So, with a criteria, all that remained, was a time period. Eventually I settled on 1948 to 1971. The earlier date was easy, this is the earliest example I could find of a modified 4cv, while the later, was the final year Renault offered the rear-engined layout so it seemed an appropriate stopping point. Little did I known this would eliminate hundreds of cars that are primarily classified either as Spiders or Protos. The Spiders generally consist of removing the roof, and sometimes converting the car to a two-door, while the earliest known example goes back to 1949, however most seem to be much later. As for the Protos, they first became popular for amateur racing in the late 1960s, but the overwhelming majority were built in the late 1970s or 1980s, some were even turbo charged. As it turns out, some Protos are also Spiders. Though interesting, it seemed appropriate to try to avoid. So, if it could not be established to have been created within the parameters, It was not included. A great example of car not featured, is the case of the Aubouin barquette, while the car definitely stands out for its unique styling, up front the body is very narrow and the front wheels are open, though from the rear, there is still some semblance of the original 4cv, but It just does not appear to have been built in period. The owner, Vincent Aubouin, exhibited the car in 2024 at the Circuit des Remparts in a field consisting of all period 4cv specials, while it appered to fit in well with its likely much older brothers, without proper documentation, for now it remains just a footnote. Also of note, without the help of 4cv enthusiasts like the late Hector Mackenzie-Wintle, Joel Driskell, John Waterhouse, Jonathan Burnette and Mike Self, as well as all the unique 4cv based owners who have shared information, history, and images of their cars for this index, it would have never been possible. Moreover, it needs to remain a living document, and is important to regularly update it, so as new cars are found they can be added to the index. Finally, a significant number of photos are uncredited , and not all photos are used with their owners permission. Being that this book was not made for commercial purposes, attempting to track down many owners was not attempted. If you own any images within this index, and have concerns about its usage, please contact me and it will be removed. Renault 4cv Based Specials Reasoning Behind the Index Continued: A Proto most likely made in the 1980s Spider that may or may not be period Aubouin Barquette at Remparts in 2024
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