KIT 1/24 GORDINI RACING SET

In the early 1980s, Renault Assistance Course was the “mobile workshop” of the competition and rally teams. Vans were used to transport the cars on trailers to the competition venues. Once there, a small car camp was set up and the final touches were put on the competition cars. Since the vans were well stocked with spare parts, accessories, tools and other items, any damage that occurred during a race or rally could be quickly repaired by mechanics on the track. The competition service team ensured that the car was back on the track in the shortest possible time. Not only were the challenges of daily work on and off the track effectively met, but these mobile service stations sometimes served as temporary accommodation for team members. One of these vans was the Renault Estafette, based on Citroën’s front-wheel drive system, which gave it a large flat load area, four independent suspensions, a sliding side door and a three-leaf rear door. Initially it was produced as a van with a payload of 800 kg and, from 1965, with 1,000 kg, with flat or high roof and short or long wheelbase. The first models used the 845 cc, 32 hp Dauphine engine, which was replaced in 1962 by the 1,108 cc, 45 hp “Sierra Cléon fonte” engine of the Renault 8 and, in 1968, by the 1,289 cc engine of the Renault 12. More than 500,000 units were produced by 1980, making the Estafette a symbol of its time.