Ignacio Saenz de Camara
As of April 1953, The Renault 4/4 began to be manufactured at the Valladolid plant, the first model built by FASA in France, had landed in 1947 and had even taken part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Next, we present unit number 46, which was destined for the province of Zamora and received the first registration in 1954.
And it is that, among the cars produced in Spain, the Renault 4/4 has the privilege of inaugurate assembly at the Valladolid factory. It was a facility attached to the La Esperanza railway station, which facilitated the transport of parts from France.
With a total area of 60.000 square meters, that initial factory included a small test tracks, where a brief test of each car was carried out. It also had a customs office, located next to the tracks that led to the company.
With a successful advance, in June 1952 a finished Renault 4/4 and the parts of two other units arrived from Paris. Thanks to those shipments, vendors could check each part, as a step prior to its preparation and the presentation of budgets.
THE ASSEMBLY OF THE RENAULT 4/4 BEGINS
In March 1953, eight factory employees began assembling the prototype. That process that later forced adjustments for a month to finish building it, until April 18 when it left the production line.
After this previous work, the pre-series manufacturing ended at the end of June another ten copies. At the same time, that same month the first wagon arrived from Paris, which brought the French components necessary to complete the following Renault 4/4.
In this way, manufacturing was picking up speed and serial production began on October 1, with a cadence of 10 daily units in an eight hour work day.
By the end of 1953, 707 examples had been manufactured and, in 1954, 1.643 units were built, contributing to modernize the small and outdated Spanish fleet of passenger cars. Already in 1955, annual manufacturing reached 4.050 Renault 4/4.
Until it ceased production in 1958, a total of 26.298 examples were assembled at the Valladolid plant. At that time, this remembered "all back" it was replaced by the Renault Dauphine, presented at the 1956 Geneva Motor Show. However, production of the Renault 4/4 continued in France until July 1961, with a total of 1.105.547 copies manufactured since the distant 1946 when it was presented. A complete success in the post-war times for which it was conceived.
PASACALDE IN VALLADOLID
Back to the year 1953, on August 12 in Valladolid there was a first outing of the recently manufactured Spanish Renault 4/4. Still unregistered the first eleven units moved from the factory to the Town Hall.
On their journey that Wednesday, the pedestrians of the Castilian capital they were able to witness his passage through the streets, while their horns were heard to attract attention. Once at their destination, they were shown to the mayor, councilors and other authorities.
With that act, not only Valladolid began its transformation into a car city, but also contributed to our country advancing towards modernity. Since then, almost 20 million Renault cars have been manufactured there.
To the specimen that appears in the images assigned oval plate number 46. It was the first 4/4 destined for Zamora and built in Valladolid, where it received the first plate awarded in 1954 in the name of Mr. Manuel Romero Morejon.
Its first owner used it for seven years, until it was sold in 1960. It then had an unknown period, from which came to light at the Oviedo Salon in 2012, where it was for sale after being restored by a bodybuilder from El Entrego (Asturias).
After the usual tug of war, he bought it Carlos, an Asturian enthusiast who transferred it to his name in 2013. Since then, Carlos has taken care of it with care and participates in the meetings of the Cultural Association Friends of Renault 4/4.
ACCESS TO THE ROOM
Once the key is inserted in the lock located above the handle, the latter equipped with a chrome protection that prevents scratches, it is easy to open the door in the opposite direction than usual and settle in front of the white steering wheel made of paste.
Endowed with two arms, The shield of the city of Valladolid stands out in the nucleus, which differentiates it from the French copies that had been imported until then. However, soon after it was replaced by another round plastic shield.
there is equally other components that had to be urgently anticipated, due to some suppliers not achieving the precise quality. And, likewise, those that at first were expensive and were soon replaced by more profitable ones.
The same thing happened with the crystals, which are distinguished in the first units by be engraved with the legend "Luna Securit". This is due to the fact that the Securit firm was the only one that managed to manufacture windows with the precise tightness and thickness.
It also affected the starter and choke levers, made of cast iron. It was too expensive to make and it required a lot of cable, so cheaper controls with similar effectiveness were soon designed.
In the same way, the Renault 4/4 from Valladolid adopted an air filter in an oil bath, the purpose of which was to ensure the cleanliness of the mixture. Called “tropical”, it was adopted because on the Spanish network there were dirty and dusty roads.
INSIDE LOOK
With the glove compartment lid closed, the electric cigarette lighter and ashtray can be seen, coming from the auxiliary industry. AND the gear lever is very close, like the handbrake located between the two seats.
Under the dash and in the center, are the start levers on the left-right side and the air on the right side, in addition to the control that resets the partial odometer and the one that opens the ventilation hatch.
Serial account with an anti-theft, of French origin and which is located to the right of the steering column. To unlock it, you have to insert the ignition key and turn the steering wheel at the same time, an action that releases said mechanism.
It is from the Clausor brand with a Neiman license and, curiously, most of the cars at that time lacked some system that prevented or at least make it difficult to steal the vehicle.
We also take the opportunity to open the front lid of the trunk, equipped with an external closure and which facilitates the transport of about 120 liters of luggage. Besides, there is your space for the spare wheel, which is housed above the luggage.
Notably, there are also hole for tools, jack and crank to loosen the nuts of each wheel… or start the engine. And in addition, the brake fluid reservoir, the battery and the identification plates.
Once the hood is lowered, we look at one of the wheels, shod with Michelin X radial tires in size 135 R 400 and whose rims have a throat width of 4 inches.
EXTERIOR DETAILS
Before put this Renault 4/4 to the test, we continue contemplating the bodywork and we look at the door handles, which incorporate metallic protections in the oval rear area to avoid scratches caused by daily use.
Said accessories they were not originally installedRather, it is one of the many components offered by the auxiliary industry, so that each user could add details that would improve the aesthetics of their car.
En este sentido, there were manufacturers like Saprar or Robi who created numerous pieces, both for the 4/4 to gain in attractiveness, as well as for the benefit of its practicality or its benefits.
And when contemplating the front, the yellow rhombus, located on the vertical bar that intersects with the six mustaches, attracts attention. Only the first 84 units had that shield and it was made by a jeweler from Valladolid.
In the red letters appears the legend “Regie Nationale Renault Spain”. Shortly after, the red and yellow plastic shield supplied by the supplier arrived, already with the inscription "National Manufacture Renault Fasa Spain".
The presence of a single fog light on the right side is also curious, complemented in its left symmetry by a chrome horn. AND six volt headlights were imported Marchal, until achieving others of national production.
On the walk around the car we stop at the rear, where the optical group that houses the stop light can be seen very. Also striking are the lower ventilation grilles, added to reduce engine heat.
The location of the radiator cap is curious, under the rear window and between the rear hood hinges. The same thing happens with himThe chrome wings that accompany it to give it a distinguished touch.
And in the front area of the rear fins, there is a shiny grill that protects the air intake to the engine, as well as a metal plate that protects said place from the projections of small stones.
RENAULT 4/4 TEST, WE GET ON THE ROAD
Then, with the engine still warm, Carlos starts and enters first gear, located to the left and to the rear, because in the usual position of the first one is the reverse gear.
We start to roll and, when it goes to second, you can tell that the travel of the gear lever is quite long. Already at 40 km/h, we move freely in the town, thanks to the size of the car and the speed with which Carlos turns the wheel.
smooth when stopped, rack and pinion steering shows precision, although the 4,5 turns of the steering wheel require agility in handling, both in the city and on roads full of curves.
For the rest, driving is simple, both for the smoothness with which the pedals and controls respond and the verve that it manifests when accelerating. Not in vain, these 4/4 already had the Sport engine, whose maximum torque is obtained at 2.000 turns.
In this sense, it is important take into account the 585 kg that a Renault 4/4 weighs empty, a figure that helps to understand its liveliness when moving in urban environments.
ON THE ROAD
Given the interior volume occupied by the front wheel arches, the driver and the passenger on the right seat They are slightly displaced towards the center.. However, it is easy to get used to that position, which will be maintained by the Renault Dauphine.
On secondary roads, the Renault 4/4 quickly reaches 70 km/h and, at launch, it moves comfortably at 80 km/h. Above that cruise, the engine gets noisier and you lose ride comfort.
As for drum brakes, its effectiveness is commensurate with the benefits when you have to stop in an emergency. Likewise, when descending a mountain pass, reduce to second gear and use the engine brake to avoid the fading.
In the same way, the distribution of weights gravitates 66% on the rear axle causes oversteering behavior, which forces you to be careful with the tire pressures, 1,0 in the front wheels and 1,6 in the rear.
In addition to driving smoothly on slippery surfaces, when cornering do not accelerate sharply, something that can cause excessive oversteer that ends with the car spinning out of control.
A TOUGH UTILITY
As a whole, the Renault 4/4 have a robust engine, which led them to be used in their youth as microtaxis and as driving school cars.
In fact, they have also been used in competition almost since they were released on the market. Beyond his presence at Le Mans, three units participated in 1948 in the Rallye des Alpes and the three managed to reach the finish line, while they abandoned more than forty registered.
And in 1949, a Renault 4 CV achieved a victory in its category (750-1000 cm3) at the Rallye Monte-Carlo and a absolute victory in the Rally of Morocco. It was the beginning of a list of winners that increased considerably in the following years.
And in the daily use of thousands of users, the Renault 4/4 got a deserved fame for the ease with which they moved in the city thanks to a turning circle of only 8,9 meters, as well as for the elasticity of the 747 cm3 engine.
Similarly, it was possible to venture behind the wheel of a 4/4 on long trips, thanks to a refrigeration system that was kept in order both in winter and in the hottest summers.
CONCLUSIONS OF THE RENAULT 4/4 TEST
This example, one of the first Renault units manufactured in Spain, shows seven decades later the technical value of the rhombus mark.
And with greater merit in a small-sized car. In any case, its monocoque frame and "all back" mechanical arrangement demonstrated their advantages over other utilities of a more traditional conception.
Not surprisingly, the successors to the Renault 4/4 -Renault Dauphine and Renault 8- retained its basic scheme. Besides, maintained a recognized position in the market until two decades later.
We cannot finish the test of the Renault 4/4 express our gratitude to Carlos, for their enthusiasm and collaboration in the photographic session, as well as for their patience in waiting until this report has seen the light of day.
Finally, point out the brilliant task carried out by the Cultural Association Friends of Renault 4/4, both in the recovery of units and in helping to rehabilitate them in the best conditions.
Classic Lane photographs.
APPENDIX 1: THE FRENCH RENAULT 4/4
Before manufacturing began in Valladolid, the Renault 4/4 was presented at the 1946 Paris Salon, after having been secretly developed since 1941 in the Billancourt factory. In 1943 the prototype already existed, whose initial two-door body it had to be transformed into another four-door by decision of Pierre Lefaucheux, the new general manager of Renault after the nationalization of the company.
Although it was unveiled in October 1946 as the Renault 4 CV, the project was still in the testing phase, with 36 pre-series units rolling in the deserts of Algeria and others on the cold roads of the French Alps. In August 1947, production begins and the first 300 units are painted sand yellow, with surplus paint from the Afrika Korps. Until the end of the year, 803 examples are built, although the rate will grow rapidly in 1948.
Originally, the engine had a displacement of 760 cm3 and obtained a maximum power of 17 CV at 3.500 rpm, which allowed it to reach a top speed of 90 km/h. Already in 1950, the 100.000 unit was manufactured and was offered in a Grand Luxe version, equipped with a 21 CV engine. The model was a success and continued in production until 1961, being the first French car that exceeded one million copies manufactured.
APPENDIX 2: “ALL BACK” SCHEME
Unlike the passenger cars of the French firm in the 30s of the last century, the Renault 4 CV was developed in the early 40s with an innovative technical scheme. To begin with, it has a self-supporting body, which in addition to lowering the center of gravity ensures that the whole has a lower floor height. Likewise, the use of sheet metal of 7 tenths reduces the weight of the vehicle to 585 kg.
And all this without losing rigidity, since the parts assembled with electric welding They provide robustness, thanks to the fact that their fundamental components are united: front and rear crossmember, floor, roof, sides and front and rear panels.
Also, the “all back” scheme avoids a transmission bar that reduces the volume of the passenger compartment, while the engine attached to the transmission reduces the space occupied by the mechanics. For its part, the engine has replaceable wet sleeves, which reduces the price and working hours.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RENAULT 4/4 OF 1953 |
|
| Motor | longitudinal rear |
| Displacement | 747 cm3 |
| Cylinders | 4 in line |
| Diameter x stroke | 54,5 x 80 mm |
| Maximum power | 21 hp SAE at 4.000 rpm |
| Maximum torque | 45,08 Nm SAE @ 2.000rpm |
| Food | Solex 22 BIC vertical carburettor |
| Compression ratio | 7,25:1 |
| Distribution | side camshaft |
| Fuel | Petrol |
| Traction | Rear |
| Gearbox | Three-speed manual + ma |
| Clutch | dry single disc |
| Chassis | self-supporting monocoque |
| Bodywork | Saloon four doors (four seats) |
| Front suspension | Independent, arms, springs and dampers |
| Rear suspension | Independent, axle shafts, springs and shock absorbers |
| Direction | Zipper |
| Brakes | Drums |
| Length/width/height | 3.610 / 1.430 / 1.470 mm |
| Ways | 1.210/1.210 mm |
| Battle | 2.100 mm |
| Weight : | 585 kg |
| Tires | 4J x 15 |
| Tires | 135 R 400 |
| Deposit | 27,5 liters |
| Consumer goods | 6l/km |
| Trunk | 185 liters |
| Maximum speed | 95 km/h |
| Weight / power ratio | 11,64 kg / CV |
| year of presentation | 1953 (in Spain) |
| years of production | 1953-1959 (in Spain) |
| year unit tested | 1953 |
| Units produced | 26.298 (in Spain) |
