Renault

Renault S.A is a French automobile manufacturer. They manufacture small to upper-midsize cars and vans.\nIt is properly pronounced "Rhen-oh" but some people incorrectly pronounce it "Reh-nought". Renault is known for car concepts like the Renault 16 or the one-box concepts of Twingo, Scénic and Espace, the latter of which was the first MPV. Currently Renault is the car manufacturer with the highest scores in EuroNCAP crash tests.

Table of contents

1 History 2 Current situation 3 Models 3.1 Current models 3.2 Past models 4 See also 5 External links

History

\n The Renault corporation was founded in 1898 by Louis Renault (1877-1944), a pioneer of the automobile industry and the man who introduced Taylorism in France. His taxicabs were a success. During WWI, Renault manufactured ammunition, military airplanes and vehicles such as the Renault FT-17 tank. Between the two world wars, Louis Renault enlarged the scope of his company, producing agricultural and industrial machinery. During WWII, Louis Renault's factories worked for Nazi Germany. He was for this reason arrested during the liberation of France in 1944 and died in prison before having prepared his defense. His industrial assets were seized by the government, and the Renault factories were therefore a public industry (known as the Régie Renault). From 1979 to 1987, Renault held majority ownership in the American Motors Corporation (AMC), which it sold to Chrysler Corporation in March 1987. On April 9, 1986 the government of France ruled against the privatization of Renault. In 1996, the company was partially privatized. On January 2, 2001, Renault sold its industrial vehicle subdivision (Renault Véhicules Industriels) to Volvo, which renamed it Renault Trucks in 2002. Renault competed, as a constructor, in Formula One racing from 1977 to 1985 and again from 2002 onwards. In between these years they supplied engines to various Formula One teams, notably having successful partnerships with the Benetton and Williams teams in the 1990s. For more information, see Renault Sport.

Current situation

\nThe government of France owns 44% of the company. Louis Schweitzer has been the Chairman and CEO of Renault since 1992. Renault has a stake of 44.4% in Japanese automaker Nissan together with which they form the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Further stakes are in Samsung Motors (Renault Samsung Motors), Volvo Trucks and Dacia.

Models

Current models

\n*Clio (1991- )\n*Espace (1985 - )\n*Express\n*Kangoo (1999 - )\n*Laguna (1993 - )\n*Master\n*Mégane\n*Mégane Scénic\n*Modus \n*Safrane (1992 - )\n*Scénic (1996 - ) \n*Trafic\n*Twingo (1992 - )\n*Vel Satis

Past models

\n*4CV (1947-1961)\n*10CV (1903-1912)\n*12CV\n*40CV\n*3\n*4 (1961-1992)\n*5 (1972-1996)\n*6\n*7\n*8\n*9 and 11 (1982-1988)\n*10\n*12\n*14 (1976-1979)\n*15 (1971-1977)\n*16 (1965-1979)\n*17 (1971-1977)\n*18 (1978-1986)\n*19 (1988-1995)\n*20\n*21 (1986-1993)\n*25\n*30\n*Alpine\n*Avantime\n*Caltaquatre (1934-1939)\n*Dauphine\n*Floride (1959-1962)\n*Frégate (1951-1960)\n*Fuego\n*Viva Grand Sport (1934-1939)\n*Juvaquatre\n*Nervastella (1930-1937)\n*Novaquatre 1938-1939\n*Ondine (1961-1962)\n*Primaquatre 1935-1937\n*Reinastella (1929-1933)\n*Rouscailler\n*Vivastella 1932 \n

See also

\n*List of automobile manufacturers\n*List of French companies\n*Alpine (car)

External links

\n*Official web site\n*Renault-Nissan Alliance\n*Euro NCAP crash tests Category:Aircraft engine manufacturers\nCategory:Automobile manufacturers\nCategory:Companies of France \n\n\n