For some time I have wondered why there weren’t more Renault Dauphine models in 1:43. Then I found this one done by Atlas. There are a few others but this seems to be the best and is very inexpensive and shipped from France at no charge. These models from France do require a triangle head screwdriver to remove the car from the plinth. Shown with the Dauphine that arrived yesterday is the ‘51 Renault 4CV.
My memory of the Dauphine takes me back to 1959 when a neighbor got one in white. It was the talk of the neighborhood. The Dauphine went head to head with the ubiquitous VW Beetle but didn’t have a chance.
This topic was modified 2 years ago 3 times by David Knight
I just bought one of these by IXO, along with some 1:43 Peugeots, Renaults, Citroens and Panhards of the 50s and 60s by various makers. I tend to collect only the cars of these marques that I observed on the streets as a young person....nostalgia reasons mostly. I look forward to receiving them. In the 60s the Renault Dauphine was fairly popular here in western Canada as were the R-8 through R-16 that followed. You are quite right though when you mention that it couldn't stand up to the far more reliable, proven VW Beetle. I once drove an aqua Dauphine that was owned by my friend's mother; it was fun and handled quite well. Sadly my friend's older brother rolled it shortly afterward. She replaced it with a black VW Beetle...which my friend also rolled. Lol.
Jack, perhaps not a car in which to experience a rollover or a head on collision. But back in those days we did not worry about driving or riding in these cars. Gives me the creeps now.
This post was modified 2 years ago 2 times by David Knight
Yes I agree. Regarding the rollover I mentioned; the mother who owned the Dauphine and her extremely strict husband were on holiday when their oldest son "borrowed" the car one evening against their stern instructions and flipped it into a ditch. He drove it home but it was totaled; all 4 doors still worked properly but the roof was very dished in from mid-roof to squashed down windshield. Many hours were furiously spent by her desperate three sons, beating that roof with ball peen hammers, sledge hammers, etc.; trying to fix it before the parents came home. The hilarious result was a forever totaled Dauphine sporting an extremely misshapen and dimpled roof which would never again fit a replacement windshield. We all howled with laughter about it later and for years afterward.....but never around the sons. It was a very problematic homecoming for the family. Lol.
Jack, perhaps not a car in which to experience a rollover or a head on collision. But back in those days we did not worry about driving or riding in these cars. Gives me the creeps now.
Wow.....not very impressive. I don't think the crash test dummies even made it out of this one.
