Renault Colorale
Encyclopedia
The Renault Colorale is a mid-size car
(though by the European standards of that time it will have been seen as a large family car
) produced by Renault
between 1950 and 1957. Unusually, it had the profile of a small estate car, which adumbrated successful Renault designs of the 1960s. The Colorale itself was not a commercial success, however.
, Renault management at the end of the 1940s were keen to move their business upmarket. Company strategy called for a robust functional vehicle, equally at home in the cities or the countryside, and appealing also to overseas markets in remaining parts of the French empire
. With colonial and rural customers in its sights, the car acquired the name Colorale, being a contraction of the (French) words ‘COLOniale’ and ‘ruRALE’.
before final assembly at the Renault Billancourt
plant. The front of the car closely resembled that of the smaller Renault 4CV
, indicating a conscious intention to give different Renault models a 'family look'.
Approximately 43,000 Colorales had been manufactured by the time production ended in 1957.
. The engine was robust, but with the compression ratios achievable using the low octane fuels available in Europe in the 1940s, the 2,383 cc engine, although it attracted a high (14CV) level of car tax, only managed a claimed power output of 48 hp. With a weight of 1640 kg (3,616 lb), the Colorale consumed petrol at an alarming rate and achieved its claimed top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) only with difficulty.
At the 1953 Paris Motor Show the company quietly introduced to the Colorale the new four cylinder engine recently developed for the Frégate
. This 1,996 cc unit offered a more impressive 58 hp and an increased maximum speed which now exceeded 105 km/h (65 mph) could now be claimed. The new engine also conferred tax advantages resulting from its smaller size which placed the car in the 11CV tax band. However, the improved power output came at the price of a reduction in torque, and overall "on-road" performance continued to be viewed as leisurely.
Mid-size car
A mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
(though by the European standards of that time it will have been seen as a large family car
Large family car
A large family car, also known as a D-segment car, is a European automobile classification which is larger than a small family car and smaller than an executive car. Multi-purpose vehicles based on a large family car design are often called large MPVs, while similarly-priced models from luxury car...
) produced by Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
between 1950 and 1957. Unusually, it had the profile of a small estate car, which adumbrated successful Renault designs of the 1960s. The Colorale itself was not a commercial success, however.
Background
Recently nationalised, and enjoying booming sales with their Renault 4CVRenault 4CV
The Renault 4CV was an economy car produced by the French manufacturer Renault from August 1947-July 1961. The first French car to sell over a million units, the 4CV was ultimately superseded by the Renault Dauphine....
, Renault management at the end of the 1940s were keen to move their business upmarket. Company strategy called for a robust functional vehicle, equally at home in the cities or the countryside, and appealing also to overseas markets in remaining parts of the French empire
Overseas departments and territories of France
The French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
. With colonial and rural customers in its sights, the car acquired the name Colorale, being a contraction of the (French) words ‘COLOniale’ and ‘ruRALE’.
Production
Body panels were stamped out and assembled by the Chausson company at GennevilliersGennevilliers
Gennevilliers is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 9 April 1929, one-fifth of the territory of Gennevilliers was detached and became the commune of Villeneuve-la-Garenne.-Transport:...
before final assembly at the Renault Billancourt
Billancourt
Billancourt is a commune in the Somme department in northern France....
plant. The front of the car closely resembled that of the smaller Renault 4CV
Renault 4CV
The Renault 4CV was an economy car produced by the French manufacturer Renault from August 1947-July 1961. The first French car to sell over a million units, the 4CV was ultimately superseded by the Renault Dauphine....
, indicating a conscious intention to give different Renault models a 'family look'.
Prophet without much honour
With its robust spacious body and the option of four wheel drive the Colorale was in some ways an even more radical design than the innovative and commercially more successful Renault hatchbacks that would appear in the 1960s: the Colorale in several important respects adumbrated the SUVs which would proliferate towards the end of the twentieth century. In the 1950s, however, the French marketplace was less welcoming to the Colorale which was slower and less elegant than other cars in this price bracket. In French overseas territories customers appear to have been less resistant to the radical new Renault, but it was nonetheless the more conventional Peugeot designs that gained a more enduring foothold in the French colonies and in the new independent states which succeeded some of them.Approximately 43,000 Colorales had been manufactured by the time production ended in 1957.
Performance
Lurking under the Colorale's bonnet/hood was the old four cylinder ’85 series’ side valve engine first seen in 1936 in the PrimaquatreRenault Primaquatre
The Renault Primaquatre was an automobile produced from 1931 to 1941 by Renault, the last car built before Louis Renault's death in 1944.-First Generation:...
. The engine was robust, but with the compression ratios achievable using the low octane fuels available in Europe in the 1940s, the 2,383 cc engine, although it attracted a high (14CV) level of car tax, only managed a claimed power output of 48 hp. With a weight of 1640 kg (3,616 lb), the Colorale consumed petrol at an alarming rate and achieved its claimed top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) only with difficulty.
At the 1953 Paris Motor Show the company quietly introduced to the Colorale the new four cylinder engine recently developed for the Frégate
Renault Frégate
The Renault Frégate is a full-size or executive car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1951 and 1960.-Origins:The Frégate was conceived in the years immediately following World War II...
. This 1,996 cc unit offered a more impressive 58 hp and an increased maximum speed which now exceeded 105 km/h (65 mph) could now be claimed. The new engine also conferred tax advantages resulting from its smaller size which placed the car in the 11CV tax band. However, the improved power output came at the price of a reduction in torque, and overall "on-road" performance continued to be viewed as leisurely.
The versions
Several different versions were offered, including a light van and a small truck. The most popular versions were the five door Prairie and the three door Savane.- The Colorale Prairie was the by far the best-selling Colorale. Featuring a six-light (three side windows on each side) body, it was a 4-door family car able to accommodate 6 people and offering a generous cargo area: with the rear seat folded down, the Prairie provided nearly three cubic meters of load space. Externally similar to the Prairie was a taxi version which featured a central row of rear-facing foldaway seats after the manner of a standard London taxi in the later twentieth century, but this had disappeared from the model listings by 1952.
- The Colorale Savane was similar to the Prairie but had only one door each side. Blinds were included for the rear side windows in order to make the car cooler in hot climates: the opening windscreen was promoted as a device for improving the ventilation. The Savane was also favoured as an alternative to a light commercial van, particularly suited to rough roads on account of its upgraded suspension.