| Renault Fiftie | |
| Manufacturer: | Renault |
| Production: | 1996 |
| Designer: | Benoît Jacob |
| Class: | Concept car |
| Body Style: | 2-door coupe |
| Engine: | 1.2 L D7F 8-valve I4 |
The Renault Fiftie was a concept car presented by Renault at the March 1996 Geneva Auto Show[1] to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of the 4CV. The concept used a bright metallic yellow color, honoring the 4CV's "butter pat" nickname.[2]
Styled by Benoît Jacob[3] under the direction of Patrick le Quément, Renault's vice president of corporate design at the time,[4] the Fiftie used a mid-engine/rear-wheel-drive layout, with its exterior styling drew heavily on its ancestor's - though with a two-door, mid-engine configuration[4] rather than the 4CV's four door, rear-engine/rear-drive layout. The Fiftie was part of a trend toward retrospective designs, including the VW New Beetle, Mini Cooper and Fiat 500.
The Fiftie used an aluminum frame from the Renault Sport Spider[5] and a carbon fiber body.[1] Its interior used cotton, linen, and rattan extensively, with a picnic basket concealed in the boot/trunk. Front styling recalled the horizontal chrome 'mustache bars' of the original 4CV, with the addition of distinctive apostrophe-shaped headlights.[4] The targa-style roof used four removable roof panels that could store beneath the flat-folding rear window.[4]
The Fiftie was fully roadworthy, sharing most of the Renault Sport Spider's chassis, suspension, and mechanics as well as Renault's D7F 1.2-liter, 8-valve four-cylinder engine, which was subsequently introduced as a production engine in the Twingo.
After introducing the Fiftie, Renault chose not to develop the concept further.