The Renault 8 (Renault R8 until 1964) and Renault 10 are two
rear-engined
In automobile design, a rear-engine design layout places the engine at the rear of the vehicle. The center of gravity of the engine itself is behind the rear axle. This is not to be confused with the center of gravity of the whole vehicle, as an im ...
,
rear-wheel drive
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars.
Most rear-wheel ...
small family car
The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States.
In 2011, the C- ...
s produced by the French manufacturer
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
in the 1960s and early 1970s.
The 8 was launched in 1962, and the 10, a more upmarket version of the 8, was launched in 1965. The Renault 8 ceased production and sales in France in 1973. By then the Renault 10 had already been replaced, two years earlier, by the front wheel drive
Renault 12
}), the other is the submodel designation TS. Sold as a sedan or a station wagon (TSW), it has a 1.4 litre carburetted C1J (Cléon) engine with and came with either a four- or a five-speed transmission.
Australia
The Renault 12 won Australia's ...
.
They were produced in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
until 1970 (see
Bulgarrenault
Bulgarrenault (or Bulgar Renault) was an automobile produced in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and the result of a collaboration between Metalhim (a Bulgarian defence firm) and Bulet (a Bulgarian export trade organisation). Production lasted for f ...
), and an adapted version of the Renault 8 continued to be produced in Spain until 1976. In Romania, a version of the 8 was produced under license between 1968 and 1972 as the
Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus r ...
1100. In total 37,546 Dacia 1100s were built.
Renault 8
Launch
The R8 (model R1130) was released in June 1962
and was based on the
Renault Dauphine
The Renault Dauphine () is a rear-engine design, rear-engined economy car manufactured by Renault in a single body style – a Three-box styling, three-box, 4-door sedan (car), sedan – as the successor to the Renault 4CV; more than two ...
, with which it shared its basic architecture and its wheelbase. The style, closely following that of the first prototype produced, at unusually short notice, by Philippe Charbonneaux, was fashionably boxy; however,
[ while the Renault 8 was actually narrower than the Dauphine, the manufacturer was able to install thick cushioned front seats that were actually each wider, at , than those fitted in the Dauphine.][
The 8 was powered by an all new 956 cc Cléon-Fonte engine developing . The R8's engine followed the pioneering example of the recently introduced ]Renault 4
The Renault 4, also known as the 4L (pronounced "Quatrelle" in French), is a small economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1994. Although the Renault 4 was marketed as a short station wagon, its minimal rear overhang ...
by incorporating a sealed for life cooling system.[ A distinctive innovation on the French produced cars was the fitting of four-wheel disc brakes, a first for a saloon ]car
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as ...
of this size.[ However, when in 1965 Renault's Spanish affiliate introduced their own version of the Renault 8 for the (then tariff-shielded) Spanish market, it came with drum brakes.
The 8 was sold in the United States with an unusual marketing approach that acknowledged that the previous Dauphine had many shortcomings for American owners, and that the 8 was an improvement.] While an all new engine was built that was more powerful, and many changes were made, most of the criticism summarized the 8's shortcomings when driving on the recently constructed United States Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
as the car was built for French driving conditions which were much more localized. When driving the 8 in city environments, it is nimble and easy to get around crowded conditions. France did not begin to build the Autoroutes of France
The ''autoroute'' (, highway or motorway) system in France consists largely of toll roads (76% of the total). It is a network of of motorways as of 2014. On road signs, autoroute destinations are shown in blue, while destinations reached through ...
until French Law 55-435 was passed April 18, 1955, to create a similar highway system previously built in Germany, called the Autobahn
The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...
during the 1930s.
Automatic transmission
For 1963 (initially only in France), Renault offered an automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
of unique design, developed and produced by Jaeger. It was first shown at the September 1962 Paris Motor Show
The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...
. Although it was described as a form of automatic transmission at the time, in retrospect it was more realistically a form of automatic clutch, inspired by the German Saxomat
Saxomat was a type of automatic clutch available as an option on Fiat 1800, Lancia Flaminia, Saab 93, Borgward Isabella, Goliath/Hansa 1100, Auto Union 1000, Ford Taunus, Trabant, other than some models from BMW, Opel, Steyr-Puch, NSU, Glas ...
device which appeared as an option on several mainstream German cars in the 1950s and 60s.
The clutch in the system was replaced by a powder ferromagnetic
Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials (such as iron) which results in a large observed magnetic permeability, and in many cases a large magnetic coercivity allowing the material to form a permanent magnet. Ferromagnetic materials ...
coupler, developed from a Smiths design.[ The transmission itself was a three-speed mechanical unit similar to that of the Dauphine, but from the beginning with synchromesh on all gears in this version.
]
The system used a dash-mounted push button control panel where the driver could select forward or reverse and a governor that sensed vehicle speed and throttle position.
A "relay case" containing electromagnetic switches received signals from the governor and push buttons and then controlled a coupler, a decelerator to close the throttle during gear changes, and a solenoid to select operation of the reverse-first or second-third shift rail, using a reversible electric motor to engage the gears. The system was thus entirely electromechanical, without hydraulics, pneumatics or electronics. The relay case was located in the front trunk. On cold days, with no source of heat in the trunk area, the relays would freeze and required the "Open, Push, Whack, and Jump". Essentially, the driver had to open the trunk, push the Drive button on the dashboard, whack the relay box, and jump back into the moving vehicle. On extremely cold days, the relay box was unreliable and intermittent, seemingly having a mind of its own.
Benefits included comparable fuel economy to the manual transmission version, and easy adaptability to the car. Drawbacks included performance loss (with only three available gears) and a somewhat jerky operation during gear changes.
The transmission was also used in the Dauphine and the Caravelle.
Engine upgrades
A more powerful model, the 8 Major (model R1132), was released in 1964, featuring an 1108 cc engine developing . A still more powerful version, the 8 model R1134 Gordini
Gordini () is a division of Renault Sport Technologies (Renault Sport). In the past, it was a sports car manufacturer and performance tuner, established in 1946 by Amédée Gordini (1899–1979), nicknamed "Le Sorcier" (The Sorcerer). Gordini be ...
, was also released that year, with a tuned engine of the same capacity but developing . The extra power was obtained by a cross-flow head and twin dual-choke 40mm side-draft Solex carburetors. A four-speed close ratio manual transmission, dual rear shock absorbers and uprated springs were fitted. The R1134 Gordini was originally available only in blue, with two stick-on white stripes. It was also distinguishable from the 8 Major by the bigger 200mm headlamp units. In 1965, the Renault 10 Major, a more luxurious version of the 8 with different front and rear styling, was released, replacing the 8 Major.
Facelift
In 1967, the R8 Gordini (model R1135) received a facelift including two additional headlights (in effect Cibie Oscar driving lights), and its engine upgraded to a 1255cc unit rated at . The R1134 Gordini cross-flow head design was retained, and twin dual-choke 40mm Weber side-draft carburetors. Both the 8 and the 10 were heavily revised for 1969. Some of the 10's features being incorporated in the 8, resulting in a new 8 Major which replaced the basic model. The changes also saw the addition of the 8S, a sportier model with a 1108cc engine rated at . 8S model also had the same twin headlights as the R1135 Gordini – the middle ones were for high beam only. The car was delivered with black "RENAULT 8S" tapes, intended for the rear wings but their fixing was left to the customer. Also, the Romanian sport version was named Dacia 1100 S.
European Rally victories
The car has won the Tour de Corse
The Tour de Corse is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was the French round of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season until 2008, was part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge from 2011 to 2012, an ...
, Rally Poland The Rally of Poland (in Polish, ''Rajd Polski'') is a motorsport event for rally cars that was first established in 1921. It is third-oldest rally in the world, preceded only by Österreichische Alpenfahrt and Monte Carlo Rally. The event became a ...
, Rallye Açores
The Rallye Açores, known originally as the Volta à Ilha de São Miguel is an international rally racing event based on the Portuguese island of São Miguel Island in the Azores. The event has been a long running round of the European Rally Champ ...
, Rali Vinho da Madeira The Rali Vinho da Madeira is a tarmac rally held in Madeira Island, Portugal, and it is the biggest annual sporting event of the island, bringing thousands of people into the roads to watch the drivers compete through the hilly terrain and the natur ...
, Boucles de Spa
The Boucles de Spa is a Belgian motor rally.
Winners
* 1953 Richard - - Volkswagen
* 1954 Gendebien - Wascher - Aston Martin
* 1955 No finishers - all out of time
* 1956 Evrard - Collignon - Ford Anglia
* 1962 Sander - Sander - DAF 33
* 1963 Even ...
and Rajdowe Samochodowe Mistrzostwa Polski
Rajdowe Samochodowe Mistrzostwa Polski (RSMP) – the annual series of Polish Rally Championship existing from 1928. Consisting of several rounds on different surfaces throughout Poland. The organizer and owner of the cycle is Polski Związek Motor ...
.
Hino Contessa
In 1964, Hino
Hino may refer to:
Places Estonia
* Hino, Põlva County
* Hino, Võru County
** Lake Hino
Japan
* Hino, Shiga
* Hino, Tokyo
* Hino, Tottori
** Hino District, Tottori
** Hino River
Transportation
* Hino Motors, a Japanese truck manufacturer o ...
and Renault had a partnership, where Hino was manufacturing a licensed version of the Renault 8 while making some changes to the updated Contessa. Configuration and engineering changes were made on the Contessa, and it was also built at a 2-door coupe.
Gallery
File:Renault R8.jpg, Renault R8 in 1963
File:R8 Gordini Pegomas-Tanneron 2005.jpg, Renault R8 Gordini
Gordini () is a division of Renault Sport Technologies (Renault Sport). In the past, it was a sports car manufacturer and performance tuner, established in 1946 by Amédée Gordini (1899–1979), nicknamed "Le Sorcier" (The Sorcerer). Gordini be ...
(1964)
File:Renault R8 1130 1963.jpg, Renault R8 S (1967)
File:Renault8rear.jpg, Renault R8
File:Bușteni2008k.jpg, Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus r ...
1100
Renault 10
In September 1965 the Renault 10 Major (branded in some markets as the Renault 1100) was launched, replacing the Renault 8 Major. This was a lengthened version of the Renault 8 with an increased front overhang and a much enlarged front luggage compartment, its capacity increased from 240 to 315 litres. The dimensions of the central passenger cabin were unchanged, however. The 1,108 cc engine, which for some markets had already appeared in top of the range versions of the Renault 8, came from the Renault Caravelle
The Renault Caravelle is a sports car manufactured and marketed by Renault for model years 1958–1968 in a single generation — as a rear-engine, rear-drive open two/four-seater designed by Pietro Frua of Carrozzeria Ghia, using the floorpan ...
. In the French market, the Renault 10 found itself struggling to compete with the successful Peugeot 204
The Peugeot 204 is a small family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot between 1965 and 1976.
The 204, known in development as Project D12, was available in many body styles including a sedan/saloon/berline, convertible/cabriolet, hat ...
introduced in the same year. In the United States, the Renault 10 was offered as "The Renault for people who swore they would never buy another one", after the disappointing reputation the Dauphine had.
Early R10 had round headlights, but just two years after launch the 10 itself was facelifted, rectangular headlights now further differentiating it from the Renault 8.
Alongside the Renault 10, less powerful versions of the Renault 8 continued in production at the Flins plant with the existing shorter body.
A larger unit, the 1289 cc engine from the new Renault 12
}), the other is the submodel designation TS. Sold as a sedan or a station wagon (TSW), it has a 1.4 litre carburetted C1J (Cléon) engine with and came with either a four- or a five-speed transmission.
Australia
The Renault 12 won Australia's ...
, was fitted to the Renault 10 for the Motor Show
An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists a ...
in October 1970, giving birth to the Renault 10-1300.[ Although the engine mounted at the back of the Renault 10-1300 was in most respects identical to that fitted at the front of the Renault 12, the unit in the older car was effectively detuned, with a lowered compression ratio and a listed maximum output of SAE ( DIN) whereas the unit in the Renault 12 was advertised as providing SAE ( DIN).] In effect this placed Renault in the bizarre position of offering two competing models in the same market category, but the older rear engined design came with a listed price 1,000 francs (approximately 10%) lower and a top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph) as against 145 km/h (90 mph) for the entry level Renault 12.[ The 1108cc version of the engine was also offered for 1970, but now only when combined with the Jaeger "button operated" semi-automatic transmission which had been offered in earlier versions of the car since 1963.][
French production of the Renault 10 ceased at the end of summer 1971, by which time the model had been selling for a year in parallel with the commercially more successful ]Renault 12
}), the other is the submodel designation TS. Sold as a sedan or a station wagon (TSW), it has a 1.4 litre carburetted C1J (Cléon) engine with and came with either a four- or a five-speed transmission.
Australia
The Renault 12 won Australia's ...
.
Final production
Although production of the Renault 10 ended in 1971, the 8 was still sold in France as late as 1973. FASA-Renault, the company's Spanish arm, continued to produce models 8 and 8TS (similar to the French-built 8S) until 1976 for the Spanish market, and components for the 8S and 8TS assembled in Mexico.
Outside Europe
Alconi
Through their South African subsidiary, Renault Africa Ltd, a special performance version of the 1108cc '8' (model 1132) and '10' (model 1190) was assembled at their East London assembly plant. It sold in that country only as a Renault Alconi, a combination the names of the developers, John Conchie and Eric 'Puddles' Adler, who traded as "Alconi Developments".
Engine upgrades resulted in 68 bhp (net) and a performance close to that of the R8 Gordini '1100' and midway between the standard Renault 8 and the 1255cc Gordini.
It was sold new through their dealer network in South Africa and covered by their factory warranty.[The Renault Alconi Story](_blank)
/ref> The local concept was intended to increase vehicle sales to a racing mad South African public by taking advantage of their race-track successes in local "Sprint" and "Endurance" races.
Production
About 400–500 vehicles seem to have been sold. As well, many hundreds of performance kits to upgrade the standard vehicles were sold over their parts counters.
Performance
These Alconis produced 68 bhp (net), offered 0–60 mph in 11.9sec, top speed of 97 mph, (according to "Car" magazine road test) and sold for about 10% over the standard car.
South African Motorsport
Renault (Africa) managed good sales penetration increases amongst the madly motor sport minded South African public with their active racing and rallying participation and sponsorship program, offering a multitude of Gordini and Alconi race components. During the years 1963–69 when the R8 model was sold, they won seven overall 1st Saloon car to finish trophies in the annual Kyalami International 9-hour Endurance Races (3 x 4th overall, 1 x 5th overall, 3 x 9th overall). The competition included many international purpose built sports cars (Ferraris, Jaguars, Porsches, Cobras). Also three overall wins in the annual International Total Lourenco Marques Rallies.
Motorsport Achievements in South Africa
Between the years 1963 and 1969, South African motor sport sponsorship by Renault (Africa) Ltd and private driver enthusiasm resulted in class and endurance race and rally domination (including frequent wins) by the R8 and Gordini R8, which enhanced market penetration and popularity of the vehicles Renault R8 and Gordini also won the 1968 and 1970 South African Saloon Car Championship.South African Saloon car champions p5
/ref> The car also won the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire
The Rallye Côte d'Ivoire, perhaps better known as the Rallye Bandama as it was originally called, or the Ivory Coast Rally is a rally race held annually in Côte d'Ivoire in Africa. In common with other races on the continent, it is known for its ...
and Rallye du Maroc
The Rallye du Maroc (Morocco Rally) was a marathon rally, similar to the Safari Rally, but that should not be confused with the Rallye du Maroc rally raid introduced in 2000.
History
It was first run in 1934, and held intermittently until 1988. ...
.
Motorsport Achievements in Australia
Bob Watson won the 1970 Australian Rally Championship and was runner-up in the 1971 Australian Rally Championship driving an R8 Gordini. R8s also competed in the 1966 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1966 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars. It was contested over a single 20-lap race staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst in ...
, 1979 Australian Rallycross Championship, 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000
The 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 was the 14th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. This was the first race to be held under the new metricised distance of 1000 kilometres, rather than the 500 miles previously contested. It was held on 30 ...
and 1965 International 6 Hour Touring Car Race
The 1965 International 6 Hour Touring Car Race was a six-hour endurance race for touring cars held at the Sandown Park circuit in Victoria, Australia on 21 November 1965.Official Programme, Sandown, Sunday, November 21, 1965 The race, which was ...
.
In 1963 the Renault 8 was awarded Wheels Magazine
''Wheels'' is an Australian automotive magazine owned by Are Media. The publication is well-renowned by Australian car enthusiasts. Its main competitor within the Australian car magazine market is ''Motor'', though ''Wheels'' and ''Motor'' ar ...
Australia's Car of the Year Award.
See also
* Alfa Romeo Tipo 103 – An influential prototype car constructed in 1960, approximately two years before the June 1962 launch of the Renault 8, and with similar styling.
References
External links
Team RedBackRacing in Australia Pages: Renault 8 Gordini and Renault Sport Spider
El Rincón del Renault 8
Renault 10: Reconstrucción de un Clásico Desconocido
External links (South Africa)
*
*(South African) "Car" magazine 1967 road tests the 'new' Renault 10 Alcon
*"Cars in Action" Magazine, August 2010: ...Renaults answer was to team up and produce the highly successful Alconi...the South African homologated Alconi was winning some races outright... [https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzVOwdMk8lygSXc2RjBLZ3VoN2c/view?usp=sharing, "Cars in Action" Magazine, August 2010 (page of article) references Renault Africa's answer was producing the homologated Renault Alconi, and some of the successes obtained]
*"Shell" bulletin on the contents of the R8 Alconi kit, with fitting instruction
"Shell" bulletin 43 with Components of the Alconi Kit
*Photographs of Renault 8 & 10s, Alconis and Gordini
Photographs of various Alconis and Gordinis
*"Cars in Action" Magazine, August 2010: History of Saloon Car Racing in South Afric
History of Renault Alconi and Gordini Racing in SA, "Cars in Action" Magazine, August2010(Page of article)
*"Cars in Action" Magazine, December 2010: Alconi, the supercharged sensatio
Supercharged Alconi and Gordini joins Racing in SA, "Cars in Action" Magazine, December 2010 (Page of article)
*Renault classic cars discussion foru
Discussion forum on Historic Renaults and their Racing in South Africa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Renault Model 8 and 10 Alconi
8
Rear-engined vehicles
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
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Cars introduced in 1962
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