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Renault was founded in 1899 by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand. Louis built his first car, the Voiturette Type A, in his parents garden shed and quickly proved the company engineering capability by winning the Paris-to-Bordeaux race in 1902. Unlike many early automakers, Renault designed and manufactured its own engines from the beginning.
Renault grew rapidly through the early 20th century, producing cars, trucks, aircraft engines, and military vehicles. The company was nationalized after World War II because of collaboration allegations during the occupation, and it remained state-owned until 1996. During this period, Renault produced iconic models like the 4CV, the Dauphine, the R4, the R5, and the Espace, which created the minivan segment in 1984.
Renault has been closely tied to French industrial policy and has had an alliance with Nissan since 1999, with Mitsubishi joining later to form the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Renault has also reacquired a controlling stake in the former state-owned manufacturer Alpine and is pursuing an aggressive electrification strategy under the Renaulution plan.
The Renault Espace (1984) was the first European multi-purpose vehicle (minivan), designed by Matra and sold through Renault. It created a segment that would be copied by every major European manufacturer, though the Espace itself was not a strong commercial success in its first generation.
Renault pioneered the widespread use of direct-injection turbocharged diesel engines with the dCi system, introduced in 1996, which improved diesel efficiency and reduced noise compared to indirect-injection designs.
The Renault R5 Turbo (1980) was a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive homologation special with a turbocharged engine mounted behind the driver. Only about 5,000 were built for rally homologation, but it became a cult classic and one of the most distinctive hot hatches ever produced.
Renault introduced the first production vehicle with a capacitive keyless entry system, the 2001 Laguna, where the card-style key could be kept in a pocket and the car would unlock when the driver pulled the door handle.
The Renault Zoe (2012) was one of the first affordable mainstream electric cars designed from the ground up as an EV (not a conversion of an existing model), and it became one of the best-selling electric cars in Europe through the 2010s.
Louis Renault built his first car and founded Renault Freres with his brothers Marcel and Fernand.
Louis Renault won the Paris-to-Bordeaux race, establishing the company reputation for engineering and performance.
The rear-engine 4CV was the first new Renault model after World War II and became the French people car, with over 1.1 million produced.
The Renault Espace created the European minivan segment and remained in production through four generations until 2014.
The Renault Zoe was launched as a dedicated electric supermini, becoming the best-selling EV in Europe for several consecutive years.
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