Renault Dauphine
Encyclopedia
Renault Dauphine is a rear-engined economy car
manufactured by Renault
in one body style — a three-box
, four-door sedan — as the successor to the Renault 4CV
, with over two million examples marketed worldwide during its production from 1956-1967.
Along with such cars as the Volkswagen Beetle, Morris Minor
and Fiat 500
, the Dauphine pioneered the modern continental economy car.
Renault marketed variants of the Dauphine, including a sport model, the Gordini, a luxury version, the Ondine, the 1093 factory racing model, and the Caravelle/Floride
, a Dauphine-based two-door convertible.
's successor, and as Renault's chairman, Pierre Lefaucheux
had continued to defy the postwar French Ministry of Industrial Production — which had wanted to convert Renault solely to truck manufacture. Lefaucheux instead had seen Renault's survival in automobile rather than truck manufacture, and had achieved considerable success with the 4CV
, with over 500,000 produced by 1954.
The Dauphine was born during a conversation with Lefaucheux and engineer Picardy Fernand, when the two agreed that while the 4CV
was appropriate in its postwar context, French consumers would soon need a car appropriate for their increasing standard of living.
A 1951 survey conducted by Renault indicated design parameters of a car with a top speed of 110 km/h (68.4 mph), seating for four passengers and fuel consumption of less than 7 L/100 km. The survey indicated that women held stronger opinions about a car's colors than the car itself.
Engineers spent the next five years developing the Dauphine. Within the first year, designers had created a ⅛th scale clay model, studied the model's aerodynamics, built a full scale clay model, studied wood interior mockups of the seating, instrument panel, and steering column — and built the first prototype in metal.
Having largely finalized the exterior design, testing of the prototype began at Renault's facilities at Lardy
, France — by secrecy of night, on July 24, 1952.
Using new laboratories and new specially designed tracks, engineers measured maximum speed, acceleration, braking and fuel consumption as well as handling, heating and ventilation, ride, noise levels — and parts durability. Engineers tested parts by subjecting them to twisting and vibration stresses, and then redesigning the parts for manufacture.
By August 1953, head engineer Picardy had an almond green prototype delivered to Madrid for dry condition testing — ultimately experiencing only five flat tires and a generator failure after 2200 km (1,367 mi). Subsequently, Lefaucheux
ordered engineers to test a Dauphine prototype directly against a Volkswagen Beetle. The engineers determined that noise levels were too high, interior ventilation and door sealing were inadequate and most importantly, the engine capacity was insufficient at only four CV (748 cc). The engine was redesigned to increase its capacity to 845 cc by increasing the bore to 58 mm — giving the car a new informal designation, the 5CV. By 1954, a second series of prototypes incorporated updates, using the older prototypes for crash testing.
Lefaucheux followed the testing carefully — often meeting with his engineers for night testing to ensure secrecy — but did not live to see the Dauphine enter production. He was killed in an automobile accident on February 11, 1955, when he lost control of his Renault Frégate
on an icy road and was struck on the head — by his unsecured luggage as the car rolled over. The Flins factory
was renamed in his honor, and he was succeeded on the project by Pierre Dreyfus
.
By the end of testing, drivers had road tested prototypes in real world conditions including dry weather and dusty condition testing in Madrid
, engine testing in Bayonne
, cold testing at the Arctic Circle
in Norway
, suspension testing in Sicily
, weatherseal testing in then-Yugoslavia
— with more than two-million kilometers of road and track testing.
In December 1955, Pierre Bonin (director of the Flins Renault Factory
) and Fernand Picard presented the first example to leave the factory to Pierre Dreyfus
, who'd taken over the project after the death of Pierre Lefaucheux
.
Advance press preview testing began on February 4, 1956, under the direction of Renault press secretary Robert Sicot, with six Dauphines shipped to Corsica
. Journalists were free to drive anywhere on the island, while under contract not to release publication before March 1, 1956.
The Dauphine debuted on March 6, 1956 at Paris' Palais de Chaillot with over twenty thousand people attending, two days before its official introduction at the 1956 Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva.
, Renault's chairman, often simply called it L' machine de Flins (the Flins machine), referring to the Flins factory
where Renault would ultimately initiate its production.
Renault considered the name Corvette for its new model, but to avoid a conflict with the recently-launched Chevrolet Corvette
instead chose a name that reinforced the importance of the project's predecessor, the 4CV, to France's postwar industrial rebirth.
The final name was attributed to a dinner conversation at the l'auberge de Port-Royal, chaired by Picardy Fernand, where either Jean-Richard Deshaies or Marcel Wiriath said "the 4CV is the Queen, the new arrival can only be the Dauphine.
Dauphine in this case, loosely translates to heiress or successor to the throne — Dauphine being the feminine form of the French feudal title of Dauphin, from the Latin delphinus.
Ironically, both Robert Opron
and Flaminio Bertoni
of Citroën
had wanted to name the Citroën Ami6
the Dauphine
, though by that time, Renault had registered the name.
, and the much larger Frégate
. The new model following the 4CV's rear-engine, four-door sedan in a three-box
format while providing greater room and power — and pioneering a new focus for Renault on interior and exterior color and design.
with power increased from 760 cc to 845 cc and 19 hp. According to Road & Track
, the Dauphine accelerated from 0–110 km/h (0–68.4 mph) in 32 seconds. Engine cooling was facilitated by air intakes behind each rear door and a vented rear fascia.
Heavier and 12 in (304.8 mm) longer than its predecessor, the 4-door body featured monocoque
construction with "a pair of perimeter-shaped longitudinal box sections and substantial cross-bracing", but without the 4CV's rear-hinged suicide door
s.
The rear swing axle
design, which unless ameliorated by any of several options, can allow rear tires to undergo large camber
changes during fast cornering, leading to oversteer — a dynamically unstable
condition where a vehicle can lose control and spin.
Renault relied on a front anti-roll bar as well as tire pressure differential to eliminate oversteer characteristics — low front and high rear tire pressure — and induce understeer
. The tire pressure differential strategy offered the disadvantage that owners and mechanics could inadvertently but easily re-introduce oversteer characteristics by over-inflating the front tires.
In 1960, Renault revised the suspension with the addition of extra rubber springs up front and auxiliary air spring units (mounted inboard of the conventional coils) at the rear — marketing the system as Aerostable — and giving the rear wheels a small degree of negative camber
and increased cornering grip.
, itself a classic three-box
design of the ponton genre
. Renault received styling assistance for the Dauphine at the request of Pierre Lefaucheux
in June 1953 from Luigi Segre
of Carrozzeria Ghia
, especially with integrating the engine's air intake at the rear doors.
The Dauphine had a front-hinged trunklid, which housed the headlights and opened to a seven-cubic-foot trunk. The spare tire was carried horizontally under the front of the car, behind a operable panel below the bumper.
The interior featured adjustable front bucket seats and a rear bench seat, a heater, painted dash matching the exterior, twin courtesy lamps, a white steering wheel, rear bypassing (vs. roll down) windows, twin horns (town and country) selectable by the driver and twin open bins on the dashboard in lieu of gloveboxes. Exterior finishes included a range of pastel colors.
Subsequent to its introduction, and as a promotion for both companies (and an early instance of co-branding
), Renault worked with Jacques Arpels of the prominent jewelers Van Cleef and Arpels to turn a Dauphine dashboard into a work of art.
(1902–1987) had written Renault's chairman, Pierre Lefaucheux
, giving her opinion that the cars of postwar Paris were a uniformly somber parade — and wondering whether an artist could not help find fresh, vibrant colors.
Marrot had attended Paris' prestigious L’école des Arts Décoratifs
, had won a gold medal in 1925 at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes and had received a 1928 Prix Blumenthal
.
Convinced of her value to the project, Pierre Lefaucheux
made her a member of the Dauphine team — "to rid Renault of their stuffy image. After decades of being dipped in various shades of black and grey, car bodies [would be] painted in happy pastels."
Working with four others and after setting up a new test laboratory to measure fabric wear as well as paint wear and uniformity, Marrot proposed new body and interior colors. The new paint colors contrasted with the colors from the competition, the Peugeot 203
and Simca Aronde
, including bright colors with names including Rouge Montijo, Jaune Bahamas, Bleu Hoggar and Blanc Réja. Marrot and her team then developed complementary interior fabrics for the seats and door panels, turning to Paris' large textile houses. Marrot also designed the Dauphine's emblem, with three dolphins over a crown, which would adorn the Dauphine's steering wheel and hood throughout its production.
Later in life, Marrot went on to win the French Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honor)
, and Marrot's textiles were later licensed by companies as diverse as Nike
and Hayden-Harnett
.
Renault offered the Gordini with a 4-speed transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes, and increased horsepower, performance tuned by Amédée Gordini
to 37 hp (27.2 kW).
Renault offered a limited edition of 2,140 a homologated
factory racing model called the 1093, which were similarly tuned to 55 hp (41 kW) and featured a twin-barrel carburettor, rear track rods, four-speed manual transmission and tachometer, had a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph), and were produced in 1962 and 1963 — all with white paint and two thin blue stripes running front to back along the hood, roof and trunk.
, with a car leaving the assembly line every 20–30 seconds — and with engines from the company's headquarters factory on Île Seguin
in Billancourt
, Paris. The highly automated Billancourt site could produce an engine every 28 seconds.
The Dauphine was also manufactured worldwide:
Argentina: Industrias Kaiser Argentina
produced 97,209 units of IKA Dauphine and Gordinis. Dauphine (1960–1966), Gordini (1962–1970) Renault 850 (1967–1970)
Brazil: The Dauphine was also produced under license by Willys-Overland, between 1959 and 1968, in the following versions:
Dauphine: 23,887 units (1959–1965);
"Gordini" 41,052 units (1962–1968);
"Renault 1093": 721 units (1963–1965);
"Teimoso" (simplified model, without accessories): 8,967 units (1965–1967).
A total of 74,627 units was produced in Brazil.
Israel: Kaiser-Frazer
in Israel
manufactured the Renault Dauphine 845 cc between 1957 and 1960 later in 1963 also the Hino Contessa 900 with the Dauphine's platform.
Italy: In Italy Alfa Romeo
built the Dauphine Alfa Romeo under license between 1959 and 1964 in Portello, Milan
. Differences with the French model are: electricity (Magneti-Marelli) 12 Volts, special lights, and the logo "Dauphine Alfa Romeo" or "Ondine Alfa Romeo".
New Zealand: Dauphines were assembled under contract to W R Smallbone Ltd by Todd Motors' Petone plant from 1961 to 1967, according to Mark Webster's book Assembly. This lists 1964 output at 199 units, 384 in 1965, 354 in 1966 and 233 in 1967. Renault assembly shifted in 1967 to Campbell Industries in Thames and Campbell Motors took over the franchise in 1968. Campbell's also assembled the Hino Contessa from 1966 to 1968. When Renault assembly began in Australia in the late 1960s, Campbell's supplied jigs.
Japan: In Japan, the Hino MotorsHino Contessa 900 used the Dauphine's platform under license.
Spain: In Spain, Renault's subsidiary F.A.S.A built Dauphine FASA between 1958-1967 (125,912 units).
United States: The Dauphine was the base vehicle for the electric
Henney Kilowatt
. Among the aftermarket options for the Dauphine was a supercharger
from United States
company Judson Research & Mfg. Co.; this sold in 1958 for US$165, and was designed to be installed in about two hours without any chassis or body modifications.
, when the Dauphine debuted "it proved an almost instant success across the globe: the new coachwork was deemed highly elegant, the price was low, and the Dauphine's overall size was still suitable for congested Parisian streets."
In 1957, the US motoring weekly, The Motor, called the Dauphine the "prettiest little four-seater in the world".
In June 1957, Popular Science
gave a phonetic tip on how to pronounce the car's name as Renno DOUGH-feen, saying "the car feels and acts like a Detroit product, despite the caboose engine" and adding "Nimble, it reaches 50mph in 19 seconds. It darts through traffic like a beagle after a cottontail."
By 1958, Popular Science
had both good and bad to report, saying "It has a host of exquisite touches, you can lock the steering wheel with the ignition key, an ideal frustration for thieves. Choking is automatic. The engine, for its size, is one of Europe's best. Driver visibility is good. The ride is soft, the cornering excellent. Overall maneuverability may be tops among the more popular imports. The owners manual is the most complete." On the negative side, the magazine said "Yet the Dauphine incorporates a bag of annoyances peculiar to itself. On the car tested, too much reach was required in moving the transmission-mounted shift lever. There was inadequate toe clearance above the pedals. In an anxiety to shrink the body, the maker intrudes the wheel wells into the front compartment. Passengers have to stoop and squat to get in. The doors lack hold-opens. The transmission whines. Too-liberal use of plastics cheapens an otherwise attractive interior and inclusion of two-toned horns for town and country is — for the U.S.A. — pure caprice. But the real fault of this car is low power and too-ambitious transmission and axle ratios. Above 40 mph the remarkably quiet little engine begins sighing over its chores. It has a marked reluctance for passing at highway speeds. Will Paris please synchronize that first gear?"
In 1962, Road & Track
tested the Dauphine Gordini and called it peevish, with a top speed of 80 mph (128.7 km/h) and a 0 to 60 mi/h time of 22.3 seconds.
In 1969, Motor Trend
said "There is nothing in the handling at normal speeds to indicate that the engine is stowed in the rear but push up to some high-speed cornering and the rear end becomes quite skittish, requiring skilled control of an oversteer condition that presents itself."
A retrospective in The Evening Chronicle noted the Dauphine's propensity to rust if not given careful attention, saying also a Dauphine "has to be treated with a lot of respect because it was one of the true pioneers of the modern continental car."
In July 2010, Jonathan Burnette, a Texas mechanic set out to drive his 1959 Dauphine to Alaska
and back, saying he "I've driven these cars all over the country, many, many times, and I've never had that much trouble at all. A lot of people don't like this car, so it's kind of like the underdog
."
press statement said Dauphine production passed the million mark in just four years — more quickly than any other car manufactured in Europe.
In the United Kingdom
, the Dauphine was one of the first imported cars to sell in large numbers, in a market formerly dominated by British manufacturers and local subsidiaries of American manufacturers.
A total of 2,150,738 Dauphines were produced in its production run of 10 years.
article said: "The car that has come up fastest in the US market in the past year is Renault's Dauphine. A snub-nosed 32-hp Sedan, it is low-priced, economical and small enough to shoehorn into a small parking space." The same article said "The Dauphine is already outselling Volkswagen in eleven U.S. states, including Texas. So brisk is demand that Renault and the French Line have formed a new shipping company CAT (Compagnie d'Affrètement et de Transport). with six freighters that ferry up to 1,060 Dauphines each across the Atlantic. To serve the U.S. buyer, Renault in just 18 months has also built a nationwide network of 16 U.S. distributors and 410 dealers."
After initial success in the U.S. market, the Dauphine began to suffer. An internal agent, Bernard Hanon (who would later become chairman of Renault), conducted a thorough market study that signaled trouble — sending his report to the director of Renault Inc. in New York. The director filed the report without acting on it — the report was found years later by envoys from corporate headquarters in Billancourt. The damage had already been done; thousands of unordered Dauphines sat at ports worldwide, decaying. The damage to Renault was immense; and Régie Renault faced the first serious crisis in its history.
By October 1960, a slump hit imported cars in the US, and Time
said "In August the U.S. imported 50% fewer French cars than in July, and for the first six months of the year imports ran 33% below the rate for the same period in 1959. Two ships loaded with Renault Dauphines were turned back in mid-Atlantic because the docks in New York were already overcrowded with unsold Dauphines."
In the U.S., Renault sold 28,000 Dauphines in 1957, 57,000 in 1958 and 102,000 in 1959 — falling to 12,106 by 1966.
said "as soon as the US market had come to grips with the Dauphine's swing-axle manners and useless acceleration, they were pole-axed
by its abysmal corrosion record. It would take only one New York winter of driving on salt-strewn roads to give a Dauphine front wings
that resembled net curtains."
In 1967, in debut U.S. magazine advertising for the Dauphine's successor, Renault said: "Our [earlier] cars were not fully prepared to meet the demands of America... More than a fair share of things went wrong with our cars. Less than a fair share of our dealers were equipped to deal with what went wrong," describing the Dauphine's replacement as "The Renault for people who swore they would never buy another one."
In a 2000 survey Car Talk
named the Dauphine the 9th Worst Car Of The Millennium, calling it "truly unencumbered by the engineering process" — albeit in a survey where Tom Magliozzi
called the voters "a self-selecting bunch of wackos, most of whom are really aggravated by a bad experience with one of the cars".
In 2007, Time
with Pulizter Prize-winning journalist Dan Neil
named the Dauphine one of the 50 Worst Cars of All Time, calling it "the most ineffective bit of French engineering since the Maginot Line
" and saying that it could actually be heard rusting.
Economy car
An economy car is an automobile that is designed for low cost operation. Typical economy cars are small, light weight, and inexpensive to buy. Economy car designers are forced by stringent design constraints to be inventive...
manufactured by Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
in one body style — a three-box
Three-box styling
Three-box design is a broad automotive styling term describing a coupé, sedan, notchback or hatchback where — when viewed in profile — principal volumes are articulated into three separate compartments or boxes: engine, passenger and cargo....
, four-door sedan — as the successor to the Renault 4CV
Renault 4CV
The Renault 4CV was an economy car produced by the French manufacturer Renault from August 1947-July 1961. The first French car to sell over a million units, the 4CV was ultimately superseded by the Renault Dauphine....
, with over two million examples marketed worldwide during its production from 1956-1967.
Along with such cars as the Volkswagen Beetle, Morris Minor
Morris Minor
The Morris Minor was a British economy car that debuted at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, on 20 September 1948. Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.3 million were manufactured between 1948 and 1971...
and Fiat 500
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 is a car produced by the Fiat company of Italy between 1957 and 1975, with limited production of the Fiat 500 K estate continuing until 1977. The car was designed by Dante Giacosa....
, the Dauphine pioneered the modern continental economy car.
Renault marketed variants of the Dauphine, including a sport model, the Gordini, a luxury version, the Ondine, the 1093 factory racing model, and the Caravelle/Floride
Renault Caravelle
The Renault Caravelle is an automobile which was produced by the French manufacturer Renault between 1958 and 1968. Outside of North America and Britain it was, until 1962, marketed under the nameplate Renault Floride.-The Name:...
, a Dauphine-based two-door convertible.
Conception
As Louis RenaultLouis Renault (industrialist)
Louis Renault was a French industrialist, one of the founders of Renault and a pioneer of the automobile industry....
's successor, and as Renault's chairman, Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux was a leading French industrialist and a Compagnon de la Libération. -Early years:Born at Triel-sur-Seine, and descended from the French inventor Casimir Lefaucheux, Pierre was second of the four children of Pierre André Lefaucheux and Madeleine Dulac.He volunteered for military...
had continued to defy the postwar French Ministry of Industrial Production — which had wanted to convert Renault solely to truck manufacture. Lefaucheux instead had seen Renault's survival in automobile rather than truck manufacture, and had achieved considerable success with the 4CV
Renault 4CV
The Renault 4CV was an economy car produced by the French manufacturer Renault from August 1947-July 1961. The first French car to sell over a million units, the 4CV was ultimately superseded by the Renault Dauphine....
, with over 500,000 produced by 1954.
The Dauphine was born during a conversation with Lefaucheux and engineer Picardy Fernand, when the two agreed that while the 4CV
Renault 4CV
The Renault 4CV was an economy car produced by the French manufacturer Renault from August 1947-July 1961. The first French car to sell over a million units, the 4CV was ultimately superseded by the Renault Dauphine....
was appropriate in its postwar context, French consumers would soon need a car appropriate for their increasing standard of living.
Prototyping
Internally known as "Project 109" the Dauphine's engineering began in 1949 with engineers Fernand Picardy, Robert Barthaud and Jacques Ousset managing the project.A 1951 survey conducted by Renault indicated design parameters of a car with a top speed of 110 km/h (68.4 mph), seating for four passengers and fuel consumption of less than 7 L/100 km. The survey indicated that women held stronger opinions about a car's colors than the car itself.
Engineers spent the next five years developing the Dauphine. Within the first year, designers had created a ⅛th scale clay model, studied the model's aerodynamics, built a full scale clay model, studied wood interior mockups of the seating, instrument panel, and steering column — and built the first prototype in metal.
Having largely finalized the exterior design, testing of the prototype began at Renault's facilities at Lardy
Lardy
Lardy is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Inhabitants of Lardy are known as Larziacois.-Geography:The village lies on the left bank of the river Juine, which forms all of the commune's southern border....
, France — by secrecy of night, on July 24, 1952.
Using new laboratories and new specially designed tracks, engineers measured maximum speed, acceleration, braking and fuel consumption as well as handling, heating and ventilation, ride, noise levels — and parts durability. Engineers tested parts by subjecting them to twisting and vibration stresses, and then redesigning the parts for manufacture.
By August 1953, head engineer Picardy had an almond green prototype delivered to Madrid for dry condition testing — ultimately experiencing only five flat tires and a generator failure after 2200 km (1,367 mi). Subsequently, Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux was a leading French industrialist and a Compagnon de la Libération. -Early years:Born at Triel-sur-Seine, and descended from the French inventor Casimir Lefaucheux, Pierre was second of the four children of Pierre André Lefaucheux and Madeleine Dulac.He volunteered for military...
ordered engineers to test a Dauphine prototype directly against a Volkswagen Beetle. The engineers determined that noise levels were too high, interior ventilation and door sealing were inadequate and most importantly, the engine capacity was insufficient at only four CV (748 cc). The engine was redesigned to increase its capacity to 845 cc by increasing the bore to 58 mm — giving the car a new informal designation, the 5CV. By 1954, a second series of prototypes incorporated updates, using the older prototypes for crash testing.
Lefaucheux followed the testing carefully — often meeting with his engineers for night testing to ensure secrecy — but did not live to see the Dauphine enter production. He was killed in an automobile accident on February 11, 1955, when he lost control of his Renault Frégate
Renault Frégate
The Renault Frégate is a full-size or executive car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1951 and 1960.-Origins:The Frégate was conceived in the years immediately following World War II...
on an icy road and was struck on the head — by his unsecured luggage as the car rolled over. The Flins factory
Flins Renault Factory
Flins Renault Factory is a car factory in France, straddling the towns of Flins and Aubergenville in Yvelines, around 40 km downstream of Paris...
was renamed in his honor, and he was succeeded on the project by Pierre Dreyfus
Pierre Dreyfus
Pierre Dreyfus was a high flying French civil servant who in 1955 became a top businessman....
.
By the end of testing, drivers had road tested prototypes in real world conditions including dry weather and dusty condition testing in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, engine testing in Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
, cold testing at the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, suspension testing in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, weatherseal testing in then-Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
— with more than two-million kilometers of road and track testing.
In December 1955, Pierre Bonin (director of the Flins Renault Factory
Flins Renault Factory
Flins Renault Factory is a car factory in France, straddling the towns of Flins and Aubergenville in Yvelines, around 40 km downstream of Paris...
) and Fernand Picard presented the first example to leave the factory to Pierre Dreyfus
Pierre Dreyfus
Pierre Dreyfus was a high flying French civil servant who in 1955 became a top businessman....
, who'd taken over the project after the death of Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux was a leading French industrialist and a Compagnon de la Libération. -Early years:Born at Triel-sur-Seine, and descended from the French inventor Casimir Lefaucheux, Pierre was second of the four children of Pierre André Lefaucheux and Madeleine Dulac.He volunteered for military...
.
Debut
Renault first officially revealed the model's existence to the press through L’Auto Journal and L’Action Automobile et Touristique in November 1955 — referring to it simply by its unofficial model designation "the 5CV".Advance press preview testing began on February 4, 1956, under the direction of Renault press secretary Robert Sicot, with six Dauphines shipped to Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. Journalists were free to drive anywhere on the island, while under contract not to release publication before March 1, 1956.
The Dauphine debuted on March 6, 1956 at Paris' Palais de Chaillot with over twenty thousand people attending, two days before its official introduction at the 1956 Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva.
Name
In addition to its internal project number, Project 109, the prototype had been called by its unofficial model designation, the "5CV" and LefaucheuxPierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux was a leading French industrialist and a Compagnon de la Libération. -Early years:Born at Triel-sur-Seine, and descended from the French inventor Casimir Lefaucheux, Pierre was second of the four children of Pierre André Lefaucheux and Madeleine Dulac.He volunteered for military...
, Renault's chairman, often simply called it L' machine de Flins (the Flins machine), referring to the Flins factory
Flins Renault Factory
Flins Renault Factory is a car factory in France, straddling the towns of Flins and Aubergenville in Yvelines, around 40 km downstream of Paris...
where Renault would ultimately initiate its production.
Renault considered the name Corvette for its new model, but to avoid a conflict with the recently-launched Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
instead chose a name that reinforced the importance of the project's predecessor, the 4CV, to France's postwar industrial rebirth.
The final name was attributed to a dinner conversation at the l'auberge de Port-Royal, chaired by Picardy Fernand, where either Jean-Richard Deshaies or Marcel Wiriath said "the 4CV is the Queen, the new arrival can only be the Dauphine.
Dauphine in this case, loosely translates to heiress or successor to the throne — Dauphine being the feminine form of the French feudal title of Dauphin, from the Latin delphinus.
Ironically, both Robert Opron
Robert Opron
Robert Opron is a French automotive designer, trained as an architect, and noted for designs from the 1960s through the 1980s for Simca, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ligier, Renault and Citroën – which he joined in 1962 and where he became Responsable de Style, head of the design department.Opron was a...
and Flaminio Bertoni
Flaminio Bertoni
Flaminio Bertoni was an automobile designer, responsible for some of the most radical reconceptualisations of automobiles ever. He worked in the years preceding World War II until his death in 1964...
of Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
had wanted to name the Citroën Ami6
Citroën Ami
The Citroën Ami is a supermini produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1961 to 1978. The Ami and stablemate Citroën Dyane were replaced by the Citroën Visa and Citroën Axel . The Ami was for some years the best-selling car model in France...
the Dauphine
Dauphine
Dauphine is the female form of the particular French feudal title of Dauphin , applied to the wife of a Dauphin...
, though by that time, Renault had registered the name.
Design
At introduction, the Dauphine was positioned in the marketplace between the concurrently manufactured 4CVRenault 4CV
The Renault 4CV was an economy car produced by the French manufacturer Renault from August 1947-July 1961. The first French car to sell over a million units, the 4CV was ultimately superseded by the Renault Dauphine....
, and the much larger Frégate
Renault Frégate
The Renault Frégate is a full-size or executive car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1951 and 1960.-Origins:The Frégate was conceived in the years immediately following World War II...
. The new model following the 4CV's rear-engine, four-door sedan in a three-box
Three-box styling
Three-box design is a broad automotive styling term describing a coupé, sedan, notchback or hatchback where — when viewed in profile — principal volumes are articulated into three separate compartments or boxes: engine, passenger and cargo....
format while providing greater room and power — and pioneering a new focus for Renault on interior and exterior color and design.
Technical
The Dauphine used a version of the 4CV's water-cooled Ventoux engineRenault Ventoux engine
The Ventoux was an automotive engine designed by Renault for the Renault 4CV, used subsequently until 1997, and named after Mont Ventoux in Provence....
with power increased from 760 cc to 845 cc and 19 hp. According to Road & Track
Road & Track
Road & Track is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, and is published monthly. The editorial offices are located in Newport Beach, California.-History:...
, the Dauphine accelerated from 0–110 km/h (0–68.4 mph) in 32 seconds. Engine cooling was facilitated by air intakes behind each rear door and a vented rear fascia.
Heavier and 12 in (304.8 mm) longer than its predecessor, the 4-door body featured monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
construction with "a pair of perimeter-shaped longitudinal box sections and substantial cross-bracing", but without the 4CV's rear-hinged suicide door
Suicide door
A suicide door is a car door hinged on the trailing edge, the edge closer to the rear of the vehicle. Such doors are rarely used on vehicles in modern times because of their disadvantages....
s.
- Transmissions: Renault offered a three speed manual transmissionManual transmissionA manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
for the Dauphine, with synchronizers on 2nd and 3rd gear. In October 1961 synchromesh was provided for the 1st gear. There was also the option of automatic transmission beginning in 1957 with an electromagnetically operated Ferlec clutch and no separate clutch pedal — similar to Volkswagen's Autostick. Unlike the VW transmission's floor-mounted stickshift, the Renault's transmission was controlled by three dash-mounted buttons.
- Suspension: Front suspension was conventional coil-spring/wishbone layout with an anti-roll bar and rack-and-pinion steering, on a detachable front cross member. Rear suspension was a high-pivot swing axleSwing axleA swing axle is a simple type of independent suspension first used in early aircraft , such as the Sopwith and Fokker, usually with rubber bungee and no damping....
with concentric coil-spring/telescopic dampers sitting atop the swing tubes which Renault called trumpet casings. With the exception of the trunnionTrunnionA trunnion is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting and/or pivoting point. In a cannon, the trunnions are two projections cast just forward of the centre of mass of the cannon and fixed to a two-wheeled movable gun carriage...
arms in the transaxleTransaxleIn the automotive field, a transaxle is a major mechanical component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential, and associated components of the driven axle into one integrated assembly....
housing, there was no fore-aft 'location' of the rear suspension. The pressed engine/transaxle/suspension mounting member was detachable from the main body structure. 61% of the Dauphine's weight was carried by the rear wheels.
The rear swing axle
Swing axle
A swing axle is a simple type of independent suspension first used in early aircraft , such as the Sopwith and Fokker, usually with rubber bungee and no damping....
design, which unless ameliorated by any of several options, can allow rear tires to undergo large camber
Camber
Camber may refer to a variety of curvatures and angles:* Camber angle, the angle made by the wheels of a vehicle* Camber thrust in bike technology* In the steel industry, the concavity of rolls...
changes during fast cornering, leading to oversteer — a dynamically unstable
Directional stability
Directional stability is stability of a moving body or vehicle about an axis which is perpendicular to its direction of motion. Stability of a vehicle concerns itself with the tendency of a vehicle to return to its original direction in relation to the oncoming medium when disturbed away from...
condition where a vehicle can lose control and spin.
Renault relied on a front anti-roll bar as well as tire pressure differential to eliminate oversteer characteristics — low front and high rear tire pressure — and induce understeer
Understeer
Understeer and oversteer are vehicle dynamics terms used to describe the sensitivity of a vehicle to steering. Simply put, oversteer is what occurs when a car turns by more than the amount commanded by the driver...
. The tire pressure differential strategy offered the disadvantage that owners and mechanics could inadvertently but easily re-introduce oversteer characteristics by over-inflating the front tires.
In 1960, Renault revised the suspension with the addition of extra rubber springs up front and auxiliary air spring units (mounted inboard of the conventional coils) at the rear — marketing the system as Aerostable — and giving the rear wheels a small degree of negative camber
Camber angle
thumb|100px|From the front of the car, a right wheel with a negative camber angleCamber angle is the angle made by the wheels of a vehicle; specifically, it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheels used for steering and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or...
and increased cornering grip.
- Engine configuration: Speaking about the Dauphine's rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, Renault's Fernand Picard said in a paper he delivered in 1957 that the car was part of a rear-engine trend led by Volkswagen, Fiat and Renault whereby the rear drive/rear engine configuration had increased from 2.6% of continental western Europe's car production in 1946 to 26.6% in 1956. The United Kingdom auto industry, which had also managed largely to avoid the front-engine/front-wheel-drive trend of the 1930s, was excluded from Picard's figures.
Engine specifications
| Engine | Fuel | Displacement cc |
Power hp (kW) |
Torque N·m (lb·ft) |
Top speed | 0-60 mph seconds 0–97 km/h seconds |
Power-to-weight ratio W/kg (hp/tonne) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type Ventoux 670-1 | Gasoline | 845 | 27.0 (20.1) at 4000 rpm |
66 (49) | 112 km/h (69.6 mph) | 37 | 38.43 (41.54) |
| Gordini - Ventoux 670-5 | Gasoline | 845 | 36 (26.8) at 4000 rpm |
65 (48) | 130 km/h (80.8 mph) | 30 | 40.68 (54.55) |
Styling and Interior
Overall, Dauphine styling was a scaled down version of the Renault FrégateRenault Frégate
The Renault Frégate is a full-size or executive car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1951 and 1960.-Origins:The Frégate was conceived in the years immediately following World War II...
, itself a classic three-box
Three-box styling
Three-box design is a broad automotive styling term describing a coupé, sedan, notchback or hatchback where — when viewed in profile — principal volumes are articulated into three separate compartments or boxes: engine, passenger and cargo....
design of the ponton genre
Ponton (automobile)
Ponton or Pontoon styling refers to a 1930s-1960s design genre — ultimately the precursor of modern automotive styling. The trend emerged as distinct running boards and fully articulated fenders became less common and bodywork began to enclose the full width and uninterrupted length of a car...
. Renault received styling assistance for the Dauphine at the request of Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux was a leading French industrialist and a Compagnon de la Libération. -Early years:Born at Triel-sur-Seine, and descended from the French inventor Casimir Lefaucheux, Pierre was second of the four children of Pierre André Lefaucheux and Madeleine Dulac.He volunteered for military...
in June 1953 from Luigi Segre
Luigi Segre
Luigi "Gigi" Segre was an Italian automotive designer and engineer, leading the Carrozzeria Ghia from 1953, when Mario Boano left, until his death in 1963, from complications during surgery....
of Carrozzeria Ghia
Carrozzeria Ghia
Carrozzeria Ghia SpA is one of the most famous Italian automobile design and coachbuilding firms, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio, located at 4 Corso Valentino in Turin....
, especially with integrating the engine's air intake at the rear doors.
The Dauphine had a front-hinged trunklid, which housed the headlights and opened to a seven-cubic-foot trunk. The spare tire was carried horizontally under the front of the car, behind a operable panel below the bumper.
The interior featured adjustable front bucket seats and a rear bench seat, a heater, painted dash matching the exterior, twin courtesy lamps, a white steering wheel, rear bypassing (vs. roll down) windows, twin horns (town and country) selectable by the driver and twin open bins on the dashboard in lieu of gloveboxes. Exterior finishes included a range of pastel colors.
Subsequent to its introduction, and as a promotion for both companies (and an early instance of co-branding
Co-branding
Co-branding refers to several different marketing arrangements:Co-branding, also called brand partnership, is when two companies form an alliance to work together, creating marketing synergy...
), Renault worked with Jacques Arpels of the prominent jewelers Van Cleef and Arpels to turn a Dauphine dashboard into a work of art.
Marrot at Renault
In 1950, the president of General Motors (GM) had visited Renault, noting the cars' drab colors, inside and out. According to their own 1951 Survey, Renault's studies had shown that women held stronger opinions on the colors of a car than the actual choice of a particular model. Coincidentally, well-known Parisian textile artist Paule MarrotPaule Marrot
Paule Marrot was a Parisian textile designer widely known for her textile prints with a flat, two-dimensional, upbeat style — often with a floral pattern. She experienced strong popularity in the U.S...
(1902–1987) had written Renault's chairman, Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux was a leading French industrialist and a Compagnon de la Libération. -Early years:Born at Triel-sur-Seine, and descended from the French inventor Casimir Lefaucheux, Pierre was second of the four children of Pierre André Lefaucheux and Madeleine Dulac.He volunteered for military...
, giving her opinion that the cars of postwar Paris were a uniformly somber parade — and wondering whether an artist could not help find fresh, vibrant colors.
Marrot had attended Paris' prestigious L’école des Arts Décoratifs
École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs
The École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs is a public university of art and design and is one of the most prestigious French grande école...
, had won a gold medal in 1925 at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes and had received a 1928 Prix Blumenthal
Prix Blumenthal
The Prix Blumenthal was a grant or stipend awarded through the philanthropy of Florence Meyer Blumenthal — and the foundation she created, Fondation franco-américaine Florence Blumenthal — to discover young French artists, aid them financially, and in the process draw the United States...
.
Convinced of her value to the project, Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux
Pierre Lefaucheux was a leading French industrialist and a Compagnon de la Libération. -Early years:Born at Triel-sur-Seine, and descended from the French inventor Casimir Lefaucheux, Pierre was second of the four children of Pierre André Lefaucheux and Madeleine Dulac.He volunteered for military...
made her a member of the Dauphine team — "to rid Renault of their stuffy image. After decades of being dipped in various shades of black and grey, car bodies [would be] painted in happy pastels."
Working with four others and after setting up a new test laboratory to measure fabric wear as well as paint wear and uniformity, Marrot proposed new body and interior colors. The new paint colors contrasted with the colors from the competition, the Peugeot 203
Peugeot 203
The Peugeot 203 is a medium sized car which was produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot between 1948 and 1960.The car was exhibited at the Paris Motor Show in 1947, but by then had already been under development for more than five years...
and Simca Aronde
Simca Aronde
The Simca Aronde was a family car manufactured by the French automaker Simca from 1951 to 1963. It was Simca's first original design , as well as the company's first unibody car...
, including bright colors with names including Rouge Montijo, Jaune Bahamas, Bleu Hoggar and Blanc Réja. Marrot and her team then developed complementary interior fabrics for the seats and door panels, turning to Paris' large textile houses. Marrot also designed the Dauphine's emblem, with three dolphins over a crown, which would adorn the Dauphine's steering wheel and hood throughout its production.
Later in life, Marrot went on to win the French Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honor)
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, and Marrot's textiles were later licensed by companies as diverse as Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and Hayden-Harnett
Hayden-Harnett
Hayden-Harnett is a Brooklyn-based fashion company that produces handbags, accessories, and apparel, founded by Toni Hacker and Benjamin Harnett in 2005. Hayden-Harnett was recently chosen by Target Corporation to design a limited edition national diffusion collection for spring 2009 delivery at...
.
Variants
Renault offered the Ondine with a 4-speed transmission, from 1960 to 1962.Renault offered the Gordini with a 4-speed transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes, and increased horsepower, performance tuned by Amédée Gordini
Amédée Gordini
Amédée Gordini was an Italian-born race car driver and sports car manufacturer in France.Gordini was born in Bazzano, Province of Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. He was a young boy when he became fascinated with automobiles and racing. In his early teens, he worked as a...
to 37 hp (27.2 kW).
Renault offered a limited edition of 2,140 a homologated
Homologation (motorsport)
In motorsports, homologation is the approval process a vehicle, race track or standardised part must go through to race in a given league or series. The regulations and rules that must be met are generally set by the series' sanctioning body...
factory racing model called the 1093, which were similarly tuned to 55 hp (41 kW) and featured a twin-barrel carburettor, rear track rods, four-speed manual transmission and tachometer, had a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph), and were produced in 1962 and 1963 — all with white paint and two thin blue stripes running front to back along the hood, roof and trunk.
Manufacture
Renault manufactured the Dauphine at its Flins factoryFlins Renault Factory
Flins Renault Factory is a car factory in France, straddling the towns of Flins and Aubergenville in Yvelines, around 40 km downstream of Paris...
, with a car leaving the assembly line every 20–30 seconds — and with engines from the company's headquarters factory on Île Seguin
Île Seguin
Île Seguin is an island on the Seine river between Boulogne-Billancourt and Sèvres, in the west suburbs of Paris, France.Île Seguin was home to a Renault factory, constructed between 1929 and 1934. With 30,000 laborers at its peak, the last car from the Renault production line was a Renault 5...
in Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Boulogne-Billancourt is a sub-prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt....
, Paris. The highly automated Billancourt site could produce an engine every 28 seconds.
The Dauphine was also manufactured worldwide:
Argentina: Industrias Kaiser Argentina
Industrias Kaiser Argentina
Industrias Kaiser Argentina S.A. or IKA was an Argentine motor company established in 1956 in Córdoba Province as a joint venture with Kaiser Motors of the United States....
produced 97,209 units of IKA Dauphine and Gordinis. Dauphine (1960–1966), Gordini (1962–1970) Renault 850 (1967–1970)
Brazil: The Dauphine was also produced under license by Willys-Overland, between 1959 and 1968, in the following versions:
Dauphine: 23,887 units (1959–1965);
"Gordini" 41,052 units (1962–1968);
"Renault 1093": 721 units (1963–1965);
"Teimoso" (simplified model, without accessories): 8,967 units (1965–1967).
A total of 74,627 units was produced in Brazil.
Israel: Kaiser-Frazer
Kaiser-Frazer
The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was the result of a partnership between automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer and industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. In 1947, the company acquired the automotive assets of Graham-Paige, of which Frazer had been president before the Second World War...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
manufactured the Renault Dauphine 845 cc between 1957 and 1960 later in 1963 also the Hino Contessa 900 with the Dauphine's platform.
Italy: In Italy Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
built the Dauphine Alfa Romeo under license between 1959 and 1964 in Portello, Milan
Portello, Milan
Portello is a district of Milan, Italy, part of the Zone 8 administrative division of the city, located north-west of the centre. It is best known as a car-manufacturing area, as it used to house facilities of Alfa Romeo , Darracq, Citroën, and Fiat. The district also includes one of the major...
. Differences with the French model are: electricity (Magneti-Marelli) 12 Volts, special lights, and the logo "Dauphine Alfa Romeo" or "Ondine Alfa Romeo".
New Zealand: Dauphines were assembled under contract to W R Smallbone Ltd by Todd Motors' Petone plant from 1961 to 1967, according to Mark Webster's book Assembly. This lists 1964 output at 199 units, 384 in 1965, 354 in 1966 and 233 in 1967. Renault assembly shifted in 1967 to Campbell Industries in Thames and Campbell Motors took over the franchise in 1968. Campbell's also assembled the Hino Contessa from 1966 to 1968. When Renault assembly began in Australia in the late 1960s, Campbell's supplied jigs.
Japan: In Japan, the Hino MotorsHino Contessa 900 used the Dauphine's platform under license.
Spain: In Spain, Renault's subsidiary F.A.S.A built Dauphine FASA between 1958-1967 (125,912 units).
United States: The Dauphine was the base vehicle for the electric
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
Henney Kilowatt
Henney Kilowatt
The Henney Kilowatt was an electric car introduced in the United States for the 1959 model year.-Corporate funding:The Henney Kilowatt was a project of National Union Electric Company, a conglomerate including Emerson Radio, and Henney Motor Company, which had purchased Eureka Williams in 1953. The...
. Among the aftermarket options for the Dauphine was a supercharger
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
from United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company Judson Research & Mfg. Co.; this sold in 1958 for US$165, and was designed to be installed in about two hours without any chassis or body modifications.
Succession
By the early 1960s, Renault's sought to avoid the single-model-culture that had nearly destroyed Volkswagen, accelerating the development of the Dauphine's successor, the R8, which supplemented the Dauphine in 1962. Renault celebrated the end of Dauphine production with a limited edition of 1000 models. The last of the base-model Dauphines was produced in December 1966 and the last Gordini models were made in 1968.Reception
In 1956, according to a retrospective in The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, when the Dauphine debuted "it proved an almost instant success across the globe: the new coachwork was deemed highly elegant, the price was low, and the Dauphine's overall size was still suitable for congested Parisian streets."
In 1957, the US motoring weekly, The Motor, called the Dauphine the "prettiest little four-seater in the world".
In June 1957, Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
gave a phonetic tip on how to pronounce the car's name as Renno DOUGH-feen, saying "the car feels and acts like a Detroit product, despite the caboose engine" and adding "Nimble, it reaches 50mph in 19 seconds. It darts through traffic like a beagle after a cottontail."
By 1958, Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
had both good and bad to report, saying "It has a host of exquisite touches, you can lock the steering wheel with the ignition key, an ideal frustration for thieves. Choking is automatic. The engine, for its size, is one of Europe's best. Driver visibility is good. The ride is soft, the cornering excellent. Overall maneuverability may be tops among the more popular imports. The owners manual is the most complete." On the negative side, the magazine said "Yet the Dauphine incorporates a bag of annoyances peculiar to itself. On the car tested, too much reach was required in moving the transmission-mounted shift lever. There was inadequate toe clearance above the pedals. In an anxiety to shrink the body, the maker intrudes the wheel wells into the front compartment. Passengers have to stoop and squat to get in. The doors lack hold-opens. The transmission whines. Too-liberal use of plastics cheapens an otherwise attractive interior and inclusion of two-toned horns for town and country is — for the U.S.A. — pure caprice. But the real fault of this car is low power and too-ambitious transmission and axle ratios. Above 40 mph the remarkably quiet little engine begins sighing over its chores. It has a marked reluctance for passing at highway speeds. Will Paris please synchronize that first gear?"
In 1962, Road & Track
Road & Track
Road & Track is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, and is published monthly. The editorial offices are located in Newport Beach, California.-History:...
tested the Dauphine Gordini and called it peevish, with a top speed of 80 mph (128.7 km/h) and a 0 to 60 mi/h time of 22.3 seconds.
In 1969, Motor Trend
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
said "There is nothing in the handling at normal speeds to indicate that the engine is stowed in the rear but push up to some high-speed cornering and the rear end becomes quite skittish, requiring skilled control of an oversteer condition that presents itself."
A retrospective in The Evening Chronicle noted the Dauphine's propensity to rust if not given careful attention, saying also a Dauphine "has to be treated with a lot of respect because it was one of the true pioneers of the modern continental car."
In July 2010, Jonathan Burnette, a Texas mechanic set out to drive his 1959 Dauphine to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and back, saying he "I've driven these cars all over the country, many, many times, and I've never had that much trouble at all. A lot of people don't like this car, so it's kind of like the underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
."
Sales
In 1966, a RenaultRenault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
press statement said Dauphine production passed the million mark in just four years — more quickly than any other car manufactured in Europe.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Dauphine was one of the first imported cars to sell in large numbers, in a market formerly dominated by British manufacturers and local subsidiaries of American manufacturers.
A total of 2,150,738 Dauphines were produced in its production run of 10 years.
USA
A 1958 TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
article said: "The car that has come up fastest in the US market in the past year is Renault's Dauphine. A snub-nosed 32-hp Sedan, it is low-priced, economical and small enough to shoehorn into a small parking space." The same article said "The Dauphine is already outselling Volkswagen in eleven U.S. states, including Texas. So brisk is demand that Renault and the French Line have formed a new shipping company CAT (Compagnie d'Affrètement et de Transport). with six freighters that ferry up to 1,060 Dauphines each across the Atlantic. To serve the U.S. buyer, Renault in just 18 months has also built a nationwide network of 16 U.S. distributors and 410 dealers."
After initial success in the U.S. market, the Dauphine began to suffer. An internal agent, Bernard Hanon (who would later become chairman of Renault), conducted a thorough market study that signaled trouble — sending his report to the director of Renault Inc. in New York. The director filed the report without acting on it — the report was found years later by envoys from corporate headquarters in Billancourt. The damage had already been done; thousands of unordered Dauphines sat at ports worldwide, decaying. The damage to Renault was immense; and Régie Renault faced the first serious crisis in its history.
By October 1960, a slump hit imported cars in the US, and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
said "In August the U.S. imported 50% fewer French cars than in July, and for the first six months of the year imports ran 33% below the rate for the same period in 1959. Two ships loaded with Renault Dauphines were turned back in mid-Atlantic because the docks in New York were already overcrowded with unsold Dauphines."
In the U.S., Renault sold 28,000 Dauphines in 1957, 57,000 in 1958 and 102,000 in 1959 — falling to 12,106 by 1966.
Race victories
- 1956, Mille MigliaMille MigliaThe Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
, first four places, with a factory team of five cars with five-speed gearboxes. - 1956, Winner of the first Tour de Corse (Corsica Rally)Tour de CorseThe Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was part of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season to 2008. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it only features...
, with Belgian female drivers Gilberte Thirion and Nadege Ferrier. - 1958, Winner of Monte Carlo RallyMonte Carlo RallyThe Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
and the Tour de Corse8, with drivers Guy Monraisse and Jacques Féret. - 1959, Winner, Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast Rally)Rallye Côte d'IvoireThe Rallye Côte d'Ivoire is a rally race held annually in Côte d'Ivoire in Africa. In common with other races on the continent, it is known for its arduous conditions and high attrition rate among competitors. It was part of the World Rally Championship for drivers and manufacturers from 1978 to...
. - 1962, Dauphine 1093: Winner with the Tour de Corse in 1962 with drivers Pierre Orsini and Jean Canonicci.
Criticism
A 2008 retrospective article in The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
said "as soon as the US market had come to grips with the Dauphine's swing-axle manners and useless acceleration, they were pole-axed
Pollaxe
The pollaxe is a type of European polearm which was widely used by medieval infantry. It is also known by the names poleaxe, pole-axe, pole axe, polax, and Hache ....
by its abysmal corrosion record. It would take only one New York winter of driving on salt-strewn roads to give a Dauphine front wings
Fender (vehicle)
Fender is the US English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well . Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire. Fenders are typically rigid and can be...
that resembled net curtains."
In 1967, in debut U.S. magazine advertising for the Dauphine's successor, Renault said: "Our [earlier] cars were not fully prepared to meet the demands of America... More than a fair share of things went wrong with our cars. Less than a fair share of our dealers were equipped to deal with what went wrong," describing the Dauphine's replacement as "The Renault for people who swore they would never buy another one."
In a 2000 survey Car Talk
Car Talk
Car Talk is a radio talk show broadcast weekly on National Public Radio stations throughout the United States and elsewhere. Its subjects are automobiles and repair, and it often takes humorous turns...
named the Dauphine the 9th Worst Car Of The Millennium, calling it "truly unencumbered by the engineering process" — albeit in a survey where Tom Magliozzi
Tom Magliozzi
Thomas Louis "Click Tappet" Magliozzi is an American radio talk show host. He and his younger brother Ray Magliozzi, also known collectively as Click and Clack, The Tappet Brothers, are the hosts of National Public Radio's Car Talk. -Biography:Thomas Louis...
called the voters "a self-selecting bunch of wackos, most of whom are really aggravated by a bad experience with one of the cars".
In 2007, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
with Pulizter Prize-winning journalist Dan Neil
Dan Neil
Dan Neil is an automotive columnist for The Wall Street Journal and a former contributor to the Los Angeles Times, AutoWeek and Car and Driver. He is a panelist on The Car Show with Adam Carolla on Speed Channel, which debuted July 13, 2011.In 1999, Neil received the International Motor Press...
named the Dauphine one of the 50 Worst Cars of All Time, calling it "the most ineffective bit of French engineering since the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
" and saying that it could actually be heard rusting.