RENAULT / BILLANCOURT / FRANCE

 RENAULT / BILLANCOURT / FRANCE ( 1898 - today)

Louis Renault  built his first small automobile in 1895. In the same year, he founded an automobile company with his brother Marcel, which still exists today under the name RENAULT. Marcel Renault died  during the "Paris - Madrid" race in 1903.  But his constructive experience was incorporated into Renault vehicles for years to come.

Renault launched the first 6-cylinder car in 1906.

Later, the company switched to the production of rational large-series wagons. There was also an 8-cylinder streamlined car in the 1930s. After WWII, Renault set new standards in the small car sector with the R4 model (at least in Europe). The company was nationalized on January 16, 1945 and still exists today.

In my personal opinion, this emblem is the most beautiful in the 125-year history of Renault.

This emblem is very rare. I guess that it was only used in export for vehicles that were delivered to Scandinavia, because I have only seen this emblem there, but so far never in France.

The three colors used - blue, white and red - stand for France. In the background of the blue color you can see the silhouette of the vehicle on which this emblem was used. The idea of showing the vehicle on the emblem, which shows the emblem, was also used by other manufacturers, e.g. Vermorel, Willeme in France and Carhartt in the USA.

Size	c. 9.0 cm
Year	1912
Estimate

1912 Renault with " alligator hood " and the typical radiator behind the engine.

The first Renault logo still showed two letters R for the Renault brothers in Art Deco style, with the left-hand R in mirror writing:

From 1906 onwards, a new emblem was applied to the radiator cap and the fuel filler cap, again showing the vehicle that had this part.

In 1922, a round emblem appeared, partly made of brass, which covered a hole provided for it in the hood. This is why these emblems originally also had a gauze net to keep dirt out of the engine compartment.

Size	13.0 cm
Year	1922 -1925
Estimate

In 1925, a diamond-shaped RENALT emblem appeared for the first time, as it is still used today in various variations.

Size	13.0 cm  x 19.3 cm
Year	1925 - 1930
Estimate

Still with the original gauze on the back

A radiator figure for this model was also available from accessory dealers. It was a reclining Indian:

the characteristic grille of this Renault model is clearly visible in the advertisement

RENAULT mascot, seen in a German collection

1926 advertisment with rhombus emblem

From 1926 to 1939, various Renault models were built with a star as  emblem, such as the Vivastella, Monastella and Reinastella:

the MONASTELLA badge: a mixture between hood ornament and emblem

brochure with star emblem

RENAULT truck emblem from the fourties:

Size	6.0 cm  x 9.0 cm
Year	c. 1940
Estimate

In 1945, the now nationalized company was restarted under the direction of Pierre Lefaucheux. He not only had trucks built as planned, but also passenger cars. The company now had the name:

REGIE NATIONALE USINES RENAULT = RNUR  ( as you can see on the next emblem):

 1951 hood emblem of the RENAULT Fregate

Another RENAULT Fregate hood emblem:

still with RNUR letters

Later the Fregate embleme only showed the name: RENAULT REGIE NATIONALE FRANCE:

Since the Fregate was a ship type, it was only logical to show the ship on the emblem:

Here another very large  FREGATE emblem. I was told that it was from a convertible:

Finally, you could also buy a beautiful metal emblem with enamel from the GH company in the accessories market

Then the name was shortened and became just : REGIE NATIONALE RENAULT:

The Renault Type Colorale was given an enameled emblem in the shape of a coat of arms with the rhombus in the middle:

The emblem for the Renault Dauphine is also worth seeing and collecting:

 There was also an Argentinian version:

and a Brasilian version:

emblem collection M.Shears

Another Argentinian RENAULT emblem:

And finally, even if it is certainly not the most beautiful Renault emblem, that of the most successful Renault of all time, the R4 type:

there was a common silver and a rare golden version

The extremely successful R4 model was also built under license by ALFA ROMEO in Italy and was given its own emblem with the famous Alfa Romeo snake:

 

Last not least a 1970 RENAULT 10 emblem made of plastic only:

The current emblems are pretty boring in my opinion, but that's not true either, because the sales success of its vehicles proves Renault right to have designed a good emblem...

For more emblems see older posts or top right ( list of car makers ).

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