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.