1961 Renault Caravelle

At the 1958 Paris Motor Show, the public was introduced to the Renault Caravelle. The Renault Caravelle (known outside of the United States as the Renault Floride), was produced from 1958 through 1968, with over 117,000 examples created. The convertible design was courtesy of Pietro Frua who was working at Carrozzeria Ghia at the time. The car had a rear-engined design and used the engine and floorpan of the Renault Dauphine. The four-cylinder engine displaced 845 cc and produced 40 horsepower.

In 1962, the engine was upgraded to a larger, 956cc unit from the recently launched Renault 8. From 1962 onwards, the Caravelle name was dropped for the Floride. In 1964, the engine was upgraded to a 1108cc unit that produced 55 horsepower.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2009