Renault · 1959–present

Renault Estafette

The Renault Estafette is a light commercial front-wheel drive van produced by the French automaker Renault. Initially used the water-cooled Renault Ventoux engine, then later the Cléon-Fonte engine in a range of body styles. It was replaced by the Renault Trafic. Following the launch of the Estafette, Renault became the only auto-maker in the world to simultaneously produce and sell vehicles with all three of the drive train configurations commonly used, with the front engined front wheel drive Estafette, along with various rear engined rear wheel drive cars such as the Dauphine and the front engined rear wheel drive Frégate and the ageing Dauphinoise.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Renault Trafic

All Renault Estafette data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

In the summer of 1944 the French Ministry of Industrial Production set out a prescriptive plan to make the most of scarce resources for the post war motor industry. It was headed by Paul-Marie Pons and so it was known as the Plan Pons. Under the Plan Pons, Peugeot, Renault and Chenard & Walcker were restricted to making vans for 1000–1400 kg while Citroën was to make small trucks for 2 and 3.5 tonnes. However, Pierre-Jules Boulanger at Citroën ignored the Plan Pons and went ahead with the design of the Citroën H Van, which launched in 1947. This unitary body with no separate frame design, with four-wheel independent suspension, and front-wheel drive, offered a powerful motor, capacity, and an exceptionally low loading floor. It was an immediate success, and continued in production to 1981. Renault obeyed the Plan Pons instructions and designed the 206 E1 following general pre-war design ideas. It had a fixed chassis onto which the van body was bolted and the body was made by fitting metal panels to a wooden frame. This old-fashioned method paid off in terms of the time it took to build and overall production costs, because at the time stamped body panels were relatively expensive and it also saved weight. In this period of material shortages Renault did the best they could and the 1000 kg as it became known was a success, but not on the scale of Citroën's H Series that was selling to small businesses such as shop keepers and tradesmen. It was for this reason that Renault decided to fill the gap between the 300 kg Renault Juvaquatre and the 1000 kg 206 E1. This position was previously held by the Renault Colorale van that had ended production in 1957, and left for 2 years without a successor, until the Estafette came over. It was clear that they needed a front-wheel-driv

Versions

R2130/31 in production: May 1959 – May 1962 engine: 845 cc, 32 PS (24 kW), type 670 payload: 500–600 kg (1,102–1,323 lb) R2132/33/34/35 in production: May 1962 – Nov 1968 engine: 1,108 cc, 45 PS (33 kW), type 688 payload: 800 kg (1,764 lb), 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) for "Estafette 1000" R2136/37 (2137 being the "Plateau" and "Base Carrossable" open bed pickups) in production: Sep 1968 – Jun 1980 engine: 1,289 cc, 54 PS (40 kW), type 810 payload: 800 kg (1,764 lb) for R2136, 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) for R2137

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Renault Estafette
Manufacturer: Renault
aka: Renault Hi-Boy (USA, Canada), Renault Petit-Panel (USA, Canada), Dacia D6 Estafette (Romania)
Production: 1959–1980 (France), 1965–1969 (Algeria), 1975–1978 (Romania), 1964–1986 (Mexico)
Assembly: France: Boulogne Billancourt, Paris, Algeria: Algiers (CARAL), Mexico: Ciudad Sahagún (DINA), Romania: Mioveni (Dacia)
Class: Light commercial vehicle (M)
Body style: 4-door minibus, 3-/4-door van, 2-door pickup, 2-door chassis cab
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Related: Sinpar Castor
Engine: Petrol:, 845 cc Billancourt I4, 1108 cc Cléon-Fonte I4, 1289 cc Cléon-Fonte I4
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Wheelbase: 2270 mm, 2650 mm (LWB)
Length: 4070 mm
Width: 1780 mm
Height: 1930 mm
Kerb weight: 975 kg, 1070 kg (Dacia D6)
Predecessor: Renault Colorale Fourgonette
Successor: Renault Trafic

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2143751CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_EstafetteCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1366026182 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Renault_Estafette_1.JPGCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: CrazyD · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.