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Renault has a proud history of racing and rallying throughout this century.
From the historic first victory in the 1899 Paris to Trouville road race by
Louis and Marcel Renault, Renault has developed into a formidable motorsport
competitor.
As a result of Renault’s experience and innovation in motorsport, the company
has produced a variety of memorable sports cars with the assistance of
motorsport firms Gordini and the Dieppe based Alpine.
Two notable vehicles developed by Renault in collaboration with these two
companies during the 1960’s were the appropriately named Renault 8 Gordini and
the Renault Alpine.
In the early ’70s Renault made takeover bids for both the Gordini and Alpine
firms and merged the two to form Renault Sport in 1975.
In 1977, the first all-Renault machine rolled out onto the grid of a Formula
One race. The car had the only turbocharged engine on the grid, but it was not
until 1979, with Jean-Pierre Jabouille at the wheel, that the team took a race
win.
The Renault Sport factory produced the Renault 5 turbo cars during the ’80s
and continued to manufacture a selection of limited edition models throughout
the decade.
Despite considerable success in the early ’80s, Renault withdrew from Formula
One in 1987.
In 1989, Renault returned with a new engine: the 3.5 litre RS1 V10, a
configuration which would become the benchmark for all Formula One engines.
Renault Sport produced its first branded vehicle, the two-seater Spider
convertible, in 1997. In 1999, Renault released the Clio Renault Sport 2.0-litre
16V, a model which quickly won widespread approval for its dynamic and
entertaining chassis and engine combination.
Meanwhile, Renault made a dramatic return to Formula One in 2002 with the
100% Renault F1 car.
Renault Sport has found success both on and off the track in recent years and
with the recent addition of the Renault Sport Megane 225, has added another
chapter to its history.
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