Renault Frégate : la voiture qui a tué le patron de Renault

Renault Frégate: The car that killed the Renault boss. On February 11, 1955, on an icy road in the Haute-Marne region of France, Pierre Lefaucheux, the all-powerful CEO of Renault, the man who had resurrected the brand after the war, died at the wheel of his own Frégate. A tragic and terribly ironic end for the man who had demanded, against all odds, this large, prestigious sedan. In this video, delve into the little-known story of the Renault Frégate (1951-1960): its rushed birth under the pressure of a political ultimatum during the Korean War, its spectacular launch entrusted to Baron Surcouf on the Champs-Élysées, its superb "pontoon" bodywork betrayed by a hastily designed 2-liter engine, its doomed battle against the Citroën DS and Peugeot 403 launched in 1955, the ultimate weapon of the Transfluide semi-automatic transmission in 1958, and then the slow commercial decline until production ceased in 1960, after approximately 180,000 units. How could France's leading car manufacturer have so completely botched its flagship model? Why did it take the Renault 16 in 1965 for the diamond logo to finally return to the big sedan market? And how did this once-despised car become such a sought-after collector's item today? Find all the answers in this comprehensive story. Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any of our stories about French automotive heritage. And tell us in the comments: did your family own a Frégate? Was it a proud Amiral, or a modest Affaire? Music: Eyes of Glory — Aakash Gandhi When Johnny Comes Marching Home — Cooper Cannell All photographs used are from archive.org and are royalty-free/in the public domain.