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| Lot number | 154 |
|---|---|
| Hammer value | N/S (est. £6,000 - £8,000) |
| Description | Renault ME |
| Year | c.1928 |
| Colour | Red |
| Engine size | 3,178 cc |
| Chassis No. | 373759 |
During the inter-war years, Renault and Citroen were locked in a head-to-head battle for sales supremacy.
Of the two, it was actually Renault who offered the more avant-garde products up until Citroen announced their technically brilliant Traction-Avant in 1934. The Renaults, with their distinctive ‘coal-scuttle’ bonnets and scuttle-mounted radiators were more solid and staid than overtly sporting, but Renault used their gargantuan 9.1-litre 45 model to trickle down some spice and glamour into their more prosaic offerings. They were all beautifully engineered, extremely reliable and could shrug off a French farmer’s beating with impunity.
This spectacular rolling chassis appears to have served it's local community as the local fire tender. The script on the bonnet would suggest it was stationed in the village of Thil which is located in south-east France. Imported into the UK as a bare rolling chassis in 1973, the paperwork declared it a 40CV Model MN which it most certainly is not. It quotes the chassis number, although bidders are advised that there is no other paperwork with the vehicle.
Offered in a bewildering range of models of different wheelbase and engine sizes, it is almost impossible to distinguish which model is which. The most likely candidate is a Model ME, which had an 11’2” wheelbase and a 3.2-litre fixed-head four-cylinder engine. This model had a 4.5:1 rear axle ratio and a fiscal rating of 17.9hp which would seem about right. Its front-wheel brakes would suggest that it was built around 1928.
The engine is free to turn and the rolling chassis appears to be in excellent condition and basically complete. There is a dashboard switch panel and the car comes with six spare wheels.
The new owner has a complete blank canvas on which to build his body of choice. The fun will start deciding whether to leave the writing on the bonnet and rebuild as a fire truck.....or not!
Bidders are asked to satisfy themselves as to the actual model of this vehicle before bidding.
