1937 Renault Celtaquatre, France

A striking Art Deco-style 1937 Renault Celtaquatre languishes inside a dusty garage, within the grounds of an abandoned chateau in France. The sleek, streamlined black bodywork is accented with chrome strips and a striking front grill. The yellow headlights look out over the overgrown castle grounds, peering out from the shadow. Although it is only a short distance to the open road, for the moment freedom is out of reach. This beautiful old timer has to wait a little longer for her next adventure on the winding French country roads.

The abandoned chateau itself was relatively uninteresting, and with only limited time on my French road trip (2018), this was but a fleeting visit.

Introduction to 1930s Renault – Aerodynamics And Art Deco

By the mid-1930s, Renault had firmly established itself as a key player in the European automotive market. These vehicles combined affordability, reliability, and innovative design. Renault introduced the Celtaquatre in 1934, designing and marketing it as a small family car. From 1934 to 1938, Renault factories at Boulogne-Billancourt produced 44,000 Celtaquatre.

During this era, car design was undergoing a significant transformation. Driven by both engineering advancements and the futuristic aesthetic of the Art Deco movement that was in full swing in the 1930s. As the decade progressed, many car manufacturers favoured increasingly sleeker, aerodynamic designs. On top of these smooth bodyworks, are elegant chrome detailing and striking front grilles. These accents craft strong lines and symmetry, a key feature of Art Deco style.

Specifically, this appears to be a 1937 Renault Celtaquatre ADC2

1937 marked an important year for the evolution of the Renault Celtaquatre. A major front redesign introduced a widened trapezoidal, or V-shaped, grille. The grille chrome trim also extends up onto the hood, fanning out onto the hood behind the Renault logo badge. This design was inspired by contemporary American cars, and was retained for the rest of the model’s production life.

Another distinguishing feature was the addition of five chrome trim lines running along each side of the hood. The ADC2 also adopted a curved design for its front fenders, mirrored in the smoothly flowing bodywork behind. Interestingly, the number plate has a gentle curvature that matches the contours of the front end. The model designation was displayed on a plaque above the number plate, unfortunately illegible on this specific vehicle.

Another noticeable change in the 1937 ADC2 was the redesigned wheels. New 12-hole openwork wheels replaced the traditional artillery-style wheels of earlier Renault Celtaquatre models. At the centre is another new addition for this model, a cone-shaped chrome wheel cover.

Specifications

• Dimensions
  • Length: 4.20 m, Width: 1.60 m, Wheelbase: 2.71 m
  • Weight: 1.45 kg
  • Turning circle diameter: 5.50 m
• Engine & Performance
  • 8CV, 1463 cm³, 4-cylinder engine, side-valve design
  • Power output: 34 HP at 3500 rpm
  • Maximum speed: ~100 km/h
  • Fuel consumption: ~9.5L per 100 km
• Chassis & Suspension
  • Trapezoidal chassis with tubular cross-members
  • Hydraulic shock absorbers and leaf spring suspension
  • Rear-wheel drive with a three-speed manual gearbox
• Brakes & Steering
  • Cable-operated drum brakes on all four wheels
  • Worm-and-roller steering system
• Wheels & Tyres
  • Newly designed 12-hole openwork wheels, with chrome cover
  • Tyres: 5.25 x 16, with front pressure of 1.5 kg and rear 1.6 kg

…But maybe it isn’t as simple as that!

After checking in with some people way more knowledgeable about cars than me, this one sparked some discussion! It appears that this car may be a mixture of parts from several 1930s Renaults, specifically the Celtaquatre and Primaquatre. Turns out, it’s very hard to differentiate from photos! Key features on this model appear to be the presence of a distinct “bustleback” trunk, front fog lights, bumper uprights/horns, no radiator cap.

It is possible this model is a 1937 Renault Celtaquatre Conduite intérieure Grand Luxe (Grand Luxury Sedan). This version incorporated several premium features, including fog lights as well as additional chrome detailing (a strip along the lowest edge of the sill, and a thin strip extended along the doors running between the front and rear door handles). The Grand Luxe variant also includes a trunk as a standard, giving the “bustleback” shape seen at the rear of this vehicle. In previous Renault Celtaquatre models, the spare tyre was often mounted externally on the driver’s side. By storing the spare tyre in an integrated trunk, this variant has both improved aerodynamics and a less cluttered exterior design. I seem to recall velvet upholstery inside, although I have no photos, which are another feature of the Grand Luxe.

Above the front license plate is a plaque that contains the model name. Looking closely at the raw files, the deboss lettering is indeed faintly legible (the black paint is interestingly removed, likely intentionally). The plaque reads Primaquatre, another contemporaneous model of Renault!

In conclusion, this vehicle appears to have likely had an accident, likely a frontal collision. It is possible the front has been replaced, with the hood and bumper being sourced from a differing (but similar) 1930s Renault model. Maybe the owner removed the Primaquatre lettering from the front plaque, preferring to not be constantly reminded of this!