Renault Colorale

Friday 16 October 2009
The Renault Colorale was a mid-size car (though by the European standards of that time it will have been seen as a large family car) produced by Renault between 1950 and 1957. Unusually, it had the profile of a small estate car, which adumbrated successful Renault designs of the 1960s. The Colorale itself was not a commercial success, however. Recently nationalised, and enjoying booming sales with their Renault 4CV, Renault management at the end of the 1940s were keen to move their business upmarket. Company strategy called for a robust functional vehicle, equally at home in the cities or the countryside, and appealing also to overseas markets in remaining parts of the French empire. With colonial and rural customers in its sights, the car acquired the name Colorale, being a contraction of the (French) words ‘COLOniale’ and ‘ruRALE’.

Technical data:
- engine: 4 cylinders
- capacity: 2383 cc
- horsepower: 48 HP
- gearbox: 4+1
- top speed: 120 km/h