The Renault Type AG, commonly called the Renault Taxi de la Marne, is a hackney carriage automobile manufactured from 1905 to 1910. It was the first taxi manufactured by Renault, and it gained its famous name at the outbreak of the First World War.
Renault Taxi de la Marne at a glance
| Maker | Renault, Billancourt, France |
|---|---|
| Production | 1905–1910 |
| Type | hackney carriage / taxi |
| First order | 1,500 cars in 1905 from a Paris rental company |
| Sales by 1907 | over 3,000 |
| Exports | Argentina, United Kingdom, United States |
| London fleet | about 1,100 cars shipped |
| Name | Taxi de la Marne, after the First Battle of the Marne, September 1914 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault Taxi de la Marne.
History of the Renault Taxi de la Marne
Renault’s first taxi
The Type AG was the first car produced after Marcel Renault’s death in 1903, along with another four models, and was built in Renault’s 22,000-square-metre assembly plant at Billancourt. A Paris car-rental company ordered 1,500 cars in 1905, thanks to the recent invention of the taximeter, which automatically calculated the fare. By 1907 Renault had sold over 3,000 Type AGs, with exports to Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United States, and approximately 1,100 vehicles were shipped to London to serve as taxis.
The Marne taxis
Before the First World War Paris had over 10,000 taxis. The name Taxi de la Marne was not used until the outbreak of the war, when the fleet of Paris taxis was requisitioned by the French Army to carry troops from Paris to the First Battle of the Marne in early September 1914.
Design and features
- First Renault taxi: the model that established Renault in the taxi trade.
- Taximeter era: ordered in bulk once fares could be calculated automatically.
- Export success: sold to Argentina, Britain and the United States.
- 1914 fame: requisitioned to move troops to the Marne.
Renault Taxi de la Marne versions
- Type AG (1905–1910): the standard taxi and hire car.
- Paris taxi fleet: the requisitioned cars of 1914.
The Taxi de la Marne was the ancestor of later Renault commercial vehicles such as the Renault 1 000 kg, and the Renault that served in the war is described on the Renault FT page. More Renaults are in the Renault collection.
Video: Renault Type AG
Video by Il Mondo del Dr. Pianale on YouTube.
Sources
- Renault Taxi de la Marne, English Wikipedia: production, taximeter order, exports, 1914 role
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