Renault Floride / Caravelle - Model history

Renault Florida / Caravelle

Renault Florida

Although England is home to roadster cars, other national auto industries have had their representatives in this class.

The French, as Britain's biggest rivals, soon presented their vision of a small sports convertible, but in a slightly different way… The post-war French car industry very quickly found itself on the path to complete recovery and return to pre-war positions. Although some famous names were lost in the process and the appetites of French producers were reduced, the future was bright, and domestic companies were conquering new markets and classes every day. However, despite the strong offer within everyday vehicles, the French were very weak in the field of sports models, coupes and convertibles. The image was slightly improved by the appearance of Facel Vega, but they were too expensive models that were intended only for a small number of customers, while the sports model "for the masses" was not at all if we do not count Simca Aronda Oceana which was made in small numbers. Renault, as one of the strongest French factories, noticed a gap in the market and decided to present a car that will have a likable body (2 + 2 configurations) as well as a more powerful engine.

Renault Florida / Caravelle

Renault Florida

However, the story of its origin and design is far more interesting and, to this day, little known. Namely, in 1956, Renault president Pierre Dryfus was on vacation in Florida. During his stay in America, Miss Dryfus noticed a large number Volkswagen Beetle i Karmann Ghia on the roads and automatically thought of the Renault Dauphine, which was the backbone of Renault's then offering and a model technically very similar to the VW Bubba. In those years, Renault had dealerships across America and Pierre Dryfus considered how to increase sales and utilize reliable Dauphine mechanics, but covered in a modern and elegant bodywork, copying the concept Karmann Ghie. Returning to France, he continued to work on this project, divided in two directions. One consisted of a team of experts who worked on redesigning the Dauphine platform for the new model while the other was looking for an adequate design.

Renault Florida

After negotiations, the Italian house Ghia (designer Karmann Ghie) was selected for the design studio, whose works were the best and most liked by Miss Dryfus. However, there is little controversy with this element of development. Namely, while all connoisseurs claim Florida / Caravelle's design is Italian, the truth is completely different because the man, signed under the aesthetic designs of these cars is actually an American, Virgil Exner Junior, the son of the designer of the same name Chysler and Lincoln, very famous in the middle of the last century. If you are wondering how then Renault Florida / Caravelle does not have a single American detail on it, the answer is because Exner Junior was then employed in Italy and fascinated by Latin lines. However, shortly after the start of production, Pietro Frua, another big name of Italian design, will take the stage, whose plants will produce the bodywork to the end and will often and deservedly be mentioned as a Florida / Caravelle designer.

Renault Florida / Caravelle

When it was finally over, the public had the opportunity to see a new car at the end of 1958, at the Paris Motor Show. Initial enthusiasm for modern lines, space for four people and an optional hardtop resulted in as many as 13,000 orders before production began, with no one yet knowing how the car behaved on the road. Renault was pleased with the audience response, and the new model fit perfectly with the factory plan. The first specimens began to arrive in mid-1959 at a price slightly higher than the standard Renault Dauphine, which was still acceptable. In the European market, this car was sold under the name Renault Florida, while for customers in America, it was commercialized under the name Caravelle. However, right after the sale began, the specialized press also revealed the car's biggest flaw, low power and poor performance. which immediately threw him out of the sports car class.

Renault Florida / Caravelle

Simply, with 845cc and 35hp (later, in Gordini's trim of 40hp) and the Dauphine platform, Florida / Caravelle could by no means compete with the competition. In that first batch, the acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h was 17 seconds and the top speed was 137 km / h, which in no way fit into the profile of a sports convertible. Still, Florida / Caravelle's qualities were plentiful. The excellent offer of space (engine back - trunk forward), comfortable ride, modern design and reasonable price were strong enough reasons for most buyers on both sides of the ocean. If we add to this all the advertising campaign with Brigitte Bardot, then Renault's success is even more clear. The year 1962 saw the only serious mechanical changes in the life of this model, when the 845ccm deminutive unit was replaced by a larger one, with a liter of 1.1hp and slightly better performance. A year later, the 55S version (1100hp) and a slightly higher top speed appeared.

Those stronger versions also had disc brakes, instead of the drum brakes inherited from the Renault Dauphine. At the same time, the Caravelle name became common to all models, regardless of where they were sold, while the original Florida designation was withdrawn. However, after initial popularity, in the mid-1960s, interest in Caravelle slowly began to decline. Low power and a design that is slowly going out of style are highlighted as the main reasons, and Renault responded with better equipment and a wider range of colors and materials. However, this was not enough to preserve this model and the end came, in early 1968, after 117,113 copies were produced. Due to outdated technology and weak engines, Renault has not prepared a successor. Although it was not a sports car as intended, Renault Caravelle succeeded in fulfilling the designer's other intentions.

Renault Florida / Caravelle

With over 117,000 units sold, 65 percent of which ended up in America, Caravelle was able to promote Renault on that continent and disrupt the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, which was the inspiration for its creation. In addition, it remained remembered as a light cruise car in comfort and comfort, full of specific French makeup that has always been much appreciated by customers. Due to the low price and popularity of Renault in our country, Florida / Caravelle was a common car in this area, and a number survived. It turns out that rust is far more devastating for these cars than the negligence and disinterest of the owners, so that all the specimens found in our country are attacked by this disease, which needs special attention.

Renault Florida

In Europe, the prices of perfect copies do not exceed 10,000 euros, which makes the Caravelle one of the cheaper and more practical convertibles for summer cruises, in which you can put three more of your friends, which is not very common among roadsters. Even if you imagine that a fatal BB was sitting in the passenger seat, then every road will seem like a quay in Nice or Marseille, and life like a color film from the mid-1960s in which everyone is happy, young and beautiful and good always wins…

Author: 426 Hemi
Pictures: Renault
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