Gordini Racing Set

In the early 1980s, Renault Assistance Course was the „mobile workshop“ for racing and rally teams. Vans were used to transport cars on trailers to the race venues. Once there, a small car camp was set up and the final touches were applied to the race cars. As the vans were well stocked with spare parts, accessories, tools and other items, any damage that occurred during a race or rally could be quickly repaired by the mechanics at the track. The race service team ensured that the car was back on the track in the shortest possible time. Not only were the challenges of the day-to-day work on and off the track efficiently met, but these mobile service stations sometimes served as temporary accommodation for the team members. One of these vans was the Renault Estafette, based on the Citroën front-wheel-drive system, which gave it a large, flat load area, four independent suspensions, a sliding side door and a three-wing rear door. It was initially produced as a van with a payload of 800 kg, and from 1965 with 1000 kg, with a flat or high roof and a short or long wheelbase. The first models used the Dauphine‘s 845 cc, 32 hp engine, which was replaced in 1962 by the Renault 8‘s 1108 cc, 45 hp „Sierra Cléon fonte“ engine, and in 1968 by the Renault 12‘s 1289 cc engine. More than 500,000 units were produced until 1980, making the Estafette a symbol of its time.