Renault Estafette

The Renault Estafette is a light commercial front-wheel-drive van that Renault launched in June 1959, named from the Italian staffetta, meaning courier. Renault had committed to rear-engined cars with the 4CV and the Dauphine, but a team led by Guy Grosset-Grange built a front-drive van from existing Renault parts, using the engine being developed for the Dauphine, to compete with the Citroen H Van. It was sold in many body styles, including a minibus, the Alouette camper-convertible version of 1961 and a chassis cab. In May 1962 it became the first vehicle to receive the new 1,108 cc Sierra engine, and in 1968 it gained the 1,289 cc engine of the Renault 12. Its biggest customer was the French telephone company PTT, and Dacia built a version for the Romanian Post. The Renault Trafic replaced it.