The Renault 4 took off at FASA in Valladolid in 1963. At the same time as a sedan and as a fourgonette or, in Spanish, Furgoneta. The car clearly caught on not only with a large number of business users in Spain, but certainly also with private individuals looking for a practical car. There was decent interest up to 1969, after which annual production numberswent down by 3,000 to 4,500 units. But there is an obvious reason for this.

Although the larger R4F6 was released as early as mid-1975, Spanish production followed only five years later. The reason is that besides the normal Furgoneta, an elevated version also appeared in 1969, the Renault 4 Furgoneta S, where the S stands for Sobre-Elevada, a raised roof. This created greater loading volume within the same compact length and width. The raised roof came as an option in France in combination with an increased payload of 400 kg. The roof makes the car exactly 10 centimetres higher. FASA built both the closed van (from 1969) and the combi with windows and possibly a rear seat (from 1972). In the latter case, it is called the Sobre-Elevada Acristalada, or the 4 Furgoneta SA. Production ran until 1980, because that is when FASA-Renault took the 4F6 Furgoneta into production. Incidentally, a car that is always delivered as S with raised roof and as SA with raised roof and side windows.

A total of 216,661 units of the 4 Furgoneta were produced between 1963 and 1980. Another 129,248 units of the 4F6 were added between 1980 and 1986, after which the Express took over.

This example of the Renault 4 Furgoneta was painted in a soft yellow colour, a shade that was available on a lot of FASA-Renault models. Built in 1975, the car still has the first type of grille as a special feature. In France, the third grille in black plastic had been launched before that year. But the orderers and base versions still retained these openings stamped into the sheet metal in Spain until 1977. That means that this one by Eusebio José Sánchez Legaz bears the Vasarely logo on this old grille.

Eusebio also has fond memories of this car. "The butcher in my grandparents' neighbourhood drove this car. Simón, the butcher, covered only 29,000 kilometres with it before he stopped. I was allowed to take over the Renault from him in 2006. I had such good memories of it, I saw the car driving every day and became fascinated by the model."

The butcher always drove it only short distances in and around the village of Las Palas. Eusebio: "I did fully restore the car. I tackled the technology myself, but the bodywork was done by a specialist. Since the restoration, I have driven it about 12,000 km. I really only use it for events these days, although years ago I used it daily for short drives around the area."

The Renault 4 is stickered with logos of Eusebio's company. He owns Piezas Autos Clasicos (www.piezasautosclasicos.com). He specialises in supplying parts for classic cars from Renault, Citroën, SEAT and Dodge.

Photo: Eusebio's beautifully restored Renault 4 Furgoneta wears a distinctive soft yellow colour.

Eusebio's Renault 4 looks quite luxurious. The chrome bumpers, for instance, are extremely sleek. Remarkably, no tubular bumper has been applied at the rear. Door handles, headlamp surrounds, brackets above the front bumper and edges along the front door windows are finished in chrome. On the left and right, the Furgoneta features round, grey wing mirrors also on a chrome base. Handsome hubcaps further dress up the car.

This is not only a version with side windows but also with a rear seat. The rear side windows can be partially slid open. The car features the famous Girafon above the rear door to carry extra-long objects. On the tailgate, only the words Renault 4 appear. The rear seat can be completely folded away in one swift movement.

The dashboard is of the second type with an instrument panel consisting of a speed and fuel gauge plus a few indicator lights.

This Furgoneta has an 852 cc powerplant, a smaller version of the Cléon engine with a stroke equal to the 956 at 72 mm and 1,108 cc, but with a significantly smaller bore of 61.4 mm. This keeps the car just under the 8 CV load power limit. In France, this engine was also combined with high roof.

Driving the R4 with the 5 bearing motor is a bit quieter than with the Billancourt engine that was known in other countries. Although it should be noted that the last examples of the 4F4 from France were also equipped with the Cléon (1.1 litre).

Delivery vans usually have a long and exhausting life. That makes Eusebio's example extra special, partly because he saved a car from his youth.

Photo: The car has the raised roof combined with side windows. Then in Spain, people speak of the Sobre-Elevada Acristalada.