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Historical overview of the Renault car company
Groupe Renault — French multinational automotive company that manufactures a wide range of cars and vans. It was founded in February 1899 and has also produced buses, trucks, aircraft engines, tractors, tanks and weapons in the past. The headquarters is located in Boulogne-Billancourt, a commune in the western suburbs of Paris. Associated with two Japanese automakers - since 1999 with «Nissan», since 2017 with «Mitsubishi» and currently forms the «Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi» alliance, which is one of the largest automakers in the world . Produces engines for «Mercedes-Benz» vehicles of models «A-Class» and «B-class». It uses motorsport to promote its products. It has factories and branches all over the world.
The young man Louis Renault in 1898 designed and built several prototypes of the «Voiturette Type A» with a 2 hp «De Dion-Bouton» engine, a direct drive gearbox and a drive shaft to the rear wheels instead of a chain. His brothers Fernand and Marcel Renault worked for their father's textile firm. In 1899, all three brothers united and officially registered the company «Renault Frères», where Louis was responsible for development and production, and his brothers were engaged in business management. Louis Renault quickly finds himself alone at the head of the company. Marcel Renault dies on May 24, 1903 during the Paris-Madrid race in which he participated with Louis. Fernand Renault sells his shares in 1908 and dies of illness in 1909.
In 1903, «Renault» began to produce its own engines. Prior to that, she had purchased them from «De Dion-Bouton». The first major deal was made in 1905 when «Renault AG1» were used to build a fleet of taxis. These vehicles were later used by the French military to transport troops during World War I. By 1907, a significant proportion of London and Paris cabs were built by «Renault». In 1908, the company produced about 3.5 thousand cars, becoming the largest automaker in the country. In 1914, when the war broke out, the company began producing munitions, military aircraft, and then «Renault FT» battle tanks. At the end of the war, Louis Renault further diversified his activities, starting with the production of agricultural and industrial machinery and railway cars.
In 1920, the company creates its dealer network in cooperation with the French entrepreneur Gustave Guode. In 1925, the hood badge changed from round to the familiar diamond shape. In 1928, the company produced more than 45 thousand cars. Until 1930, the cooling radiator was located behind the engine, and after that it began to be installed in front. In 1931, Renault introduced diesel engines for its commercial vehicles.
After the surrender of France in 1940, Louis Renault refused to produce tanks for Nazi Germany, which took control of his factories. Instead, he began to produce trucks. In March 1942, the British Royal Air Force caused extensive damage to the Billancourt plant. Bombings were also carried out three more times during 1943. The factory gates were opened only in September 1944 after the liberation of Paris. The provisional government accused Louis Renault of collaborating with the Germans and he was arrested, along with several other French leaders in the automotive industry. He died on October 24, 1944, under unclear circumstances, while awaiting trial. In January 1945, the company was officially nationalized. In the following years, the Renault family tried to have the nationalization reversed by the French courts and obtain compensation, but to no avail.
Under the leadership of leading French industrialist Pierre Lefaud, «Renault» experienced a commercial renaissance and labor unrest that lasted until the 1980s. The company debuted the flagship «Renault Frégate» with a «4CV» engine, which was produced until 1961. With the same engine, but located at the rear, since 1956, the «Renault Dauphine» subcompact car has been produced. In the 1950s, «Renault» took over the small French heavy vehicle manufacturers and in 1955 merged them into its own truck and bus division. Then two successful cars were produced – «Renault 4» (1961-1992) and «Renault 8» (1962-1973). The company's success was reinforced by the prestigious «Renault 16» hatchback (1965-1980) and the smaller «Renault 6» (1968-1986). In 1970, the company produced over a million cars.
Currently, Renault produces almost the entire range of low-cost cars, ranging from family small cars «Logan», «Sandero» and «Symbol», compact «Fluence» and «Megane», midsize «Laguna», compact minivans «Scenic», crossovers «Duster», commercial vans «Kangoo», as well as many other vehicles.
Repair methods for French cars Renault
The French company Renault was founded over 120 years ago and has vast experience and unique technologies in the automotive industry. Today it is a very popular inexpensive and reliable car for everyday use. Despite the reliability, any equipment is prone to breakdowns, especially when it is handled incorrectly - violating operating recommendations or performing maintenance irregularly.
In the event of a «Renault» car breakdown, it is advisable to use the services of authorized service centers. But these services are not available in all cities, their services are expensive and not everyone can afford. You can turn to the services of independent car services or private craftsmen - it's cheaper and more accessible geographically, but there is a risk of installing the wrong or used spare part, which will reduce the service life until the next repair. Self-repair of your «Renault» car is the most profitable in terms of money, you do not need to pay for services, using the Internet you can order not an original spare part, but its analogue, which can cost several times cheaper without losing quality. To repair and maintain «Renault» yourself, you need a garage, a tool kit, your time, desire and skills in plumbing, as well as an online repair manual that you will find on our website and can be accessed directly from the garage using any device with browser. Good luck with your repair!