Viva Grand Sport Coupé 1939
Sacred ground for a holy grail
Not an everyday car
A 1939 six-cylinder Renault Viva Grand Sport faux-cabriolet is a not exactly everyday car that calls for an introduction to a far from ordinary place: the farm of Louis Renault's estate in Herqueville.
In January 2017, a very special Renault was for sale on the French website www.lesanciennes.com. It was one of the last six-cylinders produced, a Viva Grand Sport to be precise, type BDV1. It is a car not in the most famous berline shape, but as a faux-cabriolet also called coupé. A car that screamed for an introduction, but given the weather conditions and the distance (more than 900 km,) I didn't think so, at first.
Top class
Two weeks later: the car is no longer on the site. Then the first pictures of the Rétromobile appeared on the internet. Renault Classic bought the six-cylinder. So I took the train to Paris to admire this top class Renault in a completely original state. And of course trying to be the first to provide coverage, I succeeded.
That coverage could only be made in one place: Herqueville, where Louis Renault bought his first plot of land in 1905 and created an estate until well into the thirties of no less than 1,800 hectares. Many buildings in this village were created in the thirties under the direction of Renault.
Car trouble?
Early in the morning Stephane Guilmet of the factory collection with the black beauty on the trailer is already waiting at the agreed place. We did not manage to arrange locations in advance, but everywhere in Herqueville breathes the atmosphere of Renault. In front of the main entrance of the farm, the six-cylinder quickly attracted the attention of passing traffic. A gentleman got out of his car to ask if we had car trouble. Our presence attracted his interest. His wife had written a book about the estate the year before.
Mr. Petit shifts quickly and called the previous owner of the Chateau de Battelerie, the big house from which Louis ruled. Before I knew it I was sitting in the morning sun at David Salamone's table on a terrace a few kilometres away. Photographing the car in front of the main house seemed out of the question to him. The owner, a British yacht builder from the Bahamas, had no interest whatsoever in the history of the property, let alone in Renault or cars. He thinks for a moment, "but Louis is there anyway. " Louis? Yes, Louis Renault!" It turns out to be the grandson of the founder of this beautiful brand who bought a house at the border of the Seine River a few years ago. His sister lives in the gatehouse of the farm, but the shutters were closed there.
Direct connection
Twenty minutes later, I was back in Herqueville on the banks of the Seine. A man, second half forty in grey trousers and bright blue sweater, looked up from the sudden interest and didn't know what to do with it until around the corner he discovers the Viva Grand Sport and realized the direct connection with his family history. Nothing is too crazy anymore. "Just drive up to the entrance of the farm, I'll be right there." Moments later, Louis arrives and opens the entrance to the estate's farmhouse, which has been preserved in its original state. Time has stood still there for decades. The Renault from 1939 fits in perfectly with the ambiance. Despite the fact that part of the car's paintwork has let go over the years, the shapes and colors of the buildings mirror the bodywork.
As if the car knows the road itself, it rolls smoothly onto the grounds. The impressive engine sound echoed between the building of the weighbridge and the wooden garage across the road. It's not hard to imagine that grandfather Louis would soon be getting out of the car to talk to the manager of all the agricultural activities he's appointed. A large, open hall for storing hay was partly prefabricated in Billancourt in the thirties and then brought to the estate by ship. Walking through this edifice, every view of the Viva Grand Sport resulted in a beautiful still life. My camera was working overtime. The sunlight shining on the ground reflected fairylike against the wooden canopy.
Fifty years
One of the unique features of this Renault is that the counter on the rectangular instrument panel indicates less than 22,000 original kilometres. This particular beauty has been sleeping for about fifty years. A few years ago the car was technically restored to its former glory. Almost everything seems original. The hydraulic brakes were added early on in the car's career and in the engine compartment there are Régie Renault plates on the starter motor and alternator. Those were once replaced!
Beige carpet
The interior is special because of the original checkered fabric upholstery in red/green with parts in red leather. The floor mats in the front are made of rubber, in the back beautiful beige carpet can be found. In the back of the faux-cabriolet or coupé is a two- or three-seater, isn't it? No, at the back the car has a lid under which a black leather couch is hidden. This looks like it's been re-upholstered. There is a new type of rubber along the closing edges.
The ravages of time can be seen in the materials by the way. The velour upholstery on the door panels and the beige fabric of the ceiling show traces of moisture and insect activity. The doors have revolving windows and draught windows. The latter are very funny to open with a small, second lever. Dashboard and edges around the windows are made of metal but with a painting technique with wood grain. The rectangular clock cluster is part of the last model year of this Renault: on the left a large clock, on the right the speedometer with an odometer/daily counter, and in the middle instruments for fuel, oil pressure and charging current.
Long gear stick
When starting, the starter motor, powered by the 6 Volt battery, rotated extremely slowly, yet this movement proved to be sufficient to make the 4.1 litre engine start up quickly. I hardly dared to ask, but soon I got behind the wheel of this pre-war showpiece and drove as if I were Louis Renault himself over the grounds of the farm. The engine produced an impressive deep hum, and I immediately felt its considerable torque when starting off. The three-speed gearbox shifted with a long gear stick which protrudes into the interior through an opening in the dashboard. Braking took some getting used to, only after pushing the pedal deeply did I experience a deceleration. With care I positioned the car in front of the old dairy factory on the premises, got down on my knees and admired this token of top class automobile construction from all points of view. Especially the side view let me enjoy the charm of this type of bodywork. A model version that was withdrawn at an earlier stage, and yet came back on the price list for model year 1939.
Production date
This car was delivered at the end of May 1939 to its most likely wealthy new owner. Production number 714 on the oval plate in the engine compartment indicates a production date at the end of April that year. The following weeks were undoubtedly used for fitting accessories and transport to the dealer.
What will happen to this Renault now? The fact that the Viva is included in the factory collection ensures that the car is preserved for posterity and in good hands. The original condition together with its body shape makes this car unique. Partly disappeared paint, rusty strips and bumpers, the interior that clearly shows its age here and there, patina, emphatically needs to be preserved.
En détail...
Renault Viva Grand Sport (BDV1)
Specifications
Engine:
Type 493, 6 cylinder, displacement 4.085 cc, bore x stroke 85 x 120 mm. Stromberg carburettor type EX 32. Power 95 hp at 3,000 rpm, compression ratio 1:6.2. Top speed 135 km/h.
Gearbox:
Type 233. three forward gears with second and third synchronized, one reverse gear, type 234 swingarm with final drive 11 x 41. Brakes: drums all round, cable operated with mechanical power brakes.
Battery: 6 Volt, 120 Ah, alternator 150 Watt.
Dimensions:
Length: 4,760 meter, width 1,770 meter. Wheelbase: 2,960 meters, track width in front 1,454 meters, rear 1,454 meters, tires: 6,25 x 16, fuel bank capacity 97 liters. Cooling system 18 litres, engine oil 7 litres. Weight 2,100 kg.