Cars

PTV was a line of cars produced by Automóviles Utilitarios S.A., a Spanish company based near Barcelona. While it was much closer to being a “real” car than the (French) Voisin-designed Biscuter, it always played second fiddle as far as sales were concerned.

The Ant was initially designed for export to Greece and other Mediterranean and middle east countries. Due to its versatility, it also found an English market.

In 1953, Reliant Engineering Co. brought out their first passenger car–the Regal. Reliant chose this name in recognition of the Coronation of Elizabeth II, also in that year.

In 1962, the Renault 4CV was replaced by another back-to-basic car, the Renault 4. It was no secret that the “r4" was aimed at giving the Citroën 2CV some competition. 

Renault introduced its frugal 5 model to the European market in 1972. The 5 is considered one of the more influential designs of the 1970s.

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 a 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.