DIOCCUSA: Rare Rear-Engined Renault

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 03/12/2020 at 13:30 • Filed to: DIOCCUSA, Old Car City USA, Renault Caravelle

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I can’t believe I never featured one of the most remarkable retirees !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . This Renault Caravelle is extremely rare in the United States, making finding a junked example unlikely.

Before we go further, this junkyard-turned-tourist-trap bills itself as a “photographer’s paradise,” which has proved itself to be an apt moniker. I wrote a full review, which can be found below.

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There, let’s just take this in. Just off the main yard by the entrance lies pure unadulterated Gallic charm. Just absorb the graceful arch of the front combines with the headlight cutouts to achieve a thoroughl y original grilleless front end. The Renault just exudes elegance.

Check out the spare tire hidden under front bumper! The bumper curves up to allow easy removal. And the words C A R A V E L L E fit the front end rather well too. And don’t let me forget, FENDER MIRRORS!

The bumper does appear to have some rust, but more noteworthy is the 717o sticker that has kept some of it at bay. Perhaps a parking spot number?

Moving on to the profile view, things don’t get less interesting. The crease before the rear wheel is often used to provide cooling in rear-engined cars, but not in this one! Strangely, the European market Caravelle, called the Floride in its home country, did have a cooling slat there. T he side chrome strip is supposed to continue all the way to the rear of the car, but I suspect it fell off when that dent in the rear occurred.

The driver’s side quarter window was open, giving a glimpse of the opulent cabin within.

Wow, everything is there! This car is entirely complete, even down to the padded vinyl dash! The floorboards did not even  appear to be rusted out either, though I’m sure most of the upholstery is toast.

Moving to the rear, the cooling system takes up most of the real estate. The thin chrome bumper does accent the graceful rear grille nicely . The Pennsylvania plate is surprising too, since it currently lies in rural Georgia.

The taillights are accented by some tacked- on reflectors to comply with American safety regulation.   The plastics are completely toast too, and I cannot imagine that finding replacement taillight lenses would be easy. A custom casting would probably be the only option.

R-E-N-A-U-L-T

I don’t know much about this carb ure ted four cylinder engine. It looks like it had a cooling fan on the rear driven directly off the crankshaft, which is interesting and probably inefficient.

I am sure there is a lot I don’t know about this car, so w hat can you tell me , Oppo?

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 03/12/2020 at 13:45

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I like those. They look real funky without bumpers, though...

superdave847 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 03/12/2020 at 13:48

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Gosh that’s amazing 

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 03/12/2020 at 13:53

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I remember when I was a kid, a used car lot in town had a convertible Caravelle. This was around 1988 - the PNW was a goldmine for old cars then. It was in pretty good condition, it was yellow, and I liked it, I recall checking it out when my dad stopped to look at something random there.  I was maybe 11.  I remember the same lot also had a Fuego, another guilty pleasure of mine.  Never see either anymore, even here.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 03/12/2020 at 14:18

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That car looks like it has a surgical mask on to protect itself from Coronavirus

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 03/12/2020 at 14:19

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It DOES! Now I can’t unsee that, lol.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 03/12/2020 at 14:19

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This is the only rear-engined Renault I have seen the in the states. They were stupid rare, which makes that car lot’s inventory charmingly unlikely. I think I like the hardtops better though.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 03/12/2020 at 15:25

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It also appears to have the spare tire inside the frunk rather than under it like USDM models

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 03/12/2020 at 16:31

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Pret ty rare, yes, but I think the coupes were far more rare than the convertibles!

Cool old thing! I have a love of rear-engined cars for reasons I don’t understand...I guess partially because they are one of those weird blips that cars ‘don’t do’ anymore (well, other than Porsche...and the current Renault Twingo/Smart).

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 03/12/2020 at 16:39

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Even a quick Google search doesn’t reveal very many coupes - I think this really is quite a nugget with almost no rust. Shame it will rot into the ground eventually. I didn’t even know Renault made this until I stumbled upon it, which led me to really appreciate that era of their design.  

I too share a love for rear- engined cars though I don’t anticipate them making a comeback. Perhaps increased crash safety from moving the huge solid lump of metal to the rear could be an incentive?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 03/12/2020 at 17:11

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And Corvette...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Jim Spanfeller 03/12/2020 at 17:12

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Jim Spanfeller > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 03/12/2020 at 18:19

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I share that love. There’s something inexplicably compelling about rear-engined cars. It lends them a certain character that’s  charming as heck.

Jim Spanfeller > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 03/12/2020 at 18:22

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The A mphicar at least has some boat-like pointi nes s to the nose, the C aravelle just has a big ol’ flat blank expanse on the front. It really needs that bumper and “Caravelle” script  to dress up the front.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 03/12/2020 at 18:31

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No, the C8 Corvette is mid-engined.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Jim Spanfeller 03/12/2020 at 18:34

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Agreed! Part of the reason for my love of the FIAT 500/FIAT 126/Autobianchi Bianchina! :)

Basic simple cars like the Citroen 2CV are compelling to me for the same reason...purely mechanical, cleverly simple and therefore charming as heck!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 03/12/2020 at 21:11

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I know that. Also not rear-engined. But with the Duramax option, it could tow pretty well.