Renault Frégate

The Renault Frégate is an executive saloon that Renault made from 1951 to 1960, with the Domaine and Manoir estate versions added in 1956 and 1958. It was conceived after the Second World War to improve the image of the newly nationalised company and to serve a growing middle class. Renault dropped a rear-engined layout in 1949 for a front engine, which rushed the engineering. The car was shown at the 1950 Paris Motor Show, the first production car was delivered in November 1951, and it was built at the Flins plant. From 1953 it was sold as the Frégate Affaires and the more luxurious Frégate Amiral. The two litre engine gave 58 PS at first and later versions gave more, and a Transfluide semi-automatic transmission was optional from 1957. Sales peaked at 37,717 cars in 1955 and then fell as Citroen strengthened its hold on the larger saloon market.