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In France the Estafette genuinely merits the term ‘iconic’; from mobile shops and ice-cream vans to mini-buses and as transport for the telephone service. The Renault could also be seen delivering bread, acting as a support vehicle at the Tour de France, and, as with Simon’s 1963 example, as a police van. ‘It was in service in Charente up until 1978, and then a French bloke bought and kept it until 2014 when it was imported to the UK’.

The Estafette debuted in 1959 as the company’s first vehicle with front-wheel-drive, making its bow some two years before the R4. In the late 1950s, Renault was primarily associated with rear-engine cars, and the VW Type 2 had demonstrated the format’s effectiveness in a commercial vehicle. However, Citroën’s H proved how FWD could maximise a van’s load bay space, and so La Regie’s engineers commenced work on a genuinely groundbreaking vehicle. One design stipulation was that it should carry a wine barrel located transversely between the rear wheels.

The first versions of the Estafette were powered by the 845cc engine from the Dauphine, resulting in a top speed of 56 mph; more than adequate for French roads of sixty years ago. May 1962 saw the Estafette powered by the R8’s 1,108cc plant as found in Simon’s van - he also notes that the four-speed gearbox ‘runs reverse to standard cars’. Post-September 1968 Estafettes featured the 1,289cc motor, as also found in the 12 and production ceased in 1980 with the Trafic’s introduction.

Export markets for the Estafette included Francophone Africa, Mexico, Romania and the UK.  In 1961 Commercial Motor described it having an outward appearance that was ‘unmistakably Continental’. The writer also seemed most impressed by the ‘front-wheel drive in conjunction with coil-spring independent suspension to all four wheels’ and the fact that a heater was standard equipment. Furthermore, ‘At no time during the test did the Estafette give the impression that it was underpowered’.

At £648, the Renault was compatibly expensive, but it was better appointed than the BMC J4 and the Ford Thames 400E – and certainly more chic. Two years later, CM appeared even more impressed by the 1.1-litre version – ‘the increased power available makes for an improvement, particularly in heavy traffic conditions’ and ‘From the point of driving comfort I would say that the Estafette has few equals’. British motorists were also offered the “Touriste” motor caravan – do any survive?

Today, the Estefette is regarded in France with the same affection as the Transit Mk. I is in the UK.  Simon himself is a fan of ‘classics in general, but I have always loved vans’. And who could resist the Renault that was once as much part of French life as Johnny Hallyday records.

With Thanks To: Simon Pike

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