1970
Based on the Supérieur chassis, Renoir added a new Vitesse. Instead of a mid-engined sports car, Renoir offered a quite unspectacular front-engine coupé. The design was not made by the Lavelle Studios, instead, the less avantgardistic car went for a rather conservative but not old-fashioned line.
Power came from the 86 horsepower I6 - just like in the Supérieur, but as the car should be affordable and offer a nice sporty six-cylinder vehicle for the working class, the trim level was lower than in the Supérieur, No five-gear-transmision, no power windows and central locks, but nice bucket seats in the front, rpm counter and oil temperature gauge.
The rear wheel drive in the Supérieur wasn’t noticeable, the car has a very neutral handling and does not tend to oversteer, so driving a Vitesse was something everybody could handle - there you notice the unobtrusive and pleasant sedan as base.
For $16.400 the car was available at the same price as a Supérieur 23D - not really a bargain in comparison, but for those that looked for a spacious coupé with pleasant handling and nice engine sound the Vitesse was worth a look.
The car was nowhere a sports car, and the performance was well in the range of Frunian pony cars. 12,1 seconds to 100 kph, 164 top speed and 11,9 liter consumption were more for cruising than racing.
The car did not meet the expectations in Frunia, but it scored pretty good on the Hetvesian market.
If the Vitesse was not fast or fancy enough, Renoir now offered a really exclusive car - a GT car with a V12. As Renoir lacked money and experience, a joint venture with F.S.A. was formed in 1964, and in 1970 the car went on sale as Renoir Vainqueur and F.S.A. Turismo Speziale.
Four double wishbone wheel links have the handwriting of F.S.A. as well as the three-liter OHC V12. The engine was quite conservative, the fuel-injected Renoir had 24 valves, the F.S.A. a “quattrovalvole” 48V head. The Renoir Vainqueur featured hydropneumatic suspension for superb comfort. The all-luxury interior was as fancy as the exterior, and the rear seats were relatively spacious.
The sales were good, and the buyers arranged with the poor reliability as extravagancy was one of the car’s main points.
With only three liter displacement, the V12 mobilized only 156 horsepower, but that was enough for 8,94 seconds to 100 kph. 211 kph top speed were also adequate for a GT, as also 16,4 liter regular were. For $ 34.200, the Vainqueur was a good offer as there was hardly anything this fancy under $35.000 available, especially considering the V12.
1971
Time to renovate the Compagnon.
The styling changed to a more reduced and simpler direction, as Renoir considered the design of the Phase I models as meanwhile out-moded due to their chrome and oval grille.
The 1049ccm engine was overworked, but still had 50 horsepower. The changes were only minimal. Better safety was actually the highlight of the Phase II models. The price rose from 10.600 to $10.700, and the performance remained almost identical, while keeping 139 kph top speed it was now margianally faster with 14,6 seconds to 100. Cosumption dropped from 10 to 9,7 liter.
The better equipped model changed its name from NE to TL and kept its $11.200 price. Besides needing 15,2 seconds to 100 kph and 9,9 liter, nothing changed compared to the predecessor.
The two-door sedan Luxe with automatic was not facelifted and left in production, but only for the Archanean market. Renoir considered hatchbacks as cars of the future for small vehicles. All regions except Gasmea and Dalluha, where Renoir was not present, recieved another automatic car, based on the TL, with a three-speed automatic as only difference. Now the 50 horsepower were under pressure, as it needed 18,1 seconds to 100 kph, and 136 were the maximum to go. With 10,7 liter regular leaded it needed also more, but such a small car with automatic was almost unbeatable in city use. It was available for $11.500.
The best offer was still the 1400 sport model, still available for rather cheap $11.300, but the engine was totally unchanged. The better safety equipment increased the weight a little, so the performance did not improve in any way. 11,9 seconds to 100 kph and 152 top speed were still fast for the early 70s, as well as 10,1 liter were not too much. Well - if it had been faster, it might have been too fast for most potential buyers, so re-using the old engine was maybe a good descision.
The sales dropped in Frunia and Hetvesia, as more competitors, partially with newer technology, appeared. But as “a Renoir” had the image of a solid buy, the decrease wasn’t too fast. Renoir Archana reported more than just satisfying sales of the Phase II models. But it was also a warning: For further growth, reusing the 60s stuff would not be enough.