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118-472: As Louis Renault 's successor, and as Renault's chairman, Pierre Lefaucheux continued to defy the postwar French Ministry of Industrial Production  – which had wanted to convert Renault solely to truck manufacture. Lefaucheux instead saw Renault's survival in automobiles and achieved considerable success with the 4CV, with over 500,000 produced by 1954. The Dauphine was born during a conversation with Lefaucheux and engineer Fernand Picard . The two agreed

236-565: A Franco-Ottoman fleet occupied Corsica , but the reaction of Spain and Genoa, led by Andrea Doria , reestablished the Genoese supremacy on the island, confirmed by the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis . The unlucky protagonist of this episode was Sampiero di Bastelica , who would later come to be considered a hero of the island. Their power reinstated, the Genoese did not allow the Corsican nobility to share in

354-501: A pledge for the debts incurred after enlisting French military help in suppressing the Corsican revolt; as a result, France annexed the island in 1769. The future Emperor of the French , Napoleon Bonaparte , was a native Corsican, born that same year in Ajaccio: his ancestral home, Maison Bonaparte , is now a visitor attraction and museum. Because of Corsica's historical ties to Tuscany ,

472-833: A "notorious Paris collaborationist". During the occupation of France the company was under the control of the Germans, with people from Daimler-Benz in key positions. Renault himself became unpopular among members of the French resistance . The Renault factories on Île Seguin in Billancourt had become top priority targets for the British bombers of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and were ultimately severely damaged on 3 March 1942. Renault's health issues worsened, including his severely diminished renal function, and in late 1942, he suffered aphasia , and

590-473: A Dauphine dashboard into a work of art. In 1950, the president of General Motors (GM) had visited Renault, noting the cars' drab colors, inside and out. According to their own 1951 Survey , Renault's studies had shown that women held stronger opinions on the colors of a car than the actual choice of a particular model. Coincidentally, well-known Parisian textile artist Paule Marrot (1902–1987) had written to Renault's chairman, Lefaucheux, giving her opinion that

708-506: A Southern Romance one. Fewer and fewer people speak a Ligurian dialect , known as bunifazzinu , in what has long been a language island , Bonifacio , and in Ajaccio , the aghjaccinu dialect. In Cargèse , a village established by Greek immigrants in the 17th century, Greek ( Ελληνικά ) was the traditional language. Among foreign languages, the most spoken ones were English (39%) and Italian (34%) as reported by an official survey by

826-562: A car with a bicycle-like chain drive up the slope of Rue Lepic in Montmartre . As well as winning the bet, Renault received 13 definite orders for the vehicle. Seeing the commercial potential, he teamed up with his two older brothers, Marcel and Fernand , who had business experience from working in their father's button and textiles firm. They formed the Renault Frères company on 25 February 1899. Initially, business and administration

944-487: A car with a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph), seating for four passengers and fuel consumption of less than 7 L/100 km (40 mpg ‑imp ; 34 mpg ‑US ). The survey indicated that women held stronger opinions about a car's colors than about the car itself (See below, Marrot at Renault ). Engineers spent the next five years developing the Dauphine. Within the first year, designers had created

1062-411: A member of the Dauphine team — "to rid Renault of their stuffy image. After decades of being dipped in various shades of black and grey, car bodies [would be] painted in happy pastels." Working with four others and after setting up a new test laboratory to measure fabric wear as well as paint wear and uniformity, Marrot proposed new body and interior colors. The new paint colors contrasted with those from

1180-410: A profit of $ 11 million a year." The director of the plant during the war obtained a judgment in 1949 stating that he and the plant had not collaborated. In 1956, Renault's widow, Christiane Renault, claimed that Louis Renault was murdered and sought "to establish that Louis Renault was another of the more than 9,000 Frenchmen listed by the government as having been killed by "irregular executions" in

1298-583: A son, Jean-Louis (24 January 1920 – 1982). They kept homes at 90 Avenue Foch (formerly Avenue du Bois-de-Boulogne) in Paris and a country estate near Saint-Pierre-du-Vauvray , Rouen , in the department of Eure , called the Chateau de la Batellerie à Herqueville or simply Chateau Herqueville . The Chateau fronted more than 3 km of the Seine, the entire grounds comprising 4,000 hectares . At Renault's request and expense,

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1416-451: A used 3 ⁄ 4  hp (560 W) De Dion-Bouton cycle which featured a revolutionary universally jointed driveshaft and a three-speed gearbox with reverse, with the third gear in direct drive (which he patented a year later). Renault called his car the Voiturette . On 24 December 1898, he won a bet with his friends that his invention with an innovative crankshaft could beat

1534-440: A version of the 4CV's water-cooled Ventoux engine with capacity increased from 760 cc to 845 cc, and power increased from 19–32 hp (14–24 kW). According to Road & Track , the Dauphine accelerated from 0–110 km/h (0–68 mph) in 32 seconds. Engine cooling was facilitated by air intakes behind each rear door and a vented rear fascia. Heavier and 12 in (300 mm) longer than its predecessor,

1652-436: A white steering wheel, rear bypassing (vs. roll down) windows, twin horns (town and country) selectable by the driver and twin open bins on the dashboard in lieu of gloveboxes. Exterior finishes included a range of pastel colors. Subsequent to its introduction, and as a promotion for both companies (and an early instance of co-branding ), Renault worked with Jacques Arpels of the prominent jewelers Van Cleef and Arpels to turn

1770-710: A ⅛th-scale clay model, studied the model's aerodynamics, built a full-scale clay model, studied wood interior mockups of the seating, instrument panel, and steering column – and built the first prototype in metal. Having largely finalized the exterior design, testing of the prototype began at Renault's facilities at Lardy , France – by secrecy of night, on July 24, 1952. Using new laboratories and new specially designed tracks, engineers measured maximum speed, acceleration, braking and fuel consumption as well as handling, heating and ventilation, ride, noise levels and parts durability. Engineers tested parts by subjecting them to twisting and vibration stresses, and then redesigning

1888-429: Is a territorial collectivity of France , and is expected to achieve "a form of autonomy" in the near future. The regional capital is Ajaccio . Although the region is divided into two administrative departments , Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud , their respective regional and departmental territorial collectivities were merged on 1 January 2018 to form the single territorial collectivity of Corsica. Corsican autonomy

2006-544: Is a temperate montane zone . The mountains are cooler and wetter, and home to the Corsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion. This region supports diverse forests of oak , pine , and broadleaf deciduous trees, with vegetation more typical of northern Europe. The population lives predominantly below 900 m (3,000 ft), with only shepherds and hikers from 600 to 900 m (2,000 to 3,000 ft). The elevation above 1,800 to 2,700 m (5,900 to 8,900 ft)

2124-649: Is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France . It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the French mainland , west of the Italian Peninsula and immediately north of the Italian island of Sardinia , the nearest land mass. A single chain of mountains makes up two-thirds of the island. As of January 2024 , it had a population of 355,528. The island

2242-521: Is estimated that only 10% of Corsica's population speak the language natively, with only 50% having some sort of proficiency in it. The Corsican language is divided into two main varieties: Cismuntanu and Ultramuntanu , spoken respectively northeast and southwest of the Girolata– Porto Vecchio line. This division was due to the massive immigration from Tuscany which took place in Corsica during

2360-552: Is more extensive than in other regional collectivities of France and the Corsican Assembly is permitted to exercise limited executive powers. Corsica's second-largest town is Bastia , located in the prefecture of Haute-Corse. Corsica was ruled by the Republic of Genoa from 1284 to 1755, when it seceded to become a self-proclaimed, Italian -speaking Republic . In 1768, Genoa officially ceded it to Louis XV of France as part of

2478-461: Is the high alpine zone . Vegetation is sparse, with high winds and frequent cloud cover. This zone is uninhabited. There is considerable birdlife in Corsica. One famous example is the bearded vulture , or Lammergeier , which (along with the iconic griffon vulture ) serve as environmental "janitors" by scavenging the remains of deceased animals, thus limiting the proliferation of infectious microbes and diseases. Other avian species to be seen include

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2596-647: The Arctic Circle in Norway, suspension testing in Sicily , weatherseal testing in then- Yugoslavia  – a total of more than two million kilometres of road and track testing. In December 1955, Pierre Bonin (director of the Flins Renault Factory ) and Fernand Picard presented the first example to leave the factory to Pierre Dreyfus , who had taken over the project after Lefaucheux's death. Renault officially revealed

2714-505: The Citroën Ami 6 the Dauphine, though by that time, Renault had registered the name. At introduction, the Dauphine was positioned in the marketplace between the concurrently manufactured 4CV , and the much larger Frégate . The new model followed the 4CV's rear-engine, four-door three-box sedan format, while providing greater room and power and pioneering a new focus for Renault on interior and exterior color and design. The Dauphine used

2832-508: The Flins factory where Renault would ultimately initiate its production (and which would later be named in Lefaucheux's honor). Renault considered the name Corvette for its new model, but to avoid a conflict with the recently launched Chevrolet Corvette instead chose a name that reinforced the importance of the project's predecessor, the 4CV, to France's postwar industrial rebirth. The final name

2950-649: The GR20 , one of Europe's most notable hiking trails . The island is 90 km (56 mi) from Tuscany in Italy and 170 km (110 mi) from the Côte d'Azur in France. It is separated from Sardinia to the south by the Strait of Bonifacio , which is a minimum of 11 km (6.8 mi) wide. In 2005 the population of Corsica was settled in approximately 360 communities. According to

3068-594: The Köppen climate classification scheme, coastal regions are characterized by a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa). Further inland, a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) is more common. At the highest elevation locations, small areas with a subarctic climate (Dsc, Dfc) and the rare Mediterranean climate can be found. The station of Sari-Solenzara records the highest year-round temperatures in Metropolitan France, with an annual average of 16.41 °C over

3186-735: The Mesolithic era. The permanent human presence in Corsica is documented in the Neolithic period from the 6th millennium BC. After a brief occupation by the Carthaginians , colonization by the ancient Greeks , and an only slightly longer occupation by the Etruscans , it was incorporated by the Roman Republic at the end of the First Punic War and, with Sardinia , in 238 BC became a province of

3304-843: The Ostrogoths . Briefly recovered by the Byzantine Empire , it soon became part of the Kingdom of the Lombards . This made it a dependency of the March of Tuscany , which used it as an outpost against the Saracens . Pepin the Short , king of the Franks and Charlemagne 's father, expelled the Lombards and nominally granted Corsica to Pope Stephen II . In the first quarter of the 11th century, Pisa and Genoa together freed

3422-519: The Republic of Genoa , including an ephemeral attempt in 1736 to proclaim an independent Kingdom of Corsica under the German adventurer Theodor von Neuhoff , an independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed in 1755 under the leadership of Pasquale Paoli and remained sovereign until 1769 when the island was conquered by France . Following the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, Pasquale Paoli

3540-510: The Roman Republic . The Romans, who built a colony in Aléria , considered Corsica as one of the most backward regions of the Roman world. The island produced sheep, honey, resin and wax, and exported many slaves, not well considered because of their fierce and rebellious character. Moreover, it was known for its cheap wines, exported to Rome, and was used as a place of exile, one of the most famous being

3658-639: The Russian Front ." Suggestions that Renault management had slowed production for German occupiers was countered with the argument that workers rather than management had organized the production slow-downs. A 2005 article in The Daily Telegraph said it could legally be argued that the Renault company, the "jewel in the country’s industrial crown" was procured by theft, and that "admission that Louis Renault and his company had received rough justice would raise

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3776-685: The Sardinian dhole , the mustelid Enhydrictis galictoides , the deer Praemegaceros cazioti , the Corsican giant shrew , Tyrrhenian mole , Sardinian pika , Tyrrhenian vole , and the Tyrrhenian field rat . As of the January 2024 estimate, Corsica has a population of 355,528 inhabitants. At the 2019 census, 55.7% of the inhabitants of Corsica were people born on the island, 29.9% were from Continental France , 0.3% were natives of Overseas France , and 14.1% were born in foreign countries. The majority of

3894-484: The Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests ecoregion , in which forests and woodlands of evergreen sclerophyll oaks predominate, chiefly holm oak ( Quercus ilex ) and cork oak ( Quercus suber ). Much of the coastal lowlands have been cleared for agriculture, grazing and logging; these activities have reduced the forest area considerably. Between 600 and 1,800 m (2,000 and 5,900 ft)

4012-503: The barn owl , blue rock thrush , common crane , Corsican nuthatch , golden eagle , greater flamingo , osprey , peregrine falcon , red kite , and starry bittern . In some cases, Corsica is an isolated portion of a species' distribution; in other cases, it is the furthest point in a species' range. For example, a subspecies of hooded crow ( Corvus cornix cornix ) occurs in Corsica, but not anywhere further south. Corsica has abundant reptile and amphibians, one protected species being

4130-451: The bourgeois Parisian family of Alfred and Berthe Renault, Louis Renault attended Lycée Condorcet . He was fascinated by engineering and mechanics from an early age and spent hours in the Serpollet steam car workshop or tinkering with old Panhard engines in the tool shed of the family's second home in Billancourt . He built his first car in 1898, hiring a pair of workmen to modify

4248-595: The embargo date of March 1, 1956. The Dauphine debuted on March 6, 1956 at Paris' Palais de Chaillot with over twenty thousand people attending, two days before its official introduction at the 1956 Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva. In addition to its internal project number, Project 109, the prototype had been called by its unofficial model designation, the "5CV" . Lefaucheux, Renault's chairman, often simply called it La machine de Flins (the Flins machine) , referring to

4366-578: The post-Liberation vengeance , and Louis Renault's body was subsequently exhumed for autopsy. Madam Renault cited as evidence "a report showing Renault's urea content to be normal a week before his death, and an X-ray showing a fractured vertebra." In 2005, the London Daily Telegraph reported that "according to eyewitness and family accounts, the previously wiry little 67-year-old had been tortured and beaten," and that "a nun at Fresnes testified that she saw Renault collapse after being hit over

4484-433: The 1981–2010 period. The average amount of sunshine received annually was 2,715 hours in the period 2008–2016. The island is divided into four major ecological zones, by altitude. Below 600 metres (2,000 ft) is the coastal zone's mild Mediterranean climate , with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. The area's natural vegetation is sparse Mediterranean forest, scrubland, and shrubs. The coastal lowlands are part of

4602-600: The 4-door body featured monocoque construction with "a pair of perimeter-shaped longitudinal box sections and substantial cross-bracing", but without the 4CV's rear-hinged suicide doors . Overall, Dauphine styling was a scaled down version of the Renault Frégate , itself a classic three-box design of the ponton genre . Renault received styling assistance for the Dauphine at the request of Lefaucheux in June 1953 from Luigi Segre of Carrozzeria Ghia , especially with integrating

4720-514: The 4CV was appropriate in its postwar context, but that French consumers would soon need a car appropriate for their increasing standard of living, and the onset of the French Autoroute national highway implementation. Internally known as "Project 109" the Dauphine's engineering began in 1949 with engineers Fernand Picard , Robert Barthaud and Jacques Ousset managing the project. A 1951 survey conducted by Renault indicated design parameters of

4838-701: The Boulogne Billancourt plant. He pleaded for a necessary union between European nations. Louis Renault competed fiercely with Citroën, whom he called " le petit Juif " ("the little Jew"), growing increasingly paranoid and reclusive at the same time, and deeply concerned about the rising power of Communism and labor unions , eventually retreating to his country estate, a castle on the river Seine near Rouen . Renault remained in complete control of his company until 1942, dealing with its rapid expansion while designing several new inventions, most of which are still in use today, such as hydraulic shock absorbers ,

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4956-474: The Dauphine at its Flins factory , with a car leaving the assembly line every 20–30 seconds, and with engines from the company's headquarters factory on Île Seguin in Billancourt , Paris. The highly automated Billancourt site could produce an engine every 28 seconds. The Dauphine was also manufactured worldwide: Argentina: Industrias Kaiser Argentina produced the Dauphine under the Renault License in

5074-578: The Dauphine by lobbying to revise the basis for taxation from engine-displacement to overall length, successfully damping Dauphine sales. 73,000 Dauphine's were manufactured in Italy. New Zealand: Dauphines were assembled under contract to W R Smallbone Ltd by Todd Motors' Petone plant from 1961 to 1967, according to Mark Webster's book Assembly. This lists 1964 output at 199 units, 384 in 1965, 354 in 1966 and 233 in 1967. Renault assembly shifted in 1967 to Campbell Industries in Thames and Campbell Motors took over

5192-620: The Dauphine enter production. He was killed in an automobile accident on February 11, 1955, when he lost control of his Renault Frégate on an icy road and was struck on the head by his unsecured luggage as the car rolled over. The Flins factory was renamed in his honor, and he was succeeded on the project by Pierre Dreyfus . By the end of testing, drivers had road tested prototypes in everyday conditions including dry weather and dusty condition testing in Madrid, engine testing in Bayonne , cold testing at

5310-500: The Dauphine's platform. Italy: The Dauphine was manufactured under license by Alfa Romeo at its Portello, Milan facility from 1959 to 1964 and marketed as the Dauphine Alfa Romeo — featuring a Magneti-Marelli 12 volt electrical system, rather than 6 volt in the French model, and carrying a logo "Dauphine Alfa Romeo" or "Ondine Alfa Romeo." As a chief competitor to Alfa Romeo, Gianni Agnelli , Fiat's chairman, targeted

5428-606: The First World War, having been expunged by the Vichy régime . No autopsy was performed and the exact cause of Renault's death remains unclear. An official report at the time gave the cause of death as uremia . Later, in 1956, his wife claimed that Renault died of beatings and torture at the hands of guards in prison. Louis Renault is buried at his country home Chateau Herqueville, in Herqueville dans l'Eure . In October 1944,

5546-616: The French Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honor) , and Marrot's textiles were later licensed by companies as diverse as Nike and Hayden-Harnett. The Renault Ondine, an upmarket variant of the Dauphine, was introduced in 1961 and was offered for two years. It featured a 4-speed transmission. The Gordini version was offered with a 4-speed transmission, four-wheel disc brakes from 1964 and increased horsepower, performance tuned by Amédée Gordini to 37 hp (27.2 kW). Both Dauphine Gordini and Ondine Gordini variants were offered. The 1093

5664-585: The French Empire, many Corsicans retained a sense of community by establishing organizations where they would meet regularly, keep one another informed of developments in Corsica, and come to one another's aid in times of need. After the collapse of France to the German Wehrmacht in 1940, Corsica came under the rule of the Vichy French regime, which was collaborating with Nazi Germany . In November 1942

5782-507: The French government. Ever since, Corsican nationalism has been a feature of the island's politics, with calls for greater autonomy and protection for Corsican culture and the Corsican language , or even full independence. Some groups supporting independence, such as the National Liberation Front of Corsica , have carried out a violent campaign that includes bombings and assassinations targeting buildings and officials representing

5900-453: The French government; periodic flare-ups of raids and killings culminated in the assassination of Prefect Claude Érignac in 1998. Lately, the drive towards independence has taken a more electoral approach, where Corsicans elected pro-autonomist, or pro-independence parties overwhelmingly in the past few elections. In 2018, Corsica had the highest murder rate in France. In March 2022 Corsica saw large protests and riots after Yvan Colonna ,

6018-531: The French state. Despite the presence of a middle class in Bastia and Ajaccio, Corsica remained an otherwise primitive place, whose economy consisted mainly of subsistence agriculture, and whose population constituted a pastoral society, dominated by clans and the rules of vendetta . The code of vendetta required Corsicans to seek deadly revenge for offences against their family's honor. Between 1821 and 1852, no fewer than 4,300 murders were perpetrated in Corsica. During

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6136-552: The Germans and possibly forestalling them from moving his factory and equipment to Germany, which would lead to an accusation of collaboration with the enemy. He put his factories at the service of Vichy France , which meant that he was also assisting the Nazis . Over a period of four years, Renault manufactured 34,232 vehicles for the Germans. Renault argued that "by continuing operations he had saved thousands of workers from being transported to Germany", but Life in 1942 described him as

6254-553: The Italian experience. The following 150 years were a period of conflict, when the Genoese rule was contested by Aragon, the local lords, the comuni and the Pope: finally, in 1450 Genoa ceded the administration of the island to its main bank, the Bank of Saint George , which brought peace. In the 16th century, the island entered into the fight between Spain and France for supremacy in Italy. In 1553,

6372-566: The Roman philosopher Seneca . Corsica was integrated into Roman Italy by Emperor Diocletian ( r.  284–305 ). Administratively, the island was divided into pagi , which in the Middle Ages became the pievi , the basic administrative units of the island until 1768. In the fifth century, the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed, and the island was invaded by the Vandals and

6490-474: The Santa Isabel facility. 97,209 IKA Dauphines and Gordinis were produced as follows: Argentinian regulations required the manufacturers to incorporate extra bumper bars as seen here in the photographs of an Argentine unit. Australia: Renault (Australia) Pty Ltd assembled the Dauphine at Somerton , Victoria . Brazil: The Dauphine was produced under license by Willys-Overland , between 1959 and 1968, in

6608-566: The US motoring weekly The Motor called the Dauphine the "prettiest little four-seater in the world". Louis Renault (industrialist) Louis Renault ( French pronunciation: [lwi ʁəno] ; 12 February 1877 – 24 October 1944) was a French industrialist , one of the founders of Renault , and a pioneer of the automobile industry. Renault built one of France's largest automobile manufacturing concerns, which still bears his name. During World War I his factories contributed massively to

6726-692: The Wehrmacht." According to Anthony Rhodes's Louis Renault: A Biography , Renault once said of the Germans "It is better to give them the butter, or they'll take the cows." The 2005 Daily Telegraph report said Renault attempted to save his company from displacement and absorption by Daimler-Benz : "But for his efforts, Renault factories and employees would have been shipped to Germany." Subsequent studies have shown that while Renault had collaborated, "he also hived off strategic materials and sabotaged trucks. Dipsticks were marked low, for example, and engines dried and seized in action, an outcome much in evidence on

6844-428: The base vehicle for the electric Henney Kilowatt . Among the aftermarket options for the Dauphine was a supercharger from United States company Judson Research & Mfg. Co.; this sold in 1958 for US$ 165, and was designed to be installed in about two hours without any chassis or body modifications. By the early 1960s, Renault sought to avoid the single-model-culture that had nearly destroyed Volkswagen, accelerating

6962-492: The cars of postwar Paris were a uniformly somber parade, and wondering whether an artist could not help find fresh, vibrant colors. Marrot had attended Paris' prestigious L’école des Arts Décoratifs , had won a gold medal in 1925 at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes and had received a 1928 Prix Blumenthal . Convinced of her value to the project, Pierre Lefaucheux made her

7080-583: The cheeses is brocciu (similar to ricotta), which is used as a fresh ingredient in many dishes, from first courses ( sturzapreti ) to cakes ( fiadone ). Other cheeses, like casgiu merzu ("rotten cheese", the Corsican counterpart of the Sardinian casu martzu ), and casgiu veghju , are made from goat or sheep milk. Chestnuts are the main ingredient in the making of pulenta castagnina and cakes ( falculelle ). A variety of alcohol also exists, ranging from aquavita (brandy), red and white Corsican wines ( Vinu Corsu ), muscat wine (plain or sparkling), to

7198-543: The competition, the Peugeot 203 and Simca Aronde , including bright colors with names such as Rouge Montijo , Jaune Bahamas , Bleu Hoggar and Blanc Réja . Marrot and her team then developed complementary interior fabrics for the seats and door panels, turning to Paris' large textile houses. Marrot also designed the Dauphine's emblem of three dolphins over a crown, which adorned the Dauphine's steering wheel and hood throughout its production. Later in life, Marrot went on to win

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7316-423: The development of the Dauphine's successor, the R8 , which supplemented the Dauphine in 1962. Renault celebrated the end of Dauphine production with a limited edition of 1000 models. The last of the base-model Dauphines was produced in December 1966 and the last Gordini models were sold in December 1967. By this time the Dauphine had been excluded from the manufacturer's production lines and Dauphine assembly during

7434-464: The dissolution of Société Anonyme des Usines Renault and its nationalization, giving it the new name Régie Nationale des Usines Renault (RNUR) . Thus, the company Louis Renault had created was nationalized on the official case of collaboration. Renault was charged posthumously with "guilty enrichment obtained by those who worked for the enemy". In 1944, after the expropriation of his company and his subsequent death, Renault's last will and testament

7552-413: The eastern plains, and continuing chemical pollution ( Fanghi Rossi ) from mainland Italy increased tensions between the indigenous inhabitants and the French government. Tensions escalated until an armed police assault on a pieds-noirs-owned wine cellar in Aleria , occupied by Corsican nationalists on 23 August 1975. This marked the beginning of the Corsican conflict , an armed nationalist struggle against

7670-507: The eastern side. It is the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean, a "mountain in the sea". The island is 183 km (114 mi) long at its longest, 83 km (52 mi) wide at its widest, has 1,000 km (620 mi) of coastline, with more than 200 beaches such as Paraguano . Corsica is very mountainous, with Monte Cinto as the highest peak at 2,706 m (8,878 ft), and around 120 other summits of more than 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Mountains comprise two-thirds of

7788-410: The end of the Pisan rule and the beginning of the Genoese influence in Corsica: this was contested initially by the King of Aragon , who in 1296 had received from the Pope the investiture over Sardinia and Corsica. A popular revolution against this and the feudal lords, led by Sambucuccio d'Alando , got the aid of Genoa. After that, the Cismonte was ruled as a league of comuni and churches, after

7906-486: The engine capacity was insufficient at only four CV (748 cc). The four-cylinder engine was redesigned to increase its capacity to 845 cc by increasing the bore to 58 mm, giving the car a new informal designation, the 5CV. By 1954 a second series of prototypes incorporated updates, using the older prototypes for crash testing. Lefaucheux followed the testing carefully, often meeting with his engineers for night testing to ensure secrecy, but did not live to see

8024-409: The engine's air intake at the rear doors. The Dauphine had a front-hinged trunklid, which housed the headlights and opened to a seven-cubic-foot trunk. The spare tire was carried horizontally under the front of the car, behind an openable panel below the bumper. The interior featured adjustable front bucket seats and a rear bench seat, a heater, painted dash matching the exterior, twin courtesy lamps,

8142-498: The famous "Cap Corse" apéritif produced by Mattei. The herbs which are part of Maquis ( Corsican : machja ), and the chestnuts and acorns of the Corsican forests are eaten by local animals, resulting in a noticeable flavour in the food there. Corsica has produced a number of known artists: Most Corsican football clubs are currently littered through the top 5 tiers of French football. AC Ajaccio and SC Bastia play in Ligue 2 in 2024–25, although both have played in Ligue 1 in

8260-440: The first half of the century, the people of Corsica were still immersed in the Italian cultural world: the bourgeoisie sent children to Pisa to study, official acts were enacted in Italian and most books were printed in Italian. Moreover, many islanders sympathised with the national struggle which was taking place in nearby Italy in those years: several political refugees from the peninsula, like Niccolò Tommaseo , spent years on

8378-414: The following versions: Dauphine: 23,887 units (1959–1965); "Gordini": 41,052 units (1962–1968); "Renault 1093": 721 units (1963–1965); "Teimoso" (simplified model, without accessories): 8,967 units (1965–1967). A total of 74,627 units was produced in Brazil. Israel: Kaiser-Frazer in Israel manufactured the Renault Dauphine 845 cc between 1957 and 1960 later in 1963 also the Hino Contessa 900 with

8496-489: The foreign immigrants in Corsica come from the Maghreb (particularly Moroccans , who made up 29.0% of all immigrants in Corsica at the 2019 census) and from Southern Europe (particularly Portuguese and Italians , 23.9% and 12.5% of immigrants on the island respectively). French ( Français ) is the official and most widely spoken language on the island. Italian was the official language of Corsica until 9 May 1859, when it

8614-564: The franchise in 1968. Campbell's also assembled the Hino Contessa from 1966 to 1968. When Renault assembly began in Australia in the late 1960s, Campbell's supplied jigs. Japan: In Japan, the Hino Contessa 900 used the Dauphine's platform under license. Spain: In Spain, Renault's subsidiary F.A.S.A built Dauphine FASA between 1958-1967 (125,912 units). United States: The Dauphine was

8732-691: The general insurrection of the island against Genoa. The island became known for the large number of mercenary soldiers and officers it produced. In 1743, over 4,600 Corsicans, or 4% of the entire population of the island, were serving as soldiers in various armies (predominantly those of Genoa, Venice, and Spain), making it one of the most militarized societies in Europe. In 1729, the Corsican Revolution for independence from Genoa began, first led by Luiggi Giafferi and Giacinto Paoli, and later by Paoli's son, Pasquale Paoli . After 26 years of struggle against

8850-459: The government of the island and oppressed the inhabitants with a heavy tax burden. On the other hand, they introduced the chestnut tree on a large scale, improving the diet of the population, and built a chain of towers along the coast to defend Corsica from the attacks of the Barbary pirates from North Africa. The period of peace lasted until 1729, when the refusal to pay taxes by a peasant sparked

8968-433: The head by a jailer wielding a helmet. An X-ray organised by his family indicated a broken neck vertebra." In 2005, The Daily Telegraph said Renault had "felt that his duty was to preserve France’s manufacturing base. Military and Daimler-Benz officials arrived at the gates of his Billancourt factory to assess it for removal into Germany, together with its workforce. Renault fended them off by agreeing to make vehicles for

9086-436: The island drastically, and – last but not least – Napoleon himself, whose existence alone constituted an indissoluble link between France and Corsica. Thanks to all these factors by around 1870 Corsica had landed in the French cultural world. From the 19th century into the mid-20th century, Corsicans also grew closer to the French nation through participation in the French Empire. Compared to much of Metropolitan France, Corsica

9204-472: The island from the threat of Arab invasion. After that, the island came under the influence of the Republic of Pisa . Many polychrome churches which adorn the island date from this period. Corsica also experienced a massive immigration from Tuscany, which gave to the island its present toponymy and rendered the language spoken in the northern two-thirds of the island very close to the Tuscan dialect . This led to

9322-465: The island has retained many Italian cultural elements, and many Corsican surnames are rooted in the Italian peninsula . French ( Français ) is the official and most widely spoken language on the island with Corsican , the native language and an Italo-Dalmatian language , also recognized as one of France's regional languages . Corsica is the third-least populated region of France after Mayotte and French Guiana . Corsica has been occupied since

9440-492: The island in an action called Opération Corse that led to the collapse of the government; the second phase of the coup attempt, occupying Paris , was cancelled following the establishment of a transitional government under Charles de Gaulle . Between the late 1950s and the 1970s, proposals to conduct underground nuclear tests in the Argentella mines , the immigration of 18,000 former settlers from Algeria (" Pieds-Noirs ") in

9558-750: The island was occupied by Italian and German forces following the Anglo-American landings in North Africa . After the Italian armistice in September 1943, Italian and Free French Forces pushed the Germans out of the island, making Corsica the first French Department to be freed. During the May 1958 crisis , the French military command in Algeria mutinied against the French Fourth Republic and on 24 May occupied

9676-414: The island, forming a single chain. Forests make up 20% of the island. It is also the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily , Sardinia and Cyprus . Corsica has nature reserves covering about 3,500 km (1,400 sq mi) of the total surface area of 8,680 km (3,350 sq mi), primarily located in its interior is Parc naturel régional de Corse . Corsica contains

9794-461: The island, while some Corsicans, like Count Leonetto Cipriani  [ fr ] , [ it ], took active part in the fights for Italian independence. Despite all that, during those years the Corsicans began to feel an increasingly strong attachment to France. The reasons for that are manifold: the knowledge of the French language, which thanks to the mandatory primary school started to penetrate among

9912-406: The local youth, the high prestige of French culture, the awareness of being part of a big, powerful state, the possibility of well-paid jobs as civil servants, both in the island, in the mainland and in the colonies, the prospect of serving the French army during the wars for the conquest of the colonial empire, the introduction of steamboats , which reduced the travel time between mainland France and

10030-687: The lower Middle Ages: as a result, the Cismuntanu became very similar to the Tuscan dialects, being part of the Italo-Dalmatian language group , while the Ultramuntanu maintained its original characteristics which make it much more similar to a Southern Romance language , such as Sardinian ( Sardu ). Therefore, due to the differences between the main dialectal varieties, many linguists classify Corsican as an Italo-Dalmatian language, while others consider it

10148-512: The model's existence to the press through L’Auto Journal and L’Action Automobile et Touristique in November 1955, referring to it simply by its unofficial model designation "the 5CV" . Advance press preview testing began on February 4, 1956, under the direction of Renault press secretary Robert Sicot, with six Dauphines shipped to Corsica . Journalists were free to drive anywhere on the island, while under contract not to release publication before

10266-526: The model's final years was subcontracted, along with that of the Caravelle , to Brissonneau and Lotz at Creil . In 1956, according to a retrospective in The Independent , when the Dauphine debuted "it proved an almost instant success across the globe: the new coachwork was deemed highly elegant, the price was low, and the Dauphine's overall size was still suitable for congested Parisian streets." In 1957

10384-470: The modern drum brake and compressed gas ignition. In 1938, Renault visited Adolf Hitler , and by 1939 he had become an important supplier for the French army. At the time Hitler's Wehrmacht invaded France in 1940, Renault was in the U.S., having been sent by his government to ask for tanks. He returned to find the Franco-German armistice in place. Renault was faced with the choice of cooperating with

10502-414: The murderer of Claude Érignac , was murdered in prison. The August 2022 Corsica derecho swept across the island and killed six people, injured dozens of others, and caused significant damage. Corsica was formed about 250 million years ago with the uplift of a granite backbone on the western side. About 50 million years ago sedimentary rock was pressed against this granite, forming the schists of

10620-628: The occupiers was to see the Germans take over his company". Robert Paxton suggested in his 1972 book, Vichy France: old guard and new order: 1940–1944 , that the Renault factory might have been returned to Louis Renault and his family, had he lived longer. The Berliet truck factory in Lyon remained in Marius Berliet's family possession, despite his having manufactured 2,330 trucks for the Germans. Marius Berliet, who died in 1949, had, however, "stubbornly refused to recognize legal actions against him after

10738-706: The only factories permanently expropriated by the French government. As of 2005, Renault officials avoid mention of Louis Renault. For the centennial in 1999 of the original Renault Frères company, celebrated by Régie Renault, the company ignored the grandchildren of Louis Renault. Despite the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen , which mandates just and preliminary compensation before expropriation, Louis Renault and his heirs were otherwise never officially compensated for their company. Renault returned to

10856-460: The only ones permanently expropriated by the French government. In 1956, Time magazine described Renault as "rich, powerful and famous, cantankerous, brilliant, often brutal, the little Napoleon of an automaking empire — vulgar, loud, domineering, impatient, he was a terror to associates, a friend to practically none," adding that to the French working man, Renault became known as "the ogre of Billancourt ." The fourth of six children born into

10974-426: The park. The Corsican red deer was re-introduced after it was extinct due to overhunting . This Corsican subspecies was the same that survived on Sardinia, so it is endemic . There are other species endemic to Corsica especially in the upper mountain ranges, i.e. Corsican nuthatch , Corsican fire salamander and Corsican brook salamander and many plant subspecies. Corsica, like all the other Mediterranean islands,

11092-493: The parts for manufacture. By August 1953 head engineer Picard had an almond-green prototype delivered to Madrid for dry condition testing, ultimately experiencing only five flat tires and a generator failure after 2,200 km (1,400 mi). Subsequently, Lefaucheux ordered engineers to test a Dauphine prototype directly against a Volkswagen Beetle. The engineers determined that noise levels were too high, interior ventilation and door sealing were inadequate and most importantly,

11210-479: The private sector as a Société Anonyme ( S.A ) in 1996 when the French government sold 80% of the company. In 2011, his heirs again sought to restore Renault's reputation and receive compensation for what they see as the illegal confiscation of his company by the state. Corsica Corsica ( / ˈ k ɔːr s ɪ k ə / KOR -sik-ə ; Corsican: [ˈkorsiɡa, ˈkɔrsika] ; Italian : Corsica ; French : Corse [kɔʁs] )

11328-454: The provisional French government seized Louis Renault's company. The Minister of Information, Henri Teitgen , said at the time this was not a confiscation, rather "it was merely a step to get French industry back into production. Later a commission would examine the books, confiscate war profits, bring charges." On 1 January 1945, four months after Louis Renault's death, an order of General Charles de Gaulle 's provisional government decreed

11446-642: The question of compensation – huge compensation." In 2011, Patrick Fridenson  [ fr ] , a business history professor at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris and the author of a book on Renault said “It’s extremely difficult to say to what extent Louis Renault should be considered a collaborator, he ran the risk of complete dispossession if he resisted the Germans.” Scholar Monika Ostler Riess, who had studied French and German sources found no evidence that Mr. Renault collaborated any more than his peers. “He just tried to save what he had, what he had built. The alternative to cooperating with

11564-402: The regional government. From the mountains to the plains and sea, many ingredients play a role. Game such as wild boar ( Cingale , Singhjari ) is popular. There also is seafood and river fish, such as trout . Delicacies, such as figatellu (also named as ficateddu ), made with liver, coppa , ham ( prizuttu ), lonzu , are made from Corsican pork ( porcu nustrale ).Characteristic among

11682-524: The request of Vichy to keep its materials and equipment out of Nazi hands and to save workers from deportation." He was incarcerated in Paris's Fresnes Prison being already seriously ill at the time. The records for the exact period of his incarceration at Fresnes would later turn out to be missing. Renault was moved on 5 October to a psychiatric hospital at Ville-Evrard in Neuilly-sur-Marne . When Renault's health quickly declined on 9 October 1944 he

11800-504: The sensitive Hermann's tortoise , which are found at A Cupulatta at Vero and Moltifao Regional Natural Park. Corsican brook and fire salamanders , leaf-toed gecko , and yellow and green grass snakes are also common. The European pond turtle can be seen, especially in the waters of Fango Estuary, southern Calvi , Biguglia Lagoon and Pietracorbara . The island has a natural park ( Parc Naturel Régional de Corse , Parcu di Corsica), which protects rare animal and plant species. The park

11918-613: The small town hall of Herqueville was moved. Renault's personnel entered the residence via a tunnel. Locations of Chateau Herqueville: 49°14′31.66″N 1°15′24.55″E  /  49.2421278°N 1.2568194°E  / 49.2421278; 1.2568194 At the start of the First World War , in August 1914, in response to the then acute shortage of artillery ammunition, Renault suggested that car factories such as Renault could manufacture 75mm shells using hydraulic presses rather than with

12036-493: The traditional division of Corsica into two parts, along the main chain of mountains roughly going from Calvi to Porto-Vecchio : the eastern Banda di dentro , or Cismonte , more populated, developed, and open to the commerce with Italy, and the western Banda di fuori , or Pomonte , almost deserted, wild and remote. The crushing defeat experienced by Pisa in 1284 in the Battle of Meloria against Genoa had among its consequences

12154-461: The usual longer and costlier lathe operations. Identical methods were also used by Andre Citroën in his own factory. The resulting shells helped overcome the shortages, but as they had to be manufactured in two pieces they were inherently weak at the base thus sometimes letting hot gases detonate the melinite inside the shell. Over 600 French 75mm guns were destroyed by premature explosions in 1915, and their crews killed or injured. Louis Renault

12272-491: The war effort, notably so by the creation and manufacture of the first tank of modern configuration, the Renault FT tank. Accused of collaborating with the Germans during World War II , he died while awaiting trial in liberated France toward the end of 1944 under uncertain circumstances. His company was seized and nationalized by the provisional government of France, although he died before he could be tried. His factories were

12390-550: The war." On 29 July 1967, Louis-Jean Renault, the only heir, received minor compensation, specifically for non-industrial, personal losses. In 1982, representatives of the Organisation civile et militaire and their counterparts at the company Robert de Longcamps , worked in vain for the rehabilitation of Louis Renault, saying he had been "wrongfully accused of collaboration with the enemy", their requests to Robert Badinter , French Minister of Justice , unheeded. Renault's were

12508-410: Was a factory racing model limited edition of 2,140 homologated , which were tuned to 55 hp (41 kW) and featured a twin-barrel carburettor , four-speed manual transmission and tachometer, had a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph), and were produced in 1962 and 1963. All were painted white with two thin blue stripes running front to back along the hood, roof and trunk. Renault manufactured

12626-504: Was able to return to Corsica from exile in Britain. In 1794, he invited British forces under Lord Hood to intervene to free Corsica from French rule. Anglo-Corsican forces drove the French from the island and established an Anglo-Corsican Kingdom . Following Spain's entry into the war, the British decided to withdraw from Corsica in 1796. Despite being the birthplace of the Emperor, the island

12744-517: Was again moved to a private nursing home at the clinic Saint-Jean-de-Dieu in the Rue Oudinot, Paris at the request of his family and supporters, having gone into a coma. He died on 24 October 1944, four weeks after his incarceration, still awaiting trial and having claimed to have been mistreated in Fresnes Prison , with his 1918 French Legion of Honor for exceptional contribution to the victory of

12862-474: Was attributed to a dinner conversation at l'auberge de Port-Royal , chaired by Fernand Picard, where either Jean-Richard Deshaies or Marcel Wiriath said "the 4CV is the Queen of the road, the new arrival can only be the Dauphine. Dauphine is the feminine form of the French feudal title of Dauphin , the heir apparent to the throne. Ironically, both Robert Opron and Flaminio Bertoni of Citroën had wanted to name

12980-597: Was created in 1972 and includes the Golfe de Porto, the Scandola Nature Reserve (a UNESCO World Heritage Site ), and some of the highest mountains on the island. Scandola cannot be reached on foot, but people can gain access by boat from the village of Galéria and Porto (Ota). Two endangered subspecies of hoofed mammals, the European mouflon ( Ovis aries musimon ) and Corsican red deer ( Cervus elaphus corsicanus ) inhabit

13098-636: Was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur after the war for the major contribution of his factories to the war effort. His factories' mass production in 1918 of the revolutionary and highly effective Renault FT tank , which he had personally designed with Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier, was perhaps Renault's most significant contribution during that period. During the interwar period, his right-wing opinions became well known, leading to various cases of labour unrest with proletarian avant-garde workers at

13216-482: Was handled entirely by the elder brothers, with Louis dedicating himself to design and manufacturing. Marcel was killed in the 1903 Paris-Madrid motor race , and in 1908, Louis Renault took overall control of the company after Fernand retired for health reasons. Fernand subsequently died in 1909. On 26 September 1918, Renault, then aged 40, married the 21-year-old Christiane Boullaire (1897–1979), sister of French painter Jacques Boullaire  [ fr ] . They had

13334-535: Was home to endemic mammals during the Late Pleistocene , most or all of these are shared with Sardinia (as Sardinia was joined to Corsica for much of the Pleistocene). After the arrival of humans during Mesolithic around 8000 BC, these began to disappear. Some of the smaller mammals managed to survive until at least the early Iron Age, but are now all extinct. Extinct mammals formerly native to Corsica include

13452-406: Was opened to reveal that he had left his company to his 40,000 employees. At the time the company was nationalized, Renault's wife Christiane and her son Jean-Louis owned 95% of the company stock and had received nothing, while the other stockholders were in fact compensated. By 1956, "Renault [was] now France's largest nationalized company, employing 51,000 Frenchmen, making 200,000 automobiles and

13570-602: Was poor and many Corsicans emigrated. While Corsicans emigrated globally, especially to many South American countries, many chose to move within the French Empire which acted as a conduit for emigration and eventual return, as many young Corsican men could find better job opportunities in the far corners of the Empire where many other French hesitated to go. In many parts of the Empire, Corsicans were strongly represented, such as in Saigon where in 1926 12% of Europeans were from Corsica. Across

13688-409: Was replaced by French. Corsican ( Corsu ), a minority language that is closely related to medieval Tuscan ( Toscano ), has a better prospect of survival than most other French regional languages : Corsican is the second most widely spoken language after French. However, since the annexation of the island by France in the 18th century, Corsican has been under heavy pressure from French, and today it

13806-475: Was slightly neglected by Napoleon's government. In 1814, near the end of the Napoleonic Wars , Corsica was briefly occupied again by British troops. The Treaty of Bastia gave the British crown sovereignty over the island, but it was later repudiated by Lord Castlereagh who insisted that the island should be returned to a restored French monarchy . After the restoration, the island was further neglected by

13924-452: Was unable to speak or write. Three weeks after France was liberated in 1944, Renault surrendered "on condition that he would not be jailed until indicted." He was arrested outside Paris on 22 September 1944, on charges of industrial collaboration with Nazi Germany. At the time of his arrest, Renault "denied that his firm had received $ 120,000,000 from the Germans for war materials, said that he had kept his huge, much-bombed plant going at

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