Renault R4 1980

Our car:

Arriving here in 2015, this 1980 Renault R4 has always lived in Valpolicella in the municipality of Negrar, except for some summer season in Sardinia where it breathed its share of saltiness that left its mark turning itself to rust passing through the entire bodywork. The bodywork was worked down to the raw sheet metal, because in those years the manufacturers, considering the affordability of the vehicles, did not adopt the galvanizing or protective treatments for the bodywork. The car was completely disassembled, restoring all the flooring and the very light doors. Our R4 is one of the few specimens with a panoramic roof, a real luxury for the time since this option affected considerably the final price compared to the basic TL model.
Respecting the special quality of the series and the technical characteristics of that year of production, the full restoration took place by changing the colours from the original white bodywork and black saddle and hood into Vert Clair for the bodywork and beige for the saddlery and the hood. Mechanically our Renault is in very good condition and therefore there was no need for large restoration; simply a good inspection to make it safe and enjoyable to drive.
It is registered in the Italian Renault R4 register and recognized as being of historical interest in the Italian Historical Automotor club register.

History:

The Renault R4 was named as project 112, born in Renault in 1956 with the intention to oppose the enormous success that Citroen 2cv had been receiving for eight years. With the desire to come up with a comfortable and widely accepted vehicle on the growing market for small and medium-sized cars, the engineers studied a car with a smooth rear floor that was also very successful as a means for many craftsmen. The R4 successfully opposed the market invasion by the 2cv and the Dyane6. Starting in 1956, several series followed: in 1962 the Fourgonnette version was presented with a closed and raised rear cabin to increase the load capacity.
Over the years, the engines changed making the small R4 to be considered bolder. It debuted in 1956 with a 4-cylinder liquid-cooled transverse cylinder of 3 different displacements: 747cc ;. 845cc; 950cc, in the last series of 1986, a version equipped with a 1108cc engine came out (which went on to become much coveted by collectors, the Cabriolet Frog version ).
It only left Renault catalogues in 1993 due to the increasingly strict anti-pollution regulations that obliged the manufacturers to install catalytic converters and electronic injection systems. Production continued in Slovenia and Morocco, bringing the number of R4 and its derivatives to 8,135,424 units produced.
As evidence of the excellent structure of the vehicle, still today we can see the Renault R4 in circulation.

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