Renault Dauphine
Renault Dauphine – compact car produced by the French automaker Renault in 1956-1967. Was also sold in 1960-62 in a richer version under the name Renault Ondine. The car was mounted in many places: in South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Belgium, Ireland, and licensed in Italy, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Israel, the United States and Japan. Was also available sportiest version, Gordini, equipped a 4-speed manual transmission, disc brakes on both axles and a more powerful engine.
Version Gordini held a few records the average speed in the class of cars with engine displacements of 750 to 1100 cm ³, October 24, 1964 has been declared the results at distances of 25 000 and 50 000km and 25 000 miles, average speeds are respectively 95.643, 97.156 and 96.657km/h.
Production Dauphine was launched in 1956, the car was to replace the aging 4CV model, which had already become successful marketing. The new car had, like its predecessor, self-supporting body. It was a 4-door sedan, heavier and longer by 300 mm from the 4CV. To drive uses the same engine, expanded its capacity of 760 cm ³ to 845 cm ³ and, consequently, the power of 19hp to 32hp (14 kW to 24 kW). The engine was placed with back, he drove the rear wheels: it was during the production of the popular system used by Volkswagen and Fiat.
Throughout the production period created two limited editions of the Dauphine. Amédée Gordini developed a version of the engine boosted to 37hp (27.2 kW), which is sold under the name Dauphine Gordini. At the end of the production version was sold as "1093", equipped with a motor reinforced to 55hp (41 kW). It also introduced a number of modifications that allow for a top speed of 130km/h
In 1966, Renault management said that the first million copies Dauphine was produced faster than any model before it took four years. A total of 2 150 738 created copies.
Dauphine was criticized for poor performance and handling, the model was also known for his failure. In 2002, during the radio program Car Talk Dauphine was placed ninth in the statement Worst Car of the Millennium, described it as "a car, where the designers worked hard not too much". In 2007, Time magazine scored a model among the 50 worst cars of all time, the car itself was commented as "the greatest setback of French engineering since the days of the creation of the Maginot Line ".
Model was produced under license in Italy in the years 1959-1964 by Alfa Romeo under the name Alfa Romeo Dauphine. From the French version differed on used electrical installation (Magneti Marelli-12V), other lamps and emblems "Dauphine Alfa Romeo" or "Ondine-Alfa Romeo" (depending on version).
The car was also produced in the years 1959-1968 in Brazil by Willys-Overland do Brasil. The resulting the following versions:
Including Brazil assembled 74 627 copies.
In Argentina, the production model dealt with the company Industrias Kaiser Argentina, was founded total of 97 209 copies of IKA Dauphine and Gordini. Available was a sports variant of "1093", but it was not synonymous with the French version.
In Spain, the car was mounted in the years 1958-1967 by branch of Renault, FASA, created 125 912 pieces of the model.
Japanese car Hino Contessa 900 was built on a French license, he used the platform Dauphine.
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