Renault 4 – Facelift Friday

Let’s not make it a competition of ‘iconic status’, but the Renault 4 is definitely to Renault what the 2CV was to Citroën, the ‘Beetle’ to Volkswagen and the 500 to Fiat. The pleasantly recognizable and sympathetic Renault is also the most modern and practical car of that bunch, because in 1961 Renault built a handy hatchback coach on a front-wheel drive basis.

That’s all nice and nice, but today we mainly focus on the front. That is because that is the place where the biggest external changes took place and optical changes, that’s what we like at ‘Facelift Friday’. At the presentation, the car was initially also available as a Renault 3, a simpler version with an (even) lighter engine. Both cars had a striking front, with a hood that extended all the way to the front bumper. The round headlights were therefore incorporated into the sheet metal of that hood and would always keep that place. Between the modest spotlights, we initially found a rounded, trapezoidal grille with vertical bars. Initially, on the most simple version, this was simply a set of slots, but later the whole was always neatly finished with chrome.

In 1967 the appearance of the Renault 4 changed quite drastically with the installation of a new grille. Its chrome frame now also included the headlights and was given a striking, also chrome-plated strip in the middle. The Renault wybertje was then no longer placed in the middle, but more to the left.

In 1974 it was time for an update again. The headlight-encompassing grille was allowed to remain, but was given a rectangular shape and was largely stripped of its chrome. The round clignoteurs then disappeared in 1977 in favor of rectangular ones. The later (1978) GTL also got an extra cooling opening under the grille, which pushed the number plate towards the bumper. Striking brackets also appeared on both sides of the front, between the hood and front fender. In the course of the 70s and 80s, the 4 would trade more and more shiny stuff for parts in black or gray plastic. The 80’s? Yes, because just like its equally legendary contemporaries, the 4 remained in production for a very long time. Until 1992 to be precise, although it disappeared from the price list in the Netherlands in 1986.

Is it finally done with that? Since then, yes, but that could easily change. Renault is working on a real retro version, an electric car that gives the appearance of the 4 a modern twist. You can read more about this here.