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Photo of a Renault 4

Renault 4

Renault's first front-drive passenger car, built over 8 million times.12

Researched November 9, 2026 from 33 sources

Also called

  • QuatrelleThe French spoken form of 4L.2
  • 4LThe R4L trim's L meant luxury; 4L became a familiar name for the whole model.34
  • Cuatro LatasA nickname used in Spain.3
  • Marie-ChantalA prototype codename used in telegrams to conceal Project 112 during worldwide testing.5

At a glance

0100200
20.7–34 hpPower
050100
38–40.5 s0–60 mph
0100200
90–123 km/hTop speed
0150300
42–75 N·mTorque
05001,000
600–750 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.2679111415

Engine
603 (R3)–1,108 cc water-cooled I4s; Billancourt/Cléon-Fonte, sealed cooling211
Layout
Longitudinal front-mid-engine, FWD; Sinpar 4WD conversions212
Gearbox
3-speed, later 4-speed manual; dashboard lever, linkage over engine2
Built at
Billancourt, France; Valladolid, Spain; worldwide assembly213
Units built
Over 8 million across passenger and commercial versions2

The story

Pierre Dreyfus's Project 112 set out to serve town, country, work and play. The Renault 4 paired front-wheel drive with a flat floor, tailgate and modular rear bench; the standard car offered up to 950 liters of cargo space.156

1956: Project 112 gets its brief19561959: Marie-Chantal goes undercover19591961: Two wheelbases at the Frankfurt debut19611966: 1 million in under five years19661967: Four speeds for the 1968 model year19671978: 1,108 cc for the GTL19781985: Sixties: 2,200 with twin glass roofs19851992: Bye-Bye counts down from 1,00019921994: Last builds in Slovenia and Morocco1994 Renault Celtaquatre: 1934–1938Renault Juvaquatre / Dauphinoise: 1937–1960Renault 4CV: 1947–1961Renault 4CVRenault 4: 1961–1994Renault 4 194019501960197019801990200020102020
GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones124222324
Show the numbers
YearWhat happened
1934–1938Renault Celtaquatre
1937–1960Renault Juvaquatre / Dauphinoise
1947–1961Renault 4CV
1961–1994Renault 4
1956Project 112 gets its brief
1959Marie-Chantal goes undercover
1961Two wheelbases at the Frankfurt debut
19661 million in under five years
1967Four speeds for the 1968 model year
19781,108 cc for the GTL
1985Sixties: 2,200 with twin glass roofs
1992Bye-Bye counts down from 1,000
1994Last builds in Slovenia and Morocco
  1. 1956

    Project 112 gets its brief

    Pierre Dreyfus calls for a car equally at home in town and countryside, for work and holidays, for men and women.5

  2. 1959

    Marie-Chantal goes undercover

    Worldwide trials begin. Telegrams hide the prototypes behind the name Marie-Chantal; the test program covers about 2.9 million km.56

  3. 1961

    Two wheelbases at the Frankfurt debut

    The R4 debuts on September 21, measuring 3.66 m long. Its separate platform uses rear torsion bars that set the right rear wheel 45 mm behind the left.126

  4. 1966

    1 million in under five years

    The millionth Renault 4 is built on February 1, less than five years after launch.6

  5. 1967

    Four speeds for the 1968 model year

    For 1968, a fully synchronized four-speed manual replaces the three-speed gearbox; the dashboard lever keeps its rod above the longitudinal engine.278

  6. 1978

    1,108 cc for the GTL

    The GTL brings a 1,108 cc Sierra engine tuned for economy, plus gray lower-body protection and a matching grille.9

  7. 1985

    Sixties: 2,200 with twin glass roofs

    Offered in blue, red or yellow, the Sixties pairs two tilting glass sunroofs with seats mixing blue, red and yellow.10

  8. 1992

    Bye-Bye counts down from 1,000

    French production ends with 1,000 Clan-based Bye-Bye cars, each carrying a dashboard plaque numbered down from 1,000 to 1.459

  9. 1994

    Last builds in Slovenia and Morocco

    Production ends in Slovenia and Morocco, two years after France. More than 8 million were built worldwide, across 28 countries.4

Every generation

  • Renault Celtaquatre
    Renault Celtaquatre1934–1938
  • Renault Juvaquatre / Dauphinoise
    Renault Juvaquatre / Dauphinoise1937–1960
  • Renault 4CV
    Renault 4CV1947–1961
  • Renault 4
    Renault 41961–1994

Power over the years

From 21 hp to 34 hp in 12 years.

010203040 196019651970197519801985 hp 1961 · 21 hp · R4 747 cc (DIN rating)1961 · 23 hp · R3 603 cc1962 · 32 hp · Renault 4 Super 747 cc1963 · 28 hp · UK R4L 845 cc, Autocar test1972 · 26 hp · French-market Renault 4 782 cc1973 · 34 hp · German-market Renault 41978 · 34 hp · GTL 1,108 cc1987 · 34 hp · France: TL Savane 956 cc 34 hp German-market Renault 4 21 hp R4 747 cc (DIN rating)
79111416
Show the numbers
YearHorsepowerModel
196121R4 747 cc (DIN rating)
196123R3 603 cc
196232Renault 4 Super 747 cc
196328UK R4L 845 cc, Autocar test
197226French-market Renault 4 782 cc
197334German-market Renault 4
197834GTL 1,108 cc
198734France: TL Savane 956 cc

Versions

12 versions worth knowing, with their power.

  • R4 / R4L / Super

    Standard

    R4 / R4L / Super

  • Luxe / L Export / TL

    Standard

    Luxe / L Export / TL

  • GTL / TL Savane / GTL Clan

    Standard

    GTL / TL Savane / GTL Clan

    1978–1992

    34 hp
  • Safari

    Special

    Safari

    1975–1978

  • Parisienne

    Special

    Parisienne

    1963–1968

  • Special

    Sinpar 4x4

  • Jogging

    Limited

    Jogging

    1981

    34 hp

    5,000 built

  • Renault 3

    Standard

    Renault 3

    1961–1962

    23 hp

    2,526 built

  • Limited

    Sixties

    1985

    34 hp

    2,200 built

  • Limited

    Bye-Bye

    1992

    1,000 built

  • Plein Air

    Special

    Plein Air

    1968–1970

  • Salü / Carte Jeune

    Limited

    Salü / Carte Jeune

    1988 / 1991

How to spot one

Look for

  • Boxy body with four side doors and a full-height rear hatch.16
  • Door windows slide open rather than winding down.1
  • Semi-enclosed rear wheels sit under flat-topped arches.1
  • Early cars expose their upper door and tailgate hinges.1
  • Through the glass, look for a gear lever projecting from the dashboard.17

Year by year

  1. 1961–1963

    Earliest cars have a small grille and tubular bumpers; pressed-steel bumpers replace the tubes in September 1963.1114

  2. 1968 model year

    A wider aluminum grille surrounds the headlights; revised bumpers gain chrome corner-protection bars.29

  3. 1975 model year

    A black rectangular plastic grille replaces the oval aluminum piece.916

  4. 1977 model year

    Rectangular front indicators supersede the earlier round units.111418

  5. 1982 model year (Germany)

    Door hinges become recessed.14

  6. 1983 model year

    The new dashboard uses a Renault 18 instrument panel and a Renault 5 steering wheel.16

Don’t confuse it with

  • Photo of a Renault 4
    4
    Photo of a Citroën 2CV
    Citroën 2CV

    Citroën 2CV

    Look for the 4's boxy, full-width body; the 2CV has separate fenders and a narrower body.2

  • Photo of a Renault 4
    4
    Photo of a Rodeo
    Rodeo

    Rodeo

    The Rodeo has its own plastic body; the Plein Air retains standard Renault 4 body panels.716

Against its rivals

Prices

Price when newAuction sale
$0$5K$10K$15K 197019801990200020102020 1962 · $1,150 · Germany Super; approximate USD1966 · $988 · Germany base, ex-freight; approx USD1976 · $2,960 · Germany Safari; approximate USD1976 · $3,110 · Germany GTL 850; approximate USD1986 · $5,500 · Germany GTL; approximate USD1988 · $7,200 · Germany Salü; approximate USD 2023 · $5,700 · 1967 Renault 4, restoration basis; approx. USD, RM Sotheby's2026 · $13,000 · 1988 Jolly-style conversion, 261k km shown, BaT post-auction $13.0K BaT post-auction, 2026
1416303233
Show the numbers
YearPriceAmountDetail
1962Price when new$1,150Germany Super; approximate USD
1966Price when new$988Germany base, ex-freight; approx USD
1976Price when new$2,960Germany Safari; approximate USD
1976Price when new$3,110Germany GTL 850; approximate USD
1986Price when new$5,500Germany GTL; approximate USD
1988Price when new$7,200Germany Salü; approximate USD
2023Auction sale$5,7001967 Renault 4, restoration basis; approx. USD, RM Sotheby's
2026Auction sale$13,0001988 Jolly-style conversion, 261k km shown, BaT post-auction

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

  • Versions

    • Why each of the 12 versions matters

  • Legend

    • 13 stories from its legend
    • “8,135,424 cars from one basic design”
    • “Fifth overall, second among cars”

  • Generations

    • The story of each of the 4 generations

  • Market

    • 5 things to check before buying one
    • Where prices are heading, and why
Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 33 sources
  1. Quelle Quatrelle! (Part One) – Driven to Write driventowrite.com
  2. Renault 4 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  3. Renault 4L: el "Cuatro Latas", icono de la cultura pop, cumple 60 años lavanguardia.com
  4. 4-midable: Celebrating the brilliance of the Renault 4 | Petrolblog petrolblog.com
  5. Renault 4 celebrates its 60th anniversary! renault.com.mt
  6. 60 Jahre Renault 4: in jeder Hinsicht revolutionär - Renault Deutschland Presse-Service presse.renault.de
  7. Renault 4: Buying guide and review (1961-1992) | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  8. Renault 4 Parisienne la4ldesylvie.fr
  9. Quelle Quatrelle! (Part Two) – Driven to Write driventowrite.com
  10. 4L Sixties | R4-4L.com r4-4l.com
  11. Renault 4 (1961 - 1992) - The Buying Guide | Benzin benzin.fr
  12. Présentation de la transformation 4x4 par Sinpar la4ldesylvie.fr
  13. PASADO Y PRESENTE DE RENAULT 4 SE ENCUENTRAN EN EL CENTRO DE I+D+I DE VALLADOLID - Renault media website España prensa.renault.es
  14. Entwicklung – Das große R4-Buch im Internet r4l.de
  15. What fun! How practical! The Renault 4L June 1962 - Motor Sport Magazine motorsportmagazine.com
  16. 50 Jahre Renault 4 - Renault Deutschland Presse-Service presse.renault.de
  17. 1980 Renault 4 GTL review: Retro Road Test retromotor.co.uk
  18. Renault 4 Safari la4ldesylvie.fr
  19. Renault 4 Jogging la4ldesylvie.fr
  20. 1968 Renault 4 Plein Air No reserve artcurial.com
  21. 1986 Renault 4 Plein Air Replica by Coco Plage for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $36,000 on September 23, 2026 (Lot #264,524) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  22. Renault Celtaquatre - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  23. Renault Juvaquatre - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  24. Renault 4CV - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  25. Claude MARREAU / Bernard MARREAU - RENAULT 4 SINPAR n�120 - Paris Dakar 1980 dakardantan.com
  26. Espace presse - Raid 4L Trophy | LE 4L TROPHY FÊTE SES 30 ANS espace-presse.4ltrophy.com
  27. Renault 4 museivaticani.va
  28. The Gran Turismo 7 February Update: Three New Cars and Three New Race Events! - NEWS - gran-turismo.com gran-turismo.com
  29. 2010 PROTOTYPE RENAULT 4 sur base BX GTI du film "Rien à déclarer" - NO RESERVE<R> artcurial.com
  30. Jolly-Style 1988 Renault 4 for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $13,000 on November 3, 2026 (Lot #271,955) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  31. Points à vérifier avant d’acheter | R4-4L.com r4-4l.com
  32. 1967 Renault 4 | St. Moritz 2023 | RM Sotheby's rmsothebys.com
  33. Renault 4 For Sale & Price Guide | The Classic Valuer theclassicvaluer.com
  • driventowrite.com
  • en.wikipedia.org
  • lavanguardia.com
  • petrolblog.com
  • renault.com.mt
  • presse.renault.de
  • autoexpress.co.uk
  • la4ldesylvie.fr
  • r4-4l.com
  • benzin.fr
  • prensa.renault.es
  • r4l.de
  • motorsportmagazine.com
  • retromotor.co.uk

Photo credits

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