Renault's official presence was graced with this fab Four from their Histoire & Collection.
Connoisseurs will recognise the importance of the special saloon shown above and below straight away. Newcomers to the 4 scene might not give it a second glance (as I observed to be common practice amongst many of the passers-by). It is one of those great rarities - a Renault 3, not exactly a predecessor to the 4 but rather a barebones version produced in tandem with the first generation 4 for specific markets, where simplicity and economy were the principal considerations. Just about every bit of equipment that could possibly be described as luxury (e.g. chrome bumpers, interior door cards, rear quarter windows, chrome grille and much more) was stripped off this edition to conserve cost. Only 2,500 were ever produced before Renault withdrew the model from its catalogue. This example was in remarkably good original order, sporting the classic but pitiful one shade of grey that was ever devoted to the Renault 3. (I believe that like everything else, this was the cheapest paint Renault had available!)
The model below represented the opposite end of the spectrum, or of the catalogue. This is a 'Super' edition which featured bells and whistles for the top end buyers. The double chrome bumpers and unique folding rear door are two of the adornments visible here.
Last amongst the special editions is this 'Sixties' model (actually produced in the 1980s). The twin sunroofs and special colour schemes attributed to both the paintwork and the interior are the two most notable differences on this car. This variant was produced in blue, red and yellow versions, with all three of the colours always featuring in some way. I recently spotted a red one in my current home city of Lyon, France, and so having waited countless years to spot one in the flesh, I've now seen two in two months.
