Conquering the roads in Renault’s Rolls-Royce

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‘Renault’s Rolls-Royce’ sounds like an absurd nickname for the Reinstella, but it does perhaps explain the kind of car you should have in mind in very few words. Big, inline-eight, powerful, expensive, upper-class – these would fit just as well, but since these values are very often linked to Rolls-Royce and not to Renault... According to Renault itself, in a press release of a few years ago, five different body styles were offered for the Reinstella: Limousine, Pullman, Landaulet, Coupé, and the Cabriolet, either as a four- or six-seater. Hang on, that is six.

Anyway. Perhaps these were just the variants offered in the official brochure, but the choice was of course wider than that and only limited by money and imagination. Some wild derivatives from a coachbuilder such as Gaston Grümmer have been seen. Although not too wild, the Reinstella seen here may well be another Grümmer creation. A so-called Transformable or a Faux-Cabriolet perhaps?

Interestingly, the car is seen at the start of the Paris–Amsterdam Rallye Féminin in May 1931, as it was organised by the Automobile Club Féminin. Apart from the social elements, this rally saw the ladies tackle a hill climb and a regularity trial section before finishing at the Olympic Stadium (of 1928 vintage) in Amsterdam. Naturally followed by a gala dinner, another four (!) days were then spent sightseeing in the Netherlands and Luxembourg upon returning to France.

The lady driving the Reinstella is identified as Magdeleine Goüin, comtesse de Ganay. She was an eager motorist who had won the Rallye Paris–Saint-Raphaël Féminin in 1930, also in a Reinstella. She came second here. And it seems she had a real knack for Renault’s prime model, as we found pictures of her with another Reinstella registered 4725-RD4, while this one is 4831-RE5. What is more: the cover of Ève magazine of 7 May 1933 shows her in a close-up behind the wheel of what is said to be her Reinstella. But that is clearly another car and looks to be more of a torpedo-bodied car. Who knows..?

Words: Jeroen Booij, Picture: Bibliothèque Nationale de France

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