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Topic starter
21/09/2026 11:13 pm
There are early automobiles that look like primitive versions of the cars that followed, and then there are cars like the 1913 Renault Type DG Victoria Rothschild, which seem to belong equally to the age of the horse-drawn carriage and the emerging automobile. Introduced in 1913, the Type DG was part of Renault’s developing luxury range and shared its chassis and much of its mechanical architecture with the earlier Type CB. Its “Victoria” body style was directly descended from the elegant four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage of the same name. The layout makes that heritage unmistakable. The chauffeur sat high and exposed at the front, almost exactly where a coachman would have been positioned, while passengers rode in considerably greater comfort on a cushioned rear bench. A lowered chassis made entering the passenger compartment easier.
The coachwork was entrusted to the Rothschild workshops, drawing on a carriage-building tradition that Renault says already stretched back more than a century. Beneath that wonderfully eccentric body was a 2.6-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 12 CV, with the Type DG capable of about 40 mph. But specifications hardly convey what makes this car memorable. With its towering chauffeur’s perch, abbreviated front bodywork, enormous wheels, and comparatively low passenger compartment, the Victoria Rothschild captures a fascinating transitional moment when automakers were still figuring out what an automobile should look like and sometimes simply adapted the forms of the carriage age to the new mechanical era.
That unusual shape is exactly what drew me to the new 1:43-scale version from Evrat Miniatures. Evrat has reproduced the 1913 Renault Type DG Victoria Rothschild as part of its line of wonderfully obscure historic vehicles, including versions depicting the distinctive Victoria body. It certainly isn’t a conventionally beautiful automobile, but that is part of its appeal. I’ve built my collection around notable cars throughout automotive history, and the Type DG represents an especially interesting moment in that story where the carriage was becoming the automobile, but designers hadn’t completely left the old world behind. Once I saw this wonderfully strange Renault in miniature, I knew I had to add it to the collection.
21/09/2026 11:34 pm
Nice pictures and story. Thank you.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
22/09/2026 3:35 am
Very informative and, as one who has a fondness for carriages, I find this motor rather attractive in its own way.
John Bono and Christopher Moroni reacted
22/09/2026 6:58 am
Interesting history and great Evrat model! In 1912-1920, Fiat had their Tipo 2B which already started to look more carlike. The side carriage lights in common reminded me of the Rio version!
22/09/2026 7:42 am
Sweet...all that's missing is the horse.
John Bono
North Jersey
22/09/2026 6:56 pm
That Renault model is just gorgeous!
22/09/2026 11:34 pm
When I started collecting 1/43rd scale model cars this red Brumm 1906 Renault GP 3B #1 was the only one of these interesting sloped nose autos I could find. Here it is in ye olde display. BTW - Besides the sloping nose I find that the curious radiator positioned just in front of the firewall and drivers feet is perfectly modeled in Randy's small rendition. Figuring out where and how to place radiators was an interesting problem solved in various ways in these early automobiles.
These 1/43rd scale models have come a long way over the years. I would have jumped on this one immediately even a few years ago but am no longer collecting. Have often observed that choice and fidelity have reached new highs, are greatly tempting, and this beautiful model has proven my musings.
Thank you Randy for this photo spread of another dazzling 1/43rd offering from an era I love.
This post was modified 4 weeks ago by Steve Williams
This post was modified 3 weeks ago by Steve Williams
Models = Miracles in miniature = Holding History in ones hand
Cheers and Happy Collecting,
Steve
23/09/2026 8:25 am
@ed-davis +1. Randy, when I started reading this review, I knew from the start that this would have to be a part of your amazing collection. What a great model and writeup.
23/09/2026 10:54 am
I just went hunting for this model, with closed or open top, and came up with nothing. It's normal for some models not to show up over here, but I am surprised that there were none for sale on.com, either, or .co.uk. I'll just have to add it to the list and light a candle to the model car gods.
23/09/2026 12:04 pm
@gdh ...they're just hard to come by. The only one I could find was a "sold eBay auction" from our buddy Dave @ ToyCarGeek. I wish YOU the best of luck!
Geoff Jowett and GDH reacted
Topic starter
23/09/2026 4:58 pm
@gdh I bought mine from Toy Car Geek. Fair price and no tariff.
GDH and Christopher Moroni reacted
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