Lot Ended
Description
Specially prepared for Historic Rallying and a veteran of many events;
only 100 miles on rebuilt engine; many new parts recently fitted; Mille Miglia
eligible; a fine-looking example of this rare and interesting French
flyweight
Launched in
1956, the Dauphine was Renault’s answer to the all-conquering Volkswagen Beetle
and was designed to beat the VW in all departments. Weighing just 650kg, it was
powered by a rear-mounted 850cc water-cooled four-cylinder Ventoux engine
producing 32bhp which put it into the popular 5CV fiscal horsepower class. Mated
to 3-speed transmission, this gave the Dauphine a top speed of 110kmh
(68mph).
It proved an instant global success for
Renault with over 1m sold in the first four years, even finding favour in
America where it was dubbed: “The prettiest little four-seater in the world” by
US motoring weekly The Motor.
The
Dauphine soon attracted the attention of legendary tuner Amédée Gordini, known
in France as ‘Le Sorcier’ (The Sorcerer) for his magical ability to extract
extra power from small engines. He reworked the engine by modifying the cylinder
head, the valves, the intake and exhaust manifolds and by fitting a larger 32mm
Solex carb which boosted the power to 40bhp. The Gordini version also replaced
the standard car's 3-speed transmission with a close-ratio 4-speed manual
gearbox, making it significantly more engaging to drive.
The flyweight Gordini became a giant-slayer on the racing circuit,
becoming the first car ever to win outright the three most important rallies of
the day; the Tulip Rally (1957), the Monte Carlo Rally (1958) and the Alpine
Rally (1959). For several seasons the Gordini dominated national 1,000cc classes
around the world, carrying off overall and class victories in prestigious events
such as the Mille Miglia, 12 Hours of Sebring and the Tour de
Corse.
By the time production came to an end in
1967, just over 2m Dauphines had been sold worldwide, only around 10% of them
Gordini versions, and survivors are rare and sought-after
today.
Built at Renault’s Billancourt factory in
Paris, this Gordini comes with a French logbook showing that it was originally
resident in Marseilles, later moving to Italy where it took part in various
events including the Winter Marathon in 2010 and the Rally 4 Regioni in 2011.
In January 2013 it appeared at a specialist Coys
Autosport auction in London for Grand Prix, Competition and Rally Cars, being
first UK registered in June of that year. It has had three UK owners since, the
first keeping it until 2020 and the second until 2024 which is when our vendor
acquired the car.
It comes with a good file of
invoices for upkeep and new parts fitted while in the UK. Highlights include:
brake system overhaul with new master cylinder, wheel cylinders, shoes, drums,
hoses, hand brake cable etc; new carburettor; water pump; rear wheel bearings;
king pins; alternator with 12v conversion; exhaust; battery; distributor
overhaul; spark plugs; oil and filter etc.
On the
cosmetic front, it has also had new door and window seals; rubber floor mats;
refurbished wheels; new tyres; new hub caps; side vents; trim strips; period
roof rack plus numerous other minor items.
When
our vendor acquired the car, the cylinder head had already been rebuilt with new
valves, guides etc, but it wasn’t running properly and the cylinder compressions
were low so he completely rebuilt the bottom end of the engine with new pistons,
liners, gaskets etc. The car has only covered around 100 miles since so it will
need a careful running-in period and some fine-tuning before the performance is
exploited to the full.
The vendor has also
carried out some work to the rear suspension to address an advisory on the last
MOT in April 2013, but the correct needle roller bearings are on back order so
he had a phosphor bronze unit specially made which works fine but leaves a
slight amount of play. He also advises that there are two small areas of
corrosion in the front floorpan which he was intending to patch up ("just a
couple of hours work") but his declining health means he can no longer
comfortably work on his cars like he used to.
As you can see in the photos and the video, this Gordini looks
absolutely fabulous and you would be hard-pressed to find a smarter example, let
alone at the modest guide price suggested. Only reluctantly for sale due to our
vendor’s health issues, it will turn heads and win friends wherever it goes.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 –
james.dennison@brightwells.com