Renault Type C

Just like a painting, a car can nowadays be restored while preserving its authentic appearance, the so called patina.

The three Renault brothers (Louis-Paul, Marcel and Fernand) entered the by then thriving French car industry relatively late. It was not until 1899 that they built their first four-wheeler, which was derived from a De Dion-Bouton model. Although the Renault Type C shown here is fitted with a De Dion-Bouton engine, like so many French cars of that time, this car is still regarded as one of Renaults first models. The Renault Type C was already being used in speed competitions. This proved fatal for Marcel Renault. He was killed in the notorious Paris-Madrid race in 1903, after having been successful in earlier races. Early Renaults were easy to recognize by the somewhat unusual position of the radiator. Here the radiators are located on either side of the engine hood. In the years that followed, the radiator was placed behind the engine. This is a fine example of an early automobile in its original condition.