Renault 4: 60 years of a true automotive icon

Designed to compete with none other than another automotive icon, the Citroën 2 CV, the Renault 4 went on sale in 1961 and remained in production until 1993. During that time, Renault manufactured and sold more than 8 million units worldwide, 800,000 of them in the Spanish market.

Now, the French brand is commemorating the 60th anniversary of its legendary “4L”. A vehicle that was born three decades before people began talking about SUVs, crossovers or crossovers, but which already stood out at its launch for some of the qualities this type of vehicle boasts about today.

And it’s no surprise that, after the stir caused by the announcement that the Renault 5 Prototype would go into series production, we are now hearing talk of the resurrection of the Renault 4, also in an electric version. We’re sure to have news very soon.

The Renault: ahead of its time

Today we pay tribute to the popular “4 latas” (“4 cans”), the best-known of the many nicknames the Renault 4 received. The car was presented to the press in the summer of 1961, although the French brand had been developing its new model for five years.

With an estate-style body but taller than usual, mounted on an innovative platform-type chassis aimed at achieving the greatest possible mechanical simplicity, the Renault 4 offered space for five passengers and a 480-litre boot in just 3.6 metres of length. Even back then it offered solutions such as a rear seat that folded down very quickly and easily, transforming it almost into a van, with 1.45 m³ of cargo volume.

Another notable advance was its front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, once again with the Citroën 2 CV in its sights. It should be remembered that the Renault cars of those years were “all rear”, with the engine and traction on the rear axle.

Designed to offer a mobility solution with low purchase and maintenance costs, it featured sealed ball joints requiring no greasing, and a sealed cooling circuit with an expansion tank. Let us recall that its main rival at the time had an air-cooled engine.

The arrival of the Renault 4 in Spain

The Renault 4 reached the Spanish market in 1963. It was a very important milestone for the automotive industry in our country, as it was manufactured at the Renault Assembly Plant in Valladolid, where it was produced until 1989 in the passenger car version, and until 1991 in the van variant.

The presentation to Spanish journalists took place in February 1964, and the comments and opinions after the first tests were unanimous: a versatile, economical, practical vehicle with a suspension and dynamic qualities that made it a true “crossover”.

In Spain in the mid-1960s, the Renault 4 quickly became an object of desire. With its 845 cm³ engine, which delivered 30 CV and allowed it to exceed 100 km/h, the Renault 4 had a price of 84,000 pesetas, far below what had to be paid at the time to acquire a car in its segment.

Where does the name “4 Latas” come from?

The “4L” badge that the Renault 4 carried on its tailgate led to a friendly nickname for this model: “4 Latas” (“4 Cans”). It had many other affectionate nicknames as well.

Among the developments the Renault 4 underwent over its six decades of life, the engine upgrades stand out especially. In 1968, for example, it received the popular 852 cm³ “Sierra” engine from Renault, and a 4-speed gearbox. Later came the 1,108 cm³ engine, the front disc brakes… it even offered a panoramic sunroof on the more “fun” versions.

The new environmental regulations that came into force from 1993, with the mandatory fitting of elements such as the catalytic converter, ultimately led to the end of production of a model that officially stopped being manufactured in 1992, three years earlier in Spain, where it has numerous fan clubs. The modifications needed to meet the anti-pollution standards, Euro 1, made it unprofitable to continue production.

Video: the historic Renault 4L advertising in Spain:

To pay tribute to this popular model, which allowed many Spanish drivers to access an affordable vehicle that could be driven both on roads and on tracks, Renault has prepared this moving video, featuring a compilation of the various advertisements for our market.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2fOT8H1hto

Renault 4L image gallery