Renault Fiftie

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Renault Fiftie
1996 Renault Fiftie Concept Salone di Torino - 25 aprile - 5 maggio 1996 - 3244761580.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer Renault
Production1996
Designer Benoît Jacob
Body and chassis
Class Concept car
Body style 2-door coupe
Powertrain
Engine 1.2 L D7F 8-valve I4
Chronology
Successor Renault 4 E-Tech
Rear view 1996 Renault-Fiftie.jpg
Rear view

The Renault Fiftie was a concept car presented by Renault at the March 1996 Geneva Auto Show [1] to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of the 4CV. The concept used a bright metallic yellow color, honoring the 4CV's "butter pat" nickname. [2]

Contents

Styled by Benoît Jacob [3] under the direction of Patrick le Quément, Renault's vice president of corporate design at the time, [4] the Fiftie used a mid-engine/rear-wheel-drive layout, with its exterior styling drew heavily on its ancestor's — though with a two-door, mid-engine configuration [4] rather than the 4CV's four door, rear-engine/rear-drive layout. The Fiftie was part of a trend toward retrospective designs, including the VW New Beetle, Mini Cooper and Fiat 500.

Overview

The Fiftie used an aluminum frame from the Renault Sport Spider [5] and a carbon fiber body. [1] Its interior used cotton, linen, and rattan extensively, with a picnic basket concealed in the boot/trunk. Front styling recalled the horizontal chrome 'mustache bars' of the original 4CV, with the addition of distinctive apostrophe-shaped headlights. [4] The targa-style roof used four removable roof panels that could store beneath the flat-folding rear window. [4]

The Fiftie was fully roadworthy, sharing most of the Renault Sport Spider's chassis, suspension, and mechanics as well as Renault's D7F 1.2-liter, 8-valve four-cylinder engine, which was subsequently introduced as a production engine in the Twingo.

After introducing the Fiftie, Renault chose not to develop the concept further.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Renault Fiftie was much more than a modernized version of the 4CV". Renaultclassics.com.
  2. ↑ "Renault Fiftie (1996): Das Retro-Konzept feierte den 50. Geburtstag des 4CV". Motor Sport.
  3. ↑ Joe Simpson (August 7, 2018). "Byton's Benoit Jacob on building a brand". Car Design News.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Renault Fiftie (1996)". Oldconceptcars.com. 13 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "New Retro". Popular Science, June 1996, p13. June 1996.
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