Renault was founded in 1899 by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Ferdinand. Louis, an engineer, began designing and building his own cars in 1898 before teaming up with his brothers who had gained managerial experience at their father's textile company. Renault's cars were well-engineered and the brothers soon looked to motorsport to help promote their new brand. Renault thrived in the heyday of racing from one European city to another. Sadly, Marcel was killed in an accident while racing from Paris to Madrid in 1903. Louis retired from racing but the brand remained very active in motorsport and developed a reputation for innovation, patenting the world's first supercharger in 1902.
Post-war Renault
During the Second World War, Renault branched out to produce ammunition, aircraft, and tanks before returning to vehicle production with the same spirit of innovation for which the company was rightly known. Renault introduced the first production hatchback car in 1965 and brought a range of compact cars to market with one highlight being the mid-engined, rear-wheel drive Renault 5 Turbo. The company also introduced Europe's first minivan with the Renault Espace. Renault has won the European Car of the Year award six times, with the Renault Clio taking the top honour on two occasions. Renault also held a majority stake in AMC and Jeep before selling these brands to Chrysler.
Rare gems
Renault has entered the North American auto market a couple of times but never found solid footing. For this reason, the company’s cars are few and far between on this side of the Atlantic. Nevertheless, Kijiji Autos has a selection of used Renaults for sale, as well as a range of filters to help you find exactly what you’re looking for quickly. Start your search today.
