Louis Renault

Biography

Louis Renault was born in Paris on 12 February 1877. In 1898 he converted a used De Dion-Bouton into his first car, the Voiturette. On 24 December that year he won a bet that it could climb the Rue Lepic in Montmartre, and took 13 orders. A year later he patented a direct-drive third gear.

On 25 February 1899 he formed Renault Frères with his brothers Marcel and Fernand. Marcel was killed in the Paris–Madrid race in 1903, Fernand retired because of ill health, and from 1908 Louis had overall control of the company. In the First World War his factories turned to shell production, and in 1918 they mass-produced the Renault FT tank.

Renault ran the business until 1942, through the first years of the German occupation, when the company built vehicles for the German forces. He was arrested on 22 September 1944 on charges of industrial collaboration and died on 24 October 1944 while still awaiting trial. Historians disagree on how far he should be judged a collaborator. A decree of 1 January 1945 nationalised the firm as the Régie Nationale des Usines Renault.