Renault 14/20hp

Key facts

Year

1906
Country

France
Capacity

3,054cc
Cylinders

4
Valves

Side
Performance

40mph
Price new

£520 (chassis only)
Owner

National Motor Museum Trust
Manufacturer

Renault Frères, Billancourt, Paris

This Renault 14/20hp was built for King Edward VII. It has a landaulet style body supplied by Hoopers of London. The chassis was developed from Renault’s early racing cars. After the King’s death in 1910, the car was used by Queen Alexandra and was said to have been her favourite for shopping trips. It later passed to King George V before leaving Royal ownership in the 1920s.

Many vehicle manufacturers, particularly quality ones, supplied their cars in chassis-only form. This allowed owners to select their own choice of bodywork from one of a number of specialist coachbuilding firms. In many cases, the styles and names of these bodies had their origins in horse-drawn vehicles.

The bodywork on this car has received conservation work that included careful cleaning and the application of special varnish to preserve the paintwork.