The first couple of decades after WWII were very interesting in the automotive industry, especially among European carmakers. This was the time of automotive expansion when cars finally became much more than a tool that took people from point A to point B.
This era brought not a few legendary models, and most of them came from "regular" carmakers, without pretension to be exotic or too luxurious.
The Renault Caravelle was one of these models. It was the company's attempt to conquer the global market at a time when the key European player was the VW Beetle. Although commercial success wasn't all that great, the car gained legendary status, thanks to its attractive design and many interesting design solutions.
The First Generation of Renault Caravelle (1958-1968)
The Renault Caravelle was in production for an entire decade, between 1958 and 1968. In Australia, it was launched in 1960, remaining available until 1967 when it was discontinued due to slow sales.
Paving the way for the Caravelle was the Dauphine, launched in 1950. At the time, Renault's main goal was to create a car that could compete with the VW Beetle. While the small sedan was remarkable in many ways, the French automaker realised they also needed something more attractive and sportier to attract a broader range of buyers.
The easiest solution was to make a coupe/convertible sports car, which would be based on the existing Dauphine.
Renault's chairman accepted the idea, and the new model was ready to hit the market as Renault Floride. However, this name seemed unsuitable for other US states, so the final decision was to rename the new model to Caravelle. This name was used in all countries where English is the first language, including Australia. Long story short, the 1960 and 1961 model years used the “Floride” name in Australia, while later models were renamed to Caravelle.
Design
As the company didn't have the time and resources to build this car from scratch, the Dauphine served as the basis. The mechanical aspect of the two cars was very similar, especially in the initial versions. The wheelbase was nearly identical, though the new sports car was slightly longer.
The initial 1960 Renault Caravelle Convertible was the first version to come to Australia, while the coupe was introduced a few months later. As mentioned, most of the parts were shared with Dauphine, starting from the chassis and suspension setup. Even the engine was the same in the first few model years.
When it comes to suspension, the Caravelle was equipped with a typical McPherson setup at the front, with a coil-spring/wishbone layout and an anti-roll bar. The rear end featured a pretty interesting high-pivot swing axle design, which also included coil springs and telescopic dampers.
The initial versions had the same issue as the Dauphine, which refers to too much oversteering. This problem was solved with extra rubber springs up front and auxiliary air spring units at the rear end, significantly improving handling. Since models before 1960 weren't available in Australia, this shouldn't bother potential buyers too much.
The initial versions featured disc brakes at the front and drums on the rear wheels, but by the time this model was ready to hit the Australian market, rear brakes were also equipped with discs.
Dimensions
Such a suspension setup was in perfect harmony with the car’s compact size and lightweight body. The original Renault Floride hardtop weighed just 822 kg, while the wheelbase was 2,265 mm. As a result, this coupe/convertible was highly manoeuvrable and easy to drive. The level of athleticism was remarkable as well, pretty much on par with British roadsters of the time.
Renault Caravelle Dimensions
- Wheelbase: 2,265mm
- Length: 4,265 mm
- Width: 1,575 mm
- Height: 1,320 mm
- Weight: 822 kg
Engines
The Caravelle had a lot of things in common with the Dauphine sedan.
Renault Floride 1960, 1961
The initial version even used the same 850cc engine, with just a couple of modifications. The biggest one was that the Floride’s engine used a Solex 32mm carburettor instead of the 28mm Solex carburettor on the Dauphine's unit.
Also, we saw a new manifold and camshaft while the compression ratio was increased. These mods increased power and improved throttle response. Instead of 27 kW, the max output was 30 kW, but the max torque remained the same at 65 Nm. Just like the Dauphine, the Australian Renault Floride also used a 4-speed manual transmission.
Renault Caravelle 1962 Upgrade
The first engine upgrade came in 1962, along with the new name. An entirely new 1.0-litre unit from the new "Sierra" series replaced the old 850cc engine. Although conceptually pretty similar, the new engine didn’t share any parts with its predecessor.
The new 956cc inline-four engine was bigger, powerful, and even more efficient. Some sources claim an average fuel economy of around 9 L/100km, though official numbers are unavailable. When it comes to power, the new engine increased max output to 36 kW.
Renault Caravelle 1964 Upgrade
Two years later, we saw another engine upgrade. However, we didn't see a completely new engine this time. Instead, the 956cc unit had several modifications, including an increased displacement to 1108cc. As you may presume, the main goal with this engine upgrade was to boost power, and that was achieved. Instead of 36 kW, the max output went up to 41 kW.
Performance-wise, this was the most capable version of the Caravelle. With 41 kW of max power and lightweight chassis, the car needed around 18 seconds to hit 100 km/h, while the maximum speed was 145 km/h. The average fuel economy was about 9 L/100km.
This engine remained in use until the end of production, until 1968. As just mentioned, the Australian version was discontinued in 1967.
Renault Caravelle Sales
We don't have data for the Australian market, but the global data can probably give you a picture of Renault Caravelle’s popularity. During the decade-long production, more than 110,000 units were sold across the globe.
For comparison, 2,150,738 Dauphines were produced, but keep in mind that we are comparing a small family sedan with a sports car. So, we could say that the numbers were quite decent.
After a slow start, the early 1960s were the most successful years. In 1960, more than 36,000 units were sold across the globe. The last production year, 1968, was also the worst, with less than 1,500 examples sold.
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By Nebojsa Grmusa