The Caravelle is one more bit of evidence that the Volkswagen Beetle changed motoring forever: it was the existence of the Beetle and its offspring, the Karmann Ghia, that motivated Renault to design a car to compete with Germany’s offerings. Yes, the French company was already producing the Dauphine, but dealers believed American consumers needed a convertible option. The Caravelle was launched in 1958 – actually in both convertible and coupe form – sharing many of the characteristics of its German competitor: small-displacement rear-mounted engine, two-seater body designed by Ghia, and a “style over speed” sensibility. Here on eBay is a 1960 Renault Caravelle project looking for a new home; it is bid to $305, reserve not met. The car is located in Scottsville, Kentucky.
Based on the economical Dauphine, the Caravelle was originally delivered with an 845 cc four-cylinder situated in its tail. Performance from the 37 hp engine compared favorably to the Karmann Ghia, but 60 mph still required over 20 seconds. Early cars (up to 1962) wore their radiators toward the cockpit; thus, the external rear fender scoops meant to aid cooling. Later cars featured a repositioned radiator at the rear of the trunk and hood louvers. Usually, the transmission was a three-speed manual, but a four-speed was available.
The swanky foundations of a French car can still be seen in this derelict example: trim bucket seats, Art Deco horizontal gauges, slender gear lever. This car is equipped with the optional radio. A locking glove box was standard. Before we swoon too much over the stylish cabin, though, note that there’s no hard top present, and I can’t see the frames for a soft top either. Parts can be challenging to source for these cars, so it’s worth a visit to figure out what might be missing from here.
Pietro Frua penned the lines of the Caravelle – to good effect. Details like the slope of the trunk lid down and away from the tops of the rear fenders, a reverse slant to the nose, and generally pleasing proportions lend panache to this simple sports car. And yet: while the Caravelle sold about 117,000 copies over eleven years, the Karmann Ghia sold over 440,000 units and remained in production for almost 20 years. Today, Caravelles go begging – the nicest one on the planet might cost $20k but many sell for around $12k – while a comparable Karmann Ghia convertible will set you back $30k. Which would you rather own?
Saperlipopette! ( had to look that up) A Caravelle, Ms. Rand, this pushes the limits as to how far you will go, a Caravelle. I say more of an Italian MGB with a rear engine. Had one, or better yet, the old man had one, yep, ( rolling eyes, another 3am rigamarole ?) when I was a kid, maybe 12, late 60s, brother was 14, the old man came home with one, surely gotten from the “auction” or traded a window air conditioner for it. He had a Dauphine for a short time, and a Peugeot 403, the only foreign cars he owned, I think he felt bad for the French seeing what attrocities they went through 1st hand. It may have had a hardtop, I think may have been standard(?) and was a really nice car. I like the K-G too, but the Caravelle had a real heater, great CONVENTIONAL motor, btw, I read it was 34.5 HP, it was that .5 that got you over the hill, the “S” had 37 HP!. The one nice day we had in the Badger, we took the hardtop off, and we had some friends, who were all very large,( it WAS the 60s) the father alone was over 400lbs, nice folks, loved to eat, is all, anyway, my dad gave him a ride and the poor Caravelle broke in half! Not literally, just couldn’t close the doors. He felt bad, and my dad tried to get it fixed, but was too far gone. I’m quite sure there are probably tons of mechanical parts, may require French speaking to get them, I believe Renault used the same stuff across the line, body parts, now that could be an issue. The Caravelle was a great car.
I wonder what Barney Fife is doing there?
I’ve had some experience with Caravelles, and found them to be quite nice, if not especially quick. Even the late examples with the larger engine from the R8 offered pretty tepid performance.
The only surprise in Michelle’s detailed writeup is that she somehow missed the fact that the Caravelle was called “Floride” in Europe. Presumably, Renault decided that non-Floridians wouldn’t buy it when U.S. sales began and changed the name.
Not to many Americans bought Caravelles anyway. Most of the examples I’ve seen over the years were in roughly the same condition as this one — or worse. They were subject to all the mistreatment dished out to cheap cars, with the addition of the notorious scarcity of replacement parts for which Renault was known in this country.
They’re pretty little cars for sure, slightly more refined than the K-G (water-cooled engines tend to be a bit quieter), easy to work on (assuming you can find parts), and you won’t see many at Cars & Coffee. It’s nowhere near the top of my wish list, but I’d enjoy having one.
It’s sitting a bit low at the back. Otherwise, doesn’t look any worse than most projects.