In 1898, Alfred Renault, choosing not to go into the family button business, built a small car in a workshop in the garden of his family’s home. The “Type A” was shown at the 1899 Paris Salon. 

In 1972, Renault brought out a 3-door hatchback called the 5. By the time the original 5 was replaced in 1984, nearly 5.5 million had been made. In 1978, a remarkable version of the 5 was announced - the 5 Turbo.

The 4 cylinder Renault Alpine 310 was launched in 1972. Some consider the Alpine one of France’s best kept secrets–it was a more practical and cheaper alternative to the Porsche 911. The V6 engine, introduced in 1976, allowed the A310 to rival the best sports cars in Europe.

Avantime is a combination of the French “avant” for “ahead” and the English word “time”. The Avantime’s predecessor - the Espace - was certainly ahead of its time. By 2001, the MPV market was well established, but Renault had their own take with the production debut of the Avantime.

Renault’s Clio is a long-running Supermini-class car. Since 1990, it has been produced in four generations; this is an example of a limited-production model based on the first generation of Clio, 1990-1998.

In 1956, Renault came out with a new model called the Dauphine. It was essentially an updated 4CV with a larger body and more power.

The Espace debuted in 1984, the same year as the Dodge Caravan. Both were pioneers in the Multi-Purpose Vehicle market.