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RENAULT, 112 YEARS OF HISTORY

• 1898 Louis Renault builds the voiturette, a vehicle equipped with two major innovations: a cardan shaft and a direct drive gearbox.
   
• 1899 Founding of the Renault Frres partnership (socit en nom collectif).
   
• 1902 Patent for a surpercharged engine.
   
• 1904 Development of the first removable spark plug.
   
• 1912 Invention of the removable wheel.
   
• 1914 One thousand Renault taxis, the "Taxis de la Marne", are requisitioned to carry soldiers to the front.
• 1924 Renault adopts a diamond-shaped logo.
   
• 1929 A new plant opens its doors on Ile Sguin, in front of the Billancourt workshops.
   
• 1945 Socit Anonyme des Usines Renault is nationalized to form the stateowned Rgie Nationale des Usines Renault (RNUR).
   
• 1946 Reveal of the 4CV, the first production vehicle to be built in more than one million examples, at the Paris Motor Show.
   
• 1956 Launch of the Dauphine, "a symbol of modern times"; more than 150 patents filed in this year alone.
   
• 1959 Launch of the Estafette, a new light commercial vehicle, and Renault's first front- wheel drive.
   
• 1961 Launch of the Renault 4, an innovative vehicle produced in more than eight million examples.
   
• 1965 Presentation of the Renault 16, the first executive hatchback, at the Geneva Motor Show.
   
• 1972 Launch of the Renault 5, which went on to be produced in 5,325,000 units. New Renault diamond-shaped logo designed by Vasarely.
   
• 1979 The turbocharged engine introduced in 1977 becomes a benchmark with Renault's first F1 win.
   
• 1980 Launch of a new range of light commercial vehicles with the firstgeneration Trafic and Master.
   
• 1984 Launch of three models: Renault Supercinq, Renault 25 and Renault Espace, the first MPV in automotive history. Renault vehicles become "les voitures vivre" (cars for living).
   
• 1992 Launch of Renault Safrane and presentation of Renault Twingo. The plant on Ile Sguin closes its doors. The Williams-Renault team claims its first F1 championship titles, Drivers' and Constructors' categories.
   
• 1995 Renault S.A is floated. Reveal of Renault Mgane; Renault Scnic is unveiled one year later.
   
• 1998 Renault celebrates its centenary. Inauguration of the Ayrton Senna plant in Brazil and the Renault Technocentre in Guyancourt.
   
• 1999 The Renault-Nissan Alliance is signed. Renault acquires a majority stakeholding in Dacia.
   
• 2000 Renault acquires a 70.1% stake in Samsung Motors, leading to the founding of Renault Samsung Motors.
   
• 2001 Laguna II becomes the first car in the world to receive five stars in EuroNCAP crash tests.
   
• Volvo Group acquisition of Renault Truck
   
• 2004 Reveal of Logan, a new automotive concept, at the Technocentre.
   
• 2006 Renault F1 Team, the 100% Renault team founded in 2002, claims its second world championship titles, Drivers' and Constructors' categories.
   
• 2007 Creation of the Renault eco2 label.
   
• 2008 Renault acquires a 25% stake in manufacturer AvtoVAZ, No. 1 on the Russian market with the Lada brand.
   
• 2009 New brand signature: "Drive the Change".
   
• 2010 2010 At the Paris Motor Show, Renault unveils its full range of electric vehicles: Fluence ZE, Kangoo Express ZE, Twizy, and ZOE Preview, as well as the concept car Dezir.

Renault Voiturette