12 Facts About Renault Dauphine

Renault Dauphine was born during a conversation with Lefaucheux and engineer Fernand Picard.

Internally known as "Project 109" the Renault Dauphine's engineering began in 1949 with engineers Fernand Picard, Robert Barthaud and Jacques Ousset managing the project.

Renault Dauphine officially revealed the model's existence to the press through L'Auto Journal and L'Action Automobile et Touristique in November 1955, referring to it simply by its unofficial model designation "the 5CV".

Renault Dauphine considered the name Corvette for its new model, but to avoid a conflict with the recently launched Chevrolet Corvette instead chose a name that reinforced the importance of the project's predecessor, the 4CV, to France's postwar industrial rebirth.

Renault Dauphine is the feminine form of the French feudal title of Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne.

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At introduction, the Renault Dauphine was positioned in the marketplace between the concurrently manufactured 4CV, and the much larger Fregate.

Renault Dauphine had a front-hinged trunklid, which housed the headlights and opened to a seven-cubic-foot trunk.

Subsequent to its introduction, and as a promotion for both companies, Renault worked with Jacques Arpels of the prominent jewelers Van Cleef and Arpels to turn a Dauphine dashboard into a work of art.

Renault Dauphine assembly shifted in 1967 to Campbell Industries in Thames and Campbell Motors took over the franchise in 1968.

When Renault Dauphine assembly began in Australia in the late 1960s, Campbell's supplied jigs.

The damage to Renault Dauphine was immense; and the company faced the first serious crisis in its history.

Renault Dauphine achieved numerous motorsport victories, including taking the first four places in its class at the 1956 Mille Miglia with a factory team of five cars with five-speed gearboxes; winning the 1956 Tour de Corse with Belgian female drivers Gilberte Thirion and Nadege Ferrier; winning the 1958 Monte Carlo Rally and the Tour de Corse with drivers Guy Monraisse and Jacques Feret; winning the 1959 Rallye Cote d'Ivoire ; and in 1962 winning the Tour de Corse .