Renault celebrates 50 years since the Renault 16 launch
Renault will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Renault 16 at the 40th edition of Salon R�tromobile, which takes place on February 4 8 at Porte de Versailles, Paris.
Two pre-war Renault models and two concept cars will join seven Renault 16s in illustrating the marque's expertise in the realm of family cars.
The Renault 16 story began in 1958 when the Fr�gate was given a facelift. Then Renault President Pierre Dreyfus launched a new project based upon a status-enhancing car equipped with a six-cylinder engine the 114 initiative that he halted at the beginning of 1961: "For the overall good of Renault, we need to adopt a different approach in several areas," he declared.
The goal, therefore, was to design a high-end mid-sized car that would set itself completely apart from the opposition: a family car adapted to every aspect of modern life, boasting the functionality and versatility of an estate while delivering the comfort and elegance of a saloon car.
A coupe cabriolet was also evaluated, but with the majority of this version's body parts being different to those of the saloon, production costs would have been too high to pursue the project.
Also joining the seven Renault 16s on the stand will be two pre-war family cars, a Type G from 1902 and a Type NN from 1925, along with two concept cars, the Sc�nic from 1991 and R-Space from 2011, two recent propositions in the domain of family cars. Three Alpines, from the very first Alpine to the latest offering, via the iconic Berlinette - a rare 'Interlagos' version - will also tade pride of place on the display.
by: Becca Chaplin