At the 1958 Paris Motor Show, the public was introduced to the Renault Caravelle. The Renault Caravelle (outside of North America for its first four years of production it was known as the Renault Floride.), was produced from 1958 through 1968, with over 117,000 examples created.
The convertible design was courtesy of Pietro Frua who was working at Carrozzeria Ghia at the time. The car had a rear-engined design and used the engine and floorpan of the Renault Dauphine. The four-cylinder engine displaced 845 cc and produced 40 horsepower.
In 1962, the engine was upgraded to a larger, 956cc unit from the recently launched Renault 8. The Caravelle name also replaced the Floride name in all markets from 1962 onwards. In 1964 another R8-derived engine of 1108cc was introduced to the Caravelle, producing 55 hp. (conceptcarz.net, netcarshow.com)
In 1962, the engine was upgraded to a larger, 956cc unit from the recently launched Renault 8. The Caravelle name also replaced the Floride name in all markets from 1962 onwards. In 1964 another R8-derived engine of 1108cc was introduced to the Caravelle, producing 55 hp. (conceptcarz.net, netcarshow.com)
Renault Floride (1958-62, outside America)
Renault Caravelle (1958-68 in America, 1962-68 outside America)
(Photos from zombdrive.com, conceptcarz.net, commons.wikimedia.org, car.info)
