Throughout annually of the Nineteen Fifties, the extremely low-cost Volkswagen Beetle grew to become a much bigger and larger gross sales success in the US. It appeared that no import may contact the Beetle after higher than 50,000 have been bought right here for the 1956 mannequin 12 months … however then one other little rear-engined European automobile appeared, and it boasted two extra doorways than the VW plus an analogous price ticket. This was the Renault Dauphine, and for a number of years it seemed like a mortal risk to Beetle gross sales on our shores. Dauphines largely disappeared from American streets by the daybreak of the Seventies and from junkyards by the Nineteen Eighties, however I discovered this one in a Silicon Valley automobile graveyard not too long ago.
As a matter of reality, there are three Dauphines on the North San Jose Choose-n-Pull as I write this. That trio had been up on the market on Craigslist for fairly a while, as a package deal deal for $1,000. There have been no takers, even within the French-car-loving Bay Space, and so all three now reside of their remaining parking areas earlier than their inevitable date with the crusher.
Renault bought greater than 200,000 Dauphines in the US, largely through the 1957-1960 interval. Gross sales continued via 1966, however by no means regained their late-Nineteen Fifties glory.
The Dauphine had a rear-engined design with swing axles, identical to the Beetle, and so it proved standard in areas with icy roads. My grandfather was a Minnesota ice racer on the time, and he bought a number of Dauphines to affix his steady of Beetles and Corvairs (they rusted much more rapidly than the VWs, which is saying one thing).
In contrast to the air-cooled Beetle, the Dauphine’s engine had a conventional liquid cooling system with a radiator. This added complexity however gave the Renault a heater that labored correctly and with much less propensity to catch on hearth.
Somebody yanked the top off the engine on this one way back, judging from the rusty detritus within the cylinders. If unique, it’s an 845cc straight-four rated at 28 horsepower when new. The ’60 Dauphine scaled in at simply 1,397 kilos, so it wasn’t as gradual as you would possibly assume (however nonetheless fairly gradual). The 1960 Beetle weighed 1,609 kilos and had a 1192cc engine with a mighty 36 horsepower, giving the 2 rivals comparable power-to-weight ratios (49.9 lb/hp for the Dauphine, 44.7 lb/hp for the Beetle).
That meant that the ’60 Beetle may pull (slowly) away from the ’60 Renault in a really boring drag race, and that the Dauphine had a slight edge in gas economic system. In line with up to date evaluations, the Renault was superior in dealing with and experience consolation, whereas the VW did higher on basic construct high quality and inside house.
The Beetle had a four-speed handbook as customary tools, whereas the Dauphine had a three-speed handbook (a Dauphine four-speed arrived a bit afterward within the Sixties).
The checklist value for the 1960 Dauphine was $1,645, or about $17,237 in 2023 {dollars}. The 1960 Beetle’s MSRP was $90 much less, or $16,399 at this time. Undercutting each by a considerable margin was the 1960 Austin Mini, which price a mere $1,295 ($13,570 now). Should you needed to purchase American but nonetheless pinch pennies in 1960, George Romney’s American Motors Company would promote you a Wisconsin-built Rambler American two-door enterprise coupe for simply $1,781 ($18,663 after inflation).
This automobile has the non-obligatory sunroof, which added $55 to the value ($576 in at this time’s cash).
I am undecided how a lot the non-obligatory manufacturing facility AM radio price, however the price ticket would have been substantial. Be aware the CONELRAD nuclear-attack frequency markings at 640 and 1240 kHz.
Very good Dauphines promote for good cash these days, however this one is simply too far gone to be something past a components donor. Individuals may purchase new Renaults till the ultimate AMC-built Alliances and Encores have been bought as 1987 fashions, though the occasional Mexican-market Renault exhibits up in our junkyards occasionally.
Renault’s American entrepreneurs felt that the French pronunciation of the producer’s title can be off-putting right here, so “reh-NALT” was used for a few years in the US.
With customary American three-speed shift and saucy beauty!
A day of enjoyable with the automobile made in France to make driving enjoyable once more.
Thrifty and frisky.
The house-market commercials confirmed off the engine’s machining steps.
In Brazil, Willys constructed Dauphines below license.
Life was simply higher in a Dauphine.