30.05.2019Throwack Thursday: 60 years Renault Floride

Bahamas yellow, that's the name of the color, which fits very well to the Renault Floride Cabriolets from 1959 with its friendly appearance, to which Norev delivered new miniatures under the item number 185182. Bahamas yellow, that sounds like sun, beach, holliday that will never end and like abundance of play, fun and tension, which small cabriolets like these just offer or have bid. Because its time in the salons of new cars dealers is not long ago: The world became complicated, requires more safety technology and more power under the hood. Yes, new cars have advantages, but are the as charming as the little Frenchman, which was presented at the Genfer Salon 1958 for the first time and became the name Caravelle at the US-market? A question that everyone has to answer by him-/ herself.

The Renault Floride was based on the Renault Dauphine and was built around nine years as a coupe and convertible. Norev has scaled down the open version to the format 1:18 and has given this successful miniature a detachable hardtop on its way to a collector. It corresponds to the original version, bears the name Floride and reproduces the later renamed Caravelle in Europe Cabriolet exactly: The appearance meets the lines of the two-plus-two-seater in a way that can not be improved. Almost exactly 60 years ago, the role model to our model was introduced and therefore the miniatures are perfect for an article on Throwback Thursday. Norev has implemented openalbe doors and hoods of the Floride: the trunk is under the bonnet; under the tailgate, the replica of a four-in-line cylinder awaits us.

This engine brought its original power of 26 kW / 36 hp from not even a liter of displacement: 851 cubic centimeters developed 58 Newton meters (Nm) of maximum torque. The water-cooled car passed on its power via a four-speed manual transmission to the rear-wheel drive. The maximum speed has Renault specified with 130 km/h; the body 780 kilograms weighed, which was built at the Société des Usines Chausson, which was known as part of the Renault Group and especially as a manufacturer of buses. Responsible for the design was Pietro Frua of the Carrozzeria Ghia. Norev has managed to turn its idea into a beautiful modelcar whose lovingly crafted interior details spark equally beautiful dreams in us: a convertible drive along Lake Garda, for example.

Here: Click to the latest modelcars from Norev ine 1:18