The Renault Caravelle is a rear-engined sports car built from 1958 to 1968 as a coupé and convertible, designed by Pietro Frua of Carrozzeria Ghia. Outside North America and Britain it was sold until 1962 as the Renault Floride.
Renault Caravelle at a glance
| Maker | Renault, France |
|---|---|
| Production | 1958–1968 |
| Bodies | 2+2 coupé, 2+2 cabriolet, convertible with removable hardtop |
| Design | Pietro Frua, Carrozzeria Ghia |
| Platform | Renault Dauphine |
| Wheelbase | 2,265 mm |
| Layout | rear engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Name | Floride in Europe, Caravelle in North America and Britain |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault Caravelle.
History of the Renault Caravelle
A car born in Florida
Renault noticed the growing success of the Volkswagen Beetle in North America and wanted to repeat it with the Renault Dauphine. At a convention of North American distributors in Florida, Renault’s US dealers asked for a Dauphine coupé and cabriolet to improve the brand’s image in the crucial American market. Chairman Pierre Dreyfus agreed, and because the idea was born at a convention in Florida the car was known inside Renault as the Floride.
The name
The Floride name was thought unsuitable for 49 of the 50 American states, since it could have implied disrespect to the others, so the alternative name Caravelle was used from the start in North America and in other major English-speaking markets, including Britain. The Floride was presented at the 1958 Paris Motor Show and launched in the United States and Canada as the Caravelle a year after its European introduction. The Floride name returned in 2011 on a special edition Mégane coupé-cabriolet in ivory with a red and ivory interior, as a tribute to 1960s chic.
Bodies and mechanicals
The car came as a 2+2 coupé, a 2+2 cabriolet and a convertible, the last being a cabriolet with a removable hardtop. Its 2,265 mm wheelbase was shared with the Renault Dauphine, but longer overhangs made the car longer overall, and the engine also came from the Dauphine.
Design and features
- Frua styling: a Ghia-designed body on Renault mechanicals.
- Dauphine underpinnings: the same 2,265 mm wheelbase and rear engine.
- Three bodies: coupé, cabriolet and convertible with a removable hardtop.
- Two names: Floride in Europe, Caravelle in English-speaking markets.
Renault Caravelle versions
- Floride (1958): the European name for the coupé and cabriolet.
- Caravelle: the name used in North America and Britain.
- Convertible: a cabriolet supplied with a removable hardtop.
The Caravelle shared its floorpan and engine with the Renault Dauphine, and its 1,108 cc engine later appeared in the Renault 10. More cars are in the Renault collection.
Video: Renault Caravelle 1100 presentation, 1965
Video by Rétro Émotion on YouTube.
Sources
- Renault Caravelle, English Wikipedia: origins, naming, bodies, mechanicals
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