Reliant Engineering Ltd. was established in 1935 to make 3-wheeled delivery vans powered by Austin Seven engines. In 1953 they brought out their first passenger car--the Regal.
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.
The Robin replaced the Regal. It has a fiberglass body attached to a box steel chassis. It features a rear opening window that soon became a trend used on cars around the globe.
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.
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 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.
The Renault Sport Clio V6 is one of a long line of sporting Renault designs based on existing economy cars by the Régie. Although clearly the Clio V6 is a descendant of the famed Renault R5 Turbo II, its closest ancestor was the Renault Sport Spider.
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 announced the Dauphine, a 4CV development. The mechanics are similar to those of the 4CV, but the body is a 3-box type. It has a welded stress-carrying center section to which the front and rear assemblies are bolted.
