1927 Renault Cabriolet

The company that would become France's biggest automobile manufacturer started humbly enough, in 1898, by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand. Their earliest vehicle was a 1.75 horsepower DeDion-engined prototype with a primitive tubular chassis frame and an unconventional sprung live rear axle. Superior engineering and success in motorsports, especially with their voiturettes, were rewarded with rapid growth.

The Renault vehicles were successful in continental events and in the French City-to-City races, and in the 1901 Pairs-Bordeaux Race, Louis Renault led a victorious team of four Renaults, taking first place himself in the voiturette class and completing the journey in 9 hours and 31 minutes, with brother Marcel in second place just eight minutes behind, with Oury and Grus on similar Type E cars following in third and fourth places. The following year, Marcel Renault won the Paris-Vienna Race outright, driving a 16 model at an average speed of 39.2 mph. Renault had begun building its own engines in 1902, and the car driven by Marcel used one of those engines.

The Type C of 1900 was equipped with a 3.5hp DeDion Bouton engine with an atmospheric inlet valve and mechanical exhaust valve. The engine was forward-mounted with cooling via side-mounted radiators, an arrangement that would become a traditional feature of the early Renault vehicles before the introduction of the more familiar coal scuttle bonnet/radiator arrangement. It used a three-speed gearbox and a sprung live rear axle.

The commercially successful Type C was followed by an updated Type D model with an enlarged 4.5 horsepower De Dion power. The Renault cars would continue to grow in size, power, and elegance, and the early years of the 20th Century would establish the brand and set it on a path that would ensure its longevity. The single-cylinder Renault was updated annually, with the Type G of 1902, equipped with an 864cc water-cooled DeDion motor, was the first Renault to feature the so-called 'coal scuttle' bonnet, a style widely copied by other manufacturers. The Type G was the largest Renault model built so far and rested atop a longer and wider chassis, made from heavier gauge tubing, with a semi-elliptic suspension instead of the fully elliptical springs favored hitherto. By this point in history, a circular steering wheel on an inclined column had been standardized, replacing the semi-circular control and vertical column used since production began.

Dramatic advances in motoring technology over the years allowed Renault to remain at the leading edge of the rapidly evolving automotive marketplace. Advanced technology included hydraulic shock absorbers in 1906, years ahead of their time, and the brilliantly engineered tumbler box transmission allowed for precise and fast shifting that a racing car demanded. The near mid-engine layout of the Renault racing chassis resulted in near-perfect weight distribution, resulting in better performance and in turn, more victories. Other features like quick detachable rims made the all-too necessary tire changes far more rapid.

By 1913, Renault was France's largest manufacturer of automobiles with a wide range of models and sizes. Following World War I, Renault returned to automobile manufacturing using pre-war designs that continued to use the 'coal scuttle 'bonnet, wooden artillery wheels, and firewall-mounted radiator. The four-cylinder models now had monobloc engines and full-electric starting and lighting were quickly growing in popularity. A six-cylinder model soon joined the lineup, which served as Renault's top-tier offering and evolved into the 40 CV of 1923. An array of bodies was available including formal limousines, landaulets, and town cars.

During the 1920s, Renault reached its apogee with its large and luxurious 40 CV model. It was exclusive and elegant, powered by a 9,122cc L-head inline-6-cylinder engine with a Renault carburetor and 140 horsepower at 2,700 RPM. The engine used a four-speed manual gearbox while four-wheel servo-assisted mechanical drum brakes provide the stopping power. It used solid axles, and semi-elliptical and cantilever leaf springs.

The 9.1-liter inline six-cylinder engine powering the 40 CV was Renault's largest six-cylinder engine in the company's history. This engine allowed for the large formal coachwork, but it was equally at home in competition use, proven in 1925 when a 40 CV finished in 1st Place at the Monte Carlo Rally and in August of the following year, a streamlined, single-seater set a 24-hour speed record at Montlhéry, averaging 107.89 mph and eclipsing the mark set by Bentley.

Renault produced the 40 CV from 1923 through 1928 with just over 600 examples built, most with factory coachwork.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2022