Flamboyance without flashiness

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Now that is an impressive motor car! It appears to be a large Renault cabriolet – or perhaps even a two-seat roadster – and possibly a 40CV, dating from an era when the French manufacturer did not hesitate to venture enthusiastically into the market for high-performance luxury cars. Note the extraordinarily long bonnet, the low windscreen and the equally low, compact hood. And, of course, the cooling vents along the sides, feeding air to the radiator mounted behind the engine.

The photograph is believed to have been taken at the Renault dealership in Mons, Belgium, although the date remains unknown. The cars in the background may provide a clue, however. They, too, are Renaults and have been dated by experts to around 1932. Our star car is older, probably dating from somewhere between 1926 and 1928 – or so it is believed.

What strikes us most is the restrained yet elegant bodywork, with its hints of Art Deco. No single coachbuilder’s work immediately springs to mind. Renault 40CV chassis were clothed by French coachbuilders such as Labourdette, Kellner, Binder and Saoutchik, as well as Hibbard & Darrin – and probably several others. Then again, Belgium’s Vanden Plas bodied a few as well. Does this car remind you of the work of any of them?

Words: Jeroen Booij
Picture: via Gerard Karl

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