1924 Renault 6CV

In a small workshop at his family home, Louis Renault built his first motor car before the turn of the century, in 1898. Soon, he had received orders for additional cars to be built, prompting the birth of the Renault Frères company. By 1912, it had produced over 10,000 vehicles which accounted to one fifth of all French private car production. Sales were not confined to the home country, as they had been selling vehicles in Britain since 1901, forming a British company three years later. Their commercial taxis were popular in Britain, particularly to the London Hackney carriage trade.

After World War I, Renaults lineup consisted of three models powered by four-cylinder engines, and a six-cylinder model with a massive 9.1 liter displacement. The Renault 6 CV line was introduced in 1922, beginning with the KJ Type, followed by the MT and the NN in 1924 and continued through 1929. Among the middle-class range of vehicles, the NN proved to be popular, and a competitor to Citroen's 5CV.

Although the Type NN was considered the entry-level Renault model, it nonetheless shared basic design cues with its larger and more stately stablemates including the company's signature 'shovel-nose' hood. Two filler caps were located atop the hood due to the radiator placement, located between the fuel tank and the engine. The four-cylinder engine had a 951 cc displacement, breathed through a single Solex carburetor, and offered approximately 8.3 HP. The engine was backed by a three-speed manual gearbox and braking was handled by four-wheel mechanical drums. The suspension was comprised of a solid front axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs, while the back used a live axle with transverse leaf springs.

While the top-of-the-line Renaults earned the company its prestigious status, the durability and reliability of the Type NN produced its own accolades. One example was tested over 203 continuous hours at the Circuit of Miramas in Southern France during 1926, covering a distance of 10,000 miles at an average speed of 49 mph. In 1927, a Renault 6CV became the first automobile to complete a solo journey across the Sahara Desert, another testament to its durability and capability to handle demanding situations. The Type NN had been piloted by Lieutenant George Estienne who drove 18,000 kilometers in 36 days across the Sahara and French west Africa, reportedly with only one spare part and a can of oil.

By the time production came to a close in 1929, and before it was succeeded by the enlarged NN2, Type NN production reached approximately 150,000 units.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2020