The Renault Juvaquatre is a small family car produced between 1937 and 1960, although production stopped or slowed to a trickle during the war years. The saloon was soon overshadowed by the 4CV, but its estate version survived until 1960.
Renault Juvaquatre at a glance
| Maker | Renault, France |
|---|---|
| Production | 1937–1960 |
| Tax class | 6CV |
| Bodies | saloon, then van-based estate from 1950 |
| Saloon production | until 1948, briefly restarted in 1952 |
| Estate name | Renault Dauphinoise from 1956 |
| Replaced by | Renault 4 in 1960 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault Juvaquatre.
History of the Renault Juvaquatre
A car for new buyers
The Juvaquatre was conceived in 1936 by Louis Renault as a small, affordable car for the 6CV tax class, fitting into the range below more upmarket models such as the Primaquatre and Celtaquatre. Renault was focused on creating new customers who would not otherwise buy its cars, and on appealing to the lower-income buyers created by changing labour conditions and the rise of the Popular Front in the 1930s.
Overshadowed by the 4CV
The car was built as a saloon until 1948, when the plant switched its full attention to the new Renault 4CV, which became France’s best-selling post-war car. During the second half of 1952 the plant restarted Juvaquatre saloon production for about five months, but the model had already been overtaken.
The Dauphinoise
In 1950 a van-based station wagon body joined the range, and from 1956 these estate cars were known as the Renault Dauphinoise. There was no estate version of the rear-engined 4CV or Dauphine, so the Juvaquatre Dauphinoise stayed in production until it was replaced by the Renault 4 in 1960.
Design and features
- 6CV class: a small, cheap car aimed at new buyers.
- Estate survivor: the van-based wagon outlived the saloon by a decade.
- Dauphinoise name: used for the estate cars from 1956.
- Replaced by the Renault 4: the estate’s role passed to the new hatchback in 1960.
Renault Juvaquatre versions
- Juvaquatre saloon (1937): the original four-door.
- Juvaquatre estate (1950): van-based station wagon.
- Renault Dauphinoise (1956): the name used for the later estates.
The Juvaquatre was replaced by the Renault 4 and sat below the Renault Primaquatre and Renault Celtaquatre. More cars are in the Renault collection.
Video: Renault Juvaquatre 1956 motor start
Video by Felix Ofner on YouTube.
Sources
- Renault Juvaquatre, English Wikipedia: origins, saloon and estate production
