This odd but charming little car from France was once one of the top-selling imported cars in the USA, second only to the Volkswagen Beetle. Check out the Renault Dauphine in this clever commercial spot from circa 1958.
“Handy as roller skates and twice as fun!” That’s the sporty thesis statement in this circa 1958 television spot for the Renault Dauphine. You’ll never see an automobile compared to roller skates in 2015 marketing, but the ’50s were different times. Car buyers were pushing back against the ponderous land yachts from the Motor City—the vehicles social commentator John Keats called “the insolent chariots.” Offering economy, easy handling, and fun, the first wave of import cars sold at a brisk rate, with the Volkswagen Beetle leading the horde and an unlikely little sedan from France, the Renault Dauphine, claiming second place.
Introduced in 1956, the Dauphine sold some two million units in myriad forms worldwide before it was discontinued in 1967. The engineering was advanced for its time: A water-cooled, 32 hp inline four was stashed in the rear of a unit-construction body shell, coupled to a three-speed manual transmission and a swing-axle rear end. Long on Gallic charm but short on durability, the Dauphine peaked in U.S. sales at over 100,000 units in 1960, but volume then fell rapidly as the car’s shortcomings on American roads became all too evident. This commercial spot concentrates on the Dauphine’s nimble handling, fuel economy, and ease of parking. It’s a fun clip—very different from the typical 21st century car commercial. Enjoy.
This is great. The Renault Dauphine was the import for people who would never buy a German, Italian or Asian car. (like my old man, who had several Renault’s including a Caravelle, he called them “Renultz’s) Dauphine’s showed up in every grouping of cars, not many, but usually 1 and were very popular. Oddly, the Dauphine was not their best seller, that was the 4CV, my 1st car. I think it’s hilarious, in the commercial, which I’ve seen before, that they tout the 2 horns, but make no mention of the other attribute’s that made the Dauphine superior to the VW, it’s arch nemesis. Liquid cooling, hence, a real heater, 4 doors, 2 horns, ( just kidding) made it a hit. I always thought it was comical where the spare tire was. It looked like it’s tongue sticking out. They are pretty rare now, and I’d love to have one. Thanks MCG.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KIXWxb9y0rA/U8wrVe72LYI/AAAAAAAAL68/KnK06ilwBgc/s1600/1956+Dauphine+-+spare+tire.jpg
I always loved the spare tire in the vegetable crisper deal. I wish they had included it in the commercial.
Nice video. A co-worker had one of these, and it was the first foreign car I had ridden in, and driven. It was indeed fun.
A friend had one of these. Underpowered for sure, but fun. He had an extra set of wheels and tires that he would soak in used oil. The smoky burnout was sensational. It was only good for 2 or 3 times, then back home to change tires. Fun was different then.
Funny, back then they called it a “Re-nalt”, but when they were partnering with American Motors, they called them a “Re-know”. My father in law had a R10 he drove to work. Funky little car, the steering wheel was offset toward the center of the car instead of being centered on the drivers seat, and the turn signal switch was on the right side of the column. It was funky to drive too, it didn’t drive anything like the VW Bugs I was used too. I remember his starter went out one time and nobody had one so he had to wait on one to come from France. Didn’t stop him from driving it though, the jack handle was also an emergency crank for the engine. Put it through a hole in the splash apron, engage the crank pulley, give it a quick tug, and it was running! Amazed me how easy it was to get it running!
The import car trend started in earnest in 1957 when sales in the US went from 98,000 to 207,000. 2nd place in 1956 was the Metroipolitan at 7145, VW was way ahead at 50000. In 1957, Renault held 2nd with 22500 (VW reached 64200) and they held that position from 1957 to 1963. They fell to 4th in 1964 behind MG & Triumph. By 1965 they were 9th, and Datsun in 6th scored the first appearance in the top ten by a Japanese car.
The reason commonly given for Renault’s fall was that they didn’t take the US seriously. They concentrated on novelty buying and did not set up a sufficient dealer or service system. They had profitable markets in Europe and didn’t want to divert resources to compete in the US. By 1965, GM had Opel, Chrysler had Simca-Sunbeam. British Ford had fallen off by 1961. Volvo had held a steady 4th for five years
Somewhat oddly, in 1959 and 1950, the four leading states for import car penetration were Hawaii, Alaska, Nevada and Florida. California held 5th in 1959 but dropped to 10th the following year and its position was taken by Vermont. Damn free-thinking socialists!
A friend had one of these back in high school. It had a sliding tarp arrangement for a ‘Moon Roof’ . This came in handy when we had 6 or 7 guys stuffed in it.