Miguel Sánchez
PHOTOS 4 CANS: WANDA VISION
The last time we saw Jean Reno on the big screen next to a Renault 4 was a blow with a sword. Of those he played a medieval knight who had just arrived in the twentieth century through a time tunnel. His squire warned him that he had seen a "Devil's chariot, all made of iron and from which no ox pulls". Followed they were going to destroy a van with a hammer and sword of the French postal service.
Since the premiere of 'The Visitors (Were Not Born Yesterday) ' 26 years have passed, enough time for the French actor to meet another R4. This time it has been in 4 cans, a travel comedy in which the utility Renault is the protagonist. And be careful, demonstrating the rudeness that defined the model. Not in vain the storyline is on a trip across the Sahara desert.
Alerted to the health problems of a friend -interpreted by Enrique San Francisco-, Tocho and Jean Pierre in their search they undertake a trip to Mali aboard an R4. And how, instead of doing it in the comfort of an airplane? Well, during the 80's the three friends dedicated themselves to an activity that still brings foreign currency to more than one… Bringing used cars from France to Mali or Niger to sell them there.
RENAULT 4: CENTRAL LEADING PLAYER OF '4 LATAS'
Thanks to that experience of driving through Africa, these two friends decide to embark on an adventure in a 4L. With this fact Gerardo Olivares has the excuse to string together events under the format of "Road movie". Something that the Cordovan director had never done in the form of a comedy, although within the documentary format he has made interesting nomadic films such as Caravan o 14 kilometers.
Beyond the story, what interests us is the main character of it: an R4. A key car in the evolution of Renault as it was a revolution. With its launch in 1961 the diamond mark abandoned its traditional arrangement of "All behind" to embrace the "All ahead". With the R4, the traction became front, mounting a four-cylinder in front that evolved from 603 to 1108 cc depending on the version.
And it is that versions ... There were many. It was made in America and Europe for decades, selling more than 8 million units. A utility that defended itself perfectly off the asphalt, thus promoting that it is still one of the most beloved cars in rural areas. So many were his capabilities on land that a 4 × 4 version managed to finish second in the 1979 Dakar Rally.
WHAT? WAS THERE A 4 × 4 MODEL OF THE R4?
With that second position in the Dakar we return to the scene of the movie 4 Cans: the Sahara desert. And well, although the main unit of the film has preparation for a rally ... We do not know if it will be one of the 4 × 4 versions signed by French coach Sinpar. Because yes, you read that right: the R4 4 × 4 existed.
Seeing the excellent qualities of the model on land, it is not strange to understand that someone wanted to take the R4 something further. In fact the strange thing is that it was not Renault itself who signed the project all terrain. Something that Citroën did with its 2CV Sahara.
Specialized in modifying gearboxes, transmissions and chassis, Sinpar's obsession was to convert every vehicle he caught into a 4 × 4. And it did so with a multitude of Renault models for both industry, security forces or rally. Pay attention to us, its list of models is worth seeing ...
If you look at the side of the 4L in the last photo, there is something that makes us suspicious. Could our protagonist be a 4 × 4? Whether it is or not ... There is no doubt that the mere premiere of 4 Cans subscribes the enormous fascination generated by the model still 58 years after its launch.
