Renault 4CV

The Renault 4CV was a four-door economy car built by Renault from 1947 to 1961, with its engine mounted in the rear driving the rear wheels. Its name refers to the four tax horsepower of the French rating system. The design was worked out in secret by Renault engineers during the German occupation of France, when the maker was allowed to build only commercial and military vehicles, and the car was shown at the 1946 Paris Motor Show before going on sale a year later. It had a monocoque body about 3.6 metres long with front suicide doors, and a small rear four-cylinder engine that Renault later reduced to 747 cc to stay under a tax threshold. Pierre Bézier developed the transfer-line machining that made it possible to produce in volume. About 1.1 million were built, making it the first French car to sell over a million units. The Dauphine replaced it in 1956 and production ended in 1961.