Louis Renault, one of the great and deservedly famous pioneers
of the motor car, established Renault Freres Ltd. at Billancourt
in Paris, France in 1898. Early Renaults were strong contenders
in the inner-city races, then fashionable. Renaults came in
first in Paris to Ostend - Paris to Bordeau -Paris to Toulouse -
and Paris to Berlin events of the early 1900’s. The car on
display is a four cylinder, side valve Renault. The cylinders
are cast in pairs in its 40 horsepower engine. It has a high
tension Magnito ignition system and it cooled by Thermo-Syphon
circulation of water through a huge radiator, which is scuttle
mounted behind the bonnet or hood. There were good reasons for
doing it this way; it enabled the header tank to be higher than
the engine without impairing either the driver’s view or the
airflow over the sloping nose. The large water capacity radiator
provided an uncommonly reliable cooling system. Here is a
fascinating story that accompanies this particular Renault. It
was originally a Paris ta