RENAULT

Dauphine

The RENAULT Dauphine was launched in 1956 at the Paris Motor Show as the larger, more refined successor to the legendary 4CV. Like its predecessor, the RENAULT Dauphine adopted a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, powered by an 845cc inline-four engine mounted behind the rear axle. Styled with input from Renault's design studio and the famous Flaminio Bertoni, the RENAULT Dauphine offered four real doors, a roomy cabin and a charming, rounded silhouette that captured the optimism of the 1950s. The RENAULT Dauphine became a massive commercial success, selling in huge numbers across Europe and triggering a genuine export boom in the United States, where it briefly became one of the best-selling imported cars before the arrival of the Volkswagen Beetle's dominance. The RENAULT Dauphine also built a sporting reputation: tuned by Amédée Gordini, the Dauphine Gordini delivered more power and sharper handling, while the rare rally-bred 1093 version pushed performance even further. The RENAULT Dauphine famously won the 1958 Monte Carlo Rally, cementing its motorsport credibility. A more luxurious trim, the Ondine, joined the range in 1960. Built primarily at Renault's Flins and Billancourt plants in France, the RENAULT Dauphine was also assembled and licensed abroad (including by Alfa Romeo in Italy). Production of the RENAULT Dauphine finally ended in 1967, with over two million examples built worldwide.