Renault 4cv Based Specials Specifications: During the summer of 1940, the Germans had successfully invaded France and quickly gained controlled of the entire country including its industrial complex. Louis Renault had been arrested by the Germans and had the option of either going to prison or putting the Renault Company at the service of the German war machine. Renault chose to work with the Germans along with around 40,000 employees from his company. While the majority of the workforce were sent to Germany, a small group remained at the Renault factory just outside of Paris. At the start of the occupation, Renault was only producing commercial and military vehicles at the behest of the German occupational forces. However, Fernand Picard, the Chief Developer of Renault, in his spare time came up with sketches that would eventually become the first rear-mounted engine production French car. So, starting in 1941, in hoping to have an edge on Renault's competitors once the war was over, Picard began to develop plans for two new models. One model was a smaller family car that looked similar to the car of Volkswagenwerk GmbH built by the Germans, while the other was the size of the extremely popular French, Pre-war Citroën Traction Avant. Fernand Picard envisioned a small, economical car suitable for the postwar period. He enlisted the help of fellow Renault employees, CharlesEdmond Serre and Jean-Auguste Riolfo to create a small, economical car, similar to the German People’s Car suitable for the economically difficult years which would inevitably follow the fighting. After the fighting ceased, Louis Renault hoped, that Renault would be able to focus on a new mid-range line of cars, and therefore he was much more excited about the bigger car project. In May of 1941, Louis Renault met with Serre and Picard to see a mock-up of the new small car's engine. Renault then approved the project, and it was then given the code '106E' following the meeting. Since the Germans would not allow work on any new passenger car project, the would-be 4cv development was officially a project to develop a new engine for the Juvaquatre, Renault’s smallest pre-war model. Fernand Picard and his creation Birth of an Idea Manufacturer: Renault Model Years: 1947-1961 Class: Economy Type: Sedan Layout: Rear-engine Engine: 747cc Inline 4 cyl. Trans: 3-speed Manual Power: 21.3 HP @ 4100 RPM Top Speed: 59 mph Wheelbase: 82.5 in. Length: 144.2 in. Width: 56.3 in. Height: 57.9 in. Weight: 1235 lbs.
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