. In total 37,546 Dacia 1100s were built. The R8 (model R1130) was released in June 1962 and was based on the Renault Dauphine , with which it shared its basic architecture and its 2,270 mm (89.4 in) wheelbase. The style, closely following that of the first prototype produced, at unusually short notice, by Philippe Charbonneaux,
737-463: The Rallye Côte d'Ivoire and Rallye du Maroc . Bob Watson won the 1970 Australian Rally Championship and was runner-up in the 1971 Australian Rally Championship driving an R8 Gordini. R8s also competed in the 1966 Australian Touring Car Championship , 1979 Australian Rallycross Championship , 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 and 1965 International 6 Hour Touring Car Race . In 1963 the Renault 8
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#1732771822578804-627: The " Billancourt " engine producing 17 PS (12.5 kW). Despite an initial period of uncertainty and poor sales due to the ravaged state of the French economy, the 4CV had sold 37,000 units by mid-1949 and was the most popular car in France. Across the Rhine 1,760 4CVs were sold in West Germany in 1950, accounting for 23% of that country's imported cars, and ranking second only to the Fiat 500 on
871-512: The "Samurai". The Contessas also saw a lot of local competition in Japan, and to aid this effort 20 of the lightened Hino Contessa 1300 L (for "Lightened") were built in 1966. These were built with thinner sheet metal and missing some equipment, such as hubcaps and sound deadening. Hino Motors signed a 10-year assembly agreement with Kaiser-Illin Industries of Haifa, Israel, in 1963. Assembly of
938-570: The 1960s and early 1970s. It also formed the basis for the larger Renault 10 , introduced in 1965. The 8 was launched in 1962 and ceased production and sales in France in 1973. By then the related Renault 10 had already been replaced, two years earlier, by the front wheel drive Renault 12 . They were produced in Bulgaria until 1970 (see Bulgarrenault ), and an adapted version of the Renault 8 continued to be produced in Spain until 1976. In Romania,
1005-473: The 4CV was that the Contessa 900 was a full five-seater, making it a much stronger competitor. The engine was installed longitudinally , meaning the radiator was against the outer edge of the engine bay, whereas the Renault installed the radiator against the firewall , and the Hino engine sat in a north-south orientation with the transmission attached inside the engine bay next to the Contessa's firewall. The engine
1072-439: The 4CV's own market coverage downwards in order to open up a clearer gap between the two models which would be produced in parallel for several years, but reaction to the down-market 4 CV, branded as the " Renault 4CV Service ", must have disappointed Renault as this version of the car disappeared from the Renault showrooms after less than a year. The poor sales performance of the stripped-down " 4CV Service " may have been linked to
1139-452: The Contessa 900 started in 1964. Later, Briska 900 and 1300 and the Contessa 1300 sedan were assembled in Haifa as well. During the years 1964-1965, Israel was Hino's second most important market for its Contessas. Israel exports amounted to circa 10 percent of total Contessa production. After Hino was purchased by Toyota, the contract was terminated and the very last Israeli Contessas rolled off
1206-593: The Contessa Coupe, (who had sold a very similar design to Triumph for their 1300 ). While considerably longer and heavier, the PD Contessa also had a much more powerful 1,251 cc four-cylinder engine with five main bearings (" GR100 ", 55 PS or 40 kW or 54 hp). With a four-speed manual transmission, top speed is 130 km/h (81 mph). A handsome coupé version was presented in April 1965;
1273-686: The Contessa began to wind down towards discontinuation, the Hamura factory was reprioritized to produce the Toyota Hilux pickup truck, and the Toyota Publica truck, then later was used to manufacture the Toyota Sprinter . The earlier column-mounted three-speed manual continued to be available in the sedans, while a floor-mounted four-speed manual was standard in coupés and an option in the sedans. A bored out 1.5 litre version of
1340-473: The Contessa, and it was also built as a 2-door coupé. Through their South African subsidiary, Renault Africa Ltd, a special performance version of the 1108cc '8' (model 1132) and '10' (model 1190) was assembled at their East London assembly plant. It sold in that country only as a Renault Alconi, a combination the names of the developers, John Conchie and Eric 'Puddles' Adler, who traded as "Alconi Developments". Engine upgrades resulted in 68 bhp (net) and
1407-490: The GR100 engine was developed in 1966, but after the strategic alliance with Toyota the project was shelved. Codenamed YE30, this 1471 cc engine produced 70 PS (51 kW) in standard trim. The projected Coupé version of the engine (YE36) was to produce 80 PS (59 kW) and a twin-cam version was to offer 90 PS (66 kW). As Toyota began to assume operations of Hino assets and manufacturing resources, Toyota
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#17327718225781474-531: The R1135 Gordini – the middle ones were for high beam only. The car was delivered with black "RENAULT 8S" tapes, intended for the rear wings but their fixing was left to the customer. The Romanian sport version was named Dacia 1100 S. Alongside the new Renault 10, less powerful versions of the Renault 8 continued in production at the Flins plant . The 8 was still sold in France as late as 1973. FASA-Renault,
1541-838: The Standard (of which very few survive) received the same headlamps and bumpers as the De Luxe, albeit with painted rather than chromed bumpers. This generation of the Contessa was also exported to Australia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands amongst others. As a part of this export drive, the Contessa also saw local assembly in New Zealand (by Campbell Motors , around 600 are thought to have been assembled there) and in Israel (by Autocars ). 55,027 PD Contessas were built, of which 3,868 were Coupés. As of 2007, only 105 Contessas remained on
1608-515: The annual International Total Lourenco Marques Rallies. Between the years 1963 and 1969, South African motor sport sponsorship by Renault (Africa) Ltd and private driver enthusiasm resulted in class and endurance race and rally domination (including frequent wins) by the R8 and Gordini R8, which enhanced market penetration and popularity of the vehicles Renault R8 and Gordini also won the 1968 and 1970 South African Saloon Car Championship. The car also won
1675-467: The assembly line in March 1968. In total, over 8,000 Hino Contessa and Briska were assembled in Israel. Renault 4CV The Renault 4CV ( French : quatre chevaux , pronounced [kat.ʃəvo] as if spelled quat'chevaux ) is a car produced by the French company Renault from August 1947 through July 1961. It is a four-door economy car with its engine mounted in the rear and driving
1742-437: The by now almost production-ready Renault 4CV was in any way inspired by the Volkswagen , and even more enraged that the politicians should presume to send Porsche to provide advice on it. The government insisted on nine meetings involving Porsche which took place in rapid succession. Lefaucheux insisted that the meetings would have absolutely no influence on the design of the Renault 4CV, and Porsche cautiously went on record with
1809-748: The car was built for French driving conditions which were much more localized. When driving the 8 in city environments, it is nimble and easy to get around crowded conditions. France did not begin to build the Autoroutes of France until French Law 55-435 was passed April 18, 1955, to create a similar highway system previously built in Germany, called the Autobahn during the 1930s. For 1963 (initially only in France), Renault offered an automatic transmission of unique design, developed and produced by Jaeger. It
1876-471: The car. Drawbacks included performance loss (with only three available gears) and a somewhat jerky operation during gear changes. The transmission was also used in the Dauphine and the Caravelle . A more powerful model, the 8 Major (model R1132), was released in 1964, featuring an 1108 cc engine developing 50 PS (37 kW; 49 hp). A still more powerful version, the 8 model R1134 Gordini ,
1943-574: The company's Spanish arm, continued to produce models 8 and 8TS (similar to the French-built 8S) until 1976 for the Spanish market, and components for the 8S and 8TS assembled in Mexico. In 1964, Hino and Renault had a partnership, where Hino was manufacturing a licensed version of the Renault 8 while making some changes to the updated Contessa . Configuration and engineering changes were made on
2010-578: The coupé benefitted from an upgraded engine with twin carburetors and slightly higher compression and 65 PS (48 kW; 64 hp) from November of the same year. With chassis code PD300/400 (versus PD100/200 for the regular sedan), this sporting version was marketed as the "1300S". There was also an LPG -powered version in Standard or Deluxe trim; in this specification the engine produces 52 PS (38 kW) at 5000 rpm. 100 and 300-series are right-hand drive, while 200 and 400-series are left-hand drive. The use of twin headlights does contribute to
2077-483: The fact that early deliveries all used surplus paint from the German Army vehicles of Rommel's Afrika Korps , which were a sand-yellow color. Later it was known affectionately as the " quatre pattes ", "four paws". The 4CV was initially powered by a 760 cc rear-mounted four-cylinder engine coupled to a three-speed manual transmission . In 1950, the 760 cc unit was replaced by a 747 cc version of
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2144-460: The following three years. Later Pierre Lefaucheux , appointed to the top job at Renault early in 1945, tested the 4CV prototype at Louis Renault 's Herqueville estate. In 1940, Louis Renault had, according to one source, directed his engineering team to "make him a car like the Germans'." Until the arrangement was simplified in 1945, the 4CV featured a 'dummy' grille comprising six thin horizontal chrome strips, intended to distract attention from
2211-439: The governor and push buttons and then controlled a coupler, a decelerator to close the throttle during gear changes, and a solenoid to select operation of the reverse-first or second-third shift rail, using a reversible electric motor to engage the gears. The system was thus entirely electromechanical, without hydraulics, pneumatics or electronics. The relay case was located in the front trunk. On cold days, with no source of heat in
2278-516: The growing popularity of the Citroën 2CV : although at this stage powered by an engine of just 375 cc and offering sclerotic performance, the 2CV was bigger than the Renault and in 1952 came with a starting price of just 341,870 francs. The 4CV's direct replacement was the Dauphine , launched in 1956, but the 4CV remained in production until 1961. The 4CV was replaced by the Renault 4 which used
2345-452: The list. The car remained in production for more than another decade. Claimed power output increased subsequently to 21 hp (16 kW) as increased fuel octanes allowed for higher compression ratios, which along with the relatively low 620 kg (1,370 lb) weight of the car which enabled the manufacturer to report a 0–90 km/h (0–56 mph) time of 38 seconds and a top speed barely under 100 km/h (62 mph). The engine
2412-545: The madly motor sport minded South African public with their active racing and rallying participation and sponsorship program, offering a multitude of Gordini and Alconi race components. During the years 1963–69 when the R8 model was sold, they won seven overall 1st Saloon car to finish trophies in the annual Kyalami International 9-hour Endurance Races (3 x 4th overall, 1 x 5th overall, 3 x 9th overall). The competition included many international purpose built sports cars (Ferraris, Jaguars, Porsches, Cobras). Also three overall wins in
2479-462: The most part, components imported from France. Other countries where 4CVs were assembled included Australia , Belgium , England , Ireland , Japan (where the Hino -assembled cars gained a reputation for superior quality ), Spain and South Africa . Across the world 1,105,543 cars were produced; the 4CV became the first French car to sell over a million units. The 4CV was easily modified, and
2546-407: The next year or so. Renault's advertising highlighted the hundreds of machine-tools installed and processes adopted for the assembly of the first high volume car to be produced since the war , boasting that the little car was now no longer a prototype but a reality. On the 4CV's launch, it was nicknamed " La motte de beurre " (the lump of butter); this was due to the combination of its shape and
2613-438: The pioneering example of the recently introduced Renault 4 by incorporating a sealed for life cooling system. A distinctive innovation on the French produced cars was the fitting of four-wheel disc brakes, a first for a saloon car of this size. However, when in 1965 Renault's Spanish affiliate introduced their own version of the Renault 8 for the (then tariff-shielded) Spanish market, it came with rear drum brakes. The 8
2680-536: The project, now accorded the code "106E", was provided. However, because the Germans had forbidden work on any new passenger car models, the 4CV development was defined as a low priority spin-off from a project to develop a new engine for a post-war return of the company's 1930s small car, the Juvaquatre : departmental bosses installed by the Germans were definitely not to be trusted in respect of "Project 106E", while von Urach, their overlord, always managed to turn
2747-455: The rear wheels . It was the first French car to sell over a million units, and was superseded by the Dauphine . The 4CV was of monocoque construction, 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) in length with front suicide doors . CV is the abbreviation of chevaux-vapeur , the French equivalent to "horsepower" as a unit of power. The name 4CV thus refers to the car's tax horsepower . The 4CV
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2814-479: The road in Japan, although many New Zealand-built cars are exported back to Japan. While series production ground to a halt in March 1967 following Hino's strategic alliance with Toyota in late 1966, assembly of existing shells and parts continued at a slow pace into the summer of 1968, with ever-higher Toyota parts content. A further 175 were built in October 1969, as part of a final disposal of stock. As production of
2881-545: The same engine as the 4CV and sold for a similar price. Although most of the cars were assembled at Renault's Île Seguin plant located on an island in the Seine river opposite Billancourt , the 4CV was also assembled in seven other countries. In December 1949 it was announced that the car had replaced the company's Juvaquatre at the company's factory in Acton , West London, where right hand drive 4CVs were assembled using, for
2948-482: The second quarter of 1964. With an 893 cc version of the Renault-based GP engine , max power is 35 PS (26 kW; 35 hp) which provides a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph). The first Contessa originally received a three-speed column mounted shifter, later a four-speed manual became optional, utilizing an electromagnetic clutch apparatus called Shinko-Hinomatic. The gear change came in for
3015-585: The similarity of the car's overall architecture to that of the German Volkswagen , while recalling the modern designs of the fashionable front-engined passenger cars produced in Detroit during the earlier 1940s. An important part of the 4CV's success was due to the new methodologies used in its manufacture, pioneered by Pierre Bézier . Bézier had begun his 42-year tenure at Renault as a tool setter, moving up to tool designer and then becoming head of
3082-464: The small car project emerging on his watch. A design team led by the company's technical director, Fernand Picard , recently returned from Renault's aero-engine division to the auto business and Charles-Edmond Serre, who had been with Renault for longer than virtually anyone else, envisioned a small, economical car suitable for the period of austerity expected after the war. This was in contrast to Louis Renault himself who, in 1940, believed that after
3149-417: The time nonetheless included warnings to take great care with the car's handling on wet roads due to oversteer . In due course, the manufacturer switched from one extreme to the other, and on later cars 4½ turns were needed to turn the steering wheel from lock to lock. Early in 1953 the manufacturer launched a stripped-down version of the 4CV bereft of anything which might be considered a luxury. Tyre width
3216-566: The tool design office. As director of production engineering in 1949, he designed the transfer lines (or transfer machines ) producing most of the mechanical parts for the 4CV. The transfer machines were high-performance work tools designed to machine engine blocks. While imprisoned during World War II, Bézier developed and improved on the automatic machine principle , introduced before the war by General Motors (GM). The new transfer station with multiple workstations and electromagnetic heads (antecedents to robots), enabled different operations on
3283-499: The trunk area, the relays would freeze and required the "Open, Push, Whack, and Jump". Essentially, the driver had to open the trunk, push the Drive button on the dashboard, whack the relay box, and jump back into the moving vehicle. On extremely cold days, the relay box was unreliable and intermittent, seemingly having a mind of its own. Benefits included comparable fuel economy to the manual transmission version, and easy adaptability to
3350-417: The two were offered release in return for a substantial cash payment. Porsche was able to provide only half of the amount demanded, with the result that Ferry Porsche was sent back to Germany, while Ferdinand Porsche , despite never facing any sort of trial, spent the next twenty months in a Dijon jail. The first prototype had only two doors and was completed in 1942, and two more prototypes were produced in
3417-486: The view that the car would be ready for large scale production in a year. Lefaucheux was a man with contacts. As soon as the 4CV project meetings mandated by the politicians had taken place, Porsche was arrested in connection with war crimes allegations involving the use of forced labour including French in the Volkswagen plant in Germany. Porsche was accompanied on his visit to the Renault plant by his son Ferry , and
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#17327718225783484-437: The war Renault would need to concentrate on its traditional mid-range cars Juvaquatre and Primaquatre . Jean-Auguste Riolfo, head of the test department, was made aware of the project from an early stage as were several other heads of department. In May 1941 Louis Renault himself burst into an office to find Serre and Picard studying a mock-up for the car's engine. By the end of an ad hoc meeting, Renault's approval for
3551-540: Was also concentrating their efforts of introducing a Contessa sized coupe and sedan of their own, and in 1966 introduced the Toyota Corolla . In an effort to prepare the US market in advance of a planned entry, Hino had Pete Brock and his BRE Racing team prepare two Contessa sedans for competition. One won a surprise victory at the 1966 LA Times Grand Prix. Later, Brock raced the lighter and faster Coupé version, called
3618-495: Was also distinguishable from the 8 Major by the bigger 200 mm headlamp units. In 1965, the Renault 10 Major, a more luxurious version of the 8 with different front and rear styling, was released, replacing the 8 Major. In 1967, the R8 Gordini (model R1135) received a facelift including two additional headlights (in effect Cibie Oscar driving lights), and its engine upgraded to a 1255 cc unit rated at 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp). The R1134 Gordini cross-flow head design
3685-424: Was also released that year, with a tuned engine of the same capacity but developing 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp). The extra power was obtained by a cross-flow head and twin dual-choke 40mm side-draft Solex carburetors. A four-speed close ratio manual transmission, dual rear shock absorbers and uprated springs were fitted. The R1134 Gordini was originally available only in blue, with two stick-on white stripes. It
3752-476: Was designed by Giovanni Michelotti , while the second generation was longer and wider in both coupé and sedan bodystyles. Unlike many cars found internationally of this time period, using rear drive and rear engined powertrains, the Contessa was water-cooled rather than air-cooled. The name contessa is Italian for a countess . 47,299 of the PC-series Contessa were built, between April 1961 and
3819-451: Was fashionably boxy; however, while the Renault 8 was actually 30 mm (1.2 in) narrower than the Dauphine, the manufacturer was able to install thick cushioned front seats that were actually each 60 mm (2.4 in) wider, at 560 mm (22.0 in), than those fitted in the Dauphine. The 8 was powered by an all new 956 cc Cléon-Fonte engine developing 44 PS (32 kW ; 43 hp ). The R8's engine followed
3886-538: Was first shown at the September 1962 Paris Motor Show . Although it was described as a form of automatic transmission at the time, in retrospect it was more realistically a form of automatic clutch, inspired by the German Saxomat device which appeared as an option on several mainstream German cars in the 1950s and 60s. The clutch in the system was replaced by a powder ferromagnetic coupler, developed from
3953-609: Was intended to increase vehicle sales to a racing mad South African public by taking advantage of their race-track successes in local "Sprint" and "Endurance" races. About 400–500 vehicles seem to have been sold. As well, many hundreds of performance kits to upgrade the standard vehicles were sold over their parts counters. The car has won the Tour de Corse , Rally Poland , Rallye Açores , Rali Vinho da Madeira , Boucles de Spa and Rajdowe Samochodowe Mistrzostwa Polski . Renault (Africa) managed good sales penetration increases amongst
4020-608: Was introduced at both the 10th Tokyo Auto Show , and the Turin Motor Show in 1962, and followed at the New York Auto Show in 1963. Top speed was claimed to be 140 km/h (87 mph). So that there would be no doubts about its provenance, the scuff plates at the bottom of the door apertures read "Hino-Michelotti". The Sprint had a floor-mounted shifter. The second generation Contessa debuted in September 1964, with exterior design by Giovanni Michelotti on
4087-540: Was notable also for its flexibility, the second and top gear both being usable for speeds between 5 and 100 km/h (3 and 62 mph); the absence of synchromesh on first gear would presumably have discouraged use of the bottom gear except when starting from rest. The rear mounting of the engine meant that the steering could be highly geared while remaining relatively light; in the early cars, only 2¼ turns were needed from lock-to-lock . The unusually direct steering no doubt delighted some keen drivers, but road tests of
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#17327718225784154-492: Was originally conceived and designed covertly by Renault engineers during the World War II German occupation of France , when the manufacturer was under strict orders to design and produce only commercial and military vehicles. Between 1941 and 1944 Renault was placed under the technical directorship of a francophile engineer, Wilhelm von Urach (between 1927 and 1940 employed by Daimler Benz ) who failed to notice
4221-441: Was reduced, and the dummy grille was removed from the front of the car along with the chrome headlamp surrounds. The seats were simplified and the number of bars incorporated in the steering wheel reduced from three to two. The only colour offered was grey. The car achieved its objective of retailing for less than 400,000 Francs. With the Dauphine already at an advanced stage of development it may have made sense to try and expand
4288-420: Was retained, and twin dual-choke 40mm Weber side-draft carburetors. Both the 8 and the 10 were heavily revised for 1969. Some of the 10's features being incorporated in the 8, resulting in a new 8 Major which replaced the basic model. The changes also saw the addition of the 8S, a sportier model with a 1108 cc engine rated at 60 PS (44 kW; 59 hp). The 8S model also had the same twin headlights as
4355-604: Was slanted to the left, and utilized a crossflow cylinder head . The rear suspension used swing axles . The first Contessa was never intended for export, although foreign language brochures were printed up for the Michelotti-designed Contessa 900 Sprint Coupé. Aside from the stylish bodywork, the 100 kg lighter Sprint (650 kg or 1,430 lb) also benefitted from an Officine Nardi -tuned engine (and matching steering wheel) with Weber carburetors and 45 PS (33 kW; 44 hp). The Sprint
4422-477: Was sold in the United States with an unusual marketing approach that acknowledged that the previous Dauphine had many shortcomings for American owners, and that the 8 was an improvement. While an all new engine was built that was more powerful, and many changes were made, most of the criticism summarized the 8's shortcomings when driving on the recently constructed United States Interstate Highway System as
4489-734: Was used extensively as a racing car . The first collaboration between the Alpine company and Renault was the Alpine A106 which was based on the 4CV. The partnership would go on to win the 1973 World Rally Championship with the Alpine A110 . A variant of the 4CV was the Renault Beach Wagon, also known as the Renault Jolly. 50 of these were built by Ghia in 1961 using consecutively serial numbered 4CV's; approximately
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