RSS Share 13/01/2006
80th Anniversary of 40CV record-breaking run

In an age when racing car design is as much about good looks as speed, the Renault 40CV may not win many prizes. But 80 years ago, this behemoth was the envy of manufacturers around the globe as it reclaimed the 24-hour world speed record from Bentley, who had taken the accolade the year before.

At well over five-metres long, the car has a steel chassis and wooden frame, covered with treated cotton moleskin body panels. It was taken to the fearsome, banked Montlhéry circuit near Paris, where Renault was determined to regain the honour of building the fastest car over the endurance testing time. For the new attempt, the car, with its tiny windscreen, was fitted with streamlined single-seater bodywork.

Powered by a mammoth 9.1 litre, straight-six engine, drivers JA Garfield, Robert Plessier and Paul Guillon covered 4,167.578km (2,590 miles) at an average speed of 173.649kph (108.16mph). They also broke the 1,000 and 2,000-mile and 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000-kilometre records.

The 40CV, which was based on the Renault Type NM, is one of the few remaining record-breaking dynamic cars in the world. In recent years it has performed demonstration runs at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2001 and at the World Series by Renault event in Valencia in 2005. It also featured on the famous Goodwood hill-climb course in 2005, driven by Jean-Louis Le Tohic.

Jean-Louis, head of engineering and logistics at the 650-vehicle Renault Histoire et Collection, is a seasoned campaigner at handling a machine designed for speed rather than the turns of Goodwood. "Visibility is very difficult, but I use a filler cap on the bonnet to aim the car around corners," Jean-Louis explained at the time.

Today, the car's handling is much improved due to the replacement of the original 150-litre fuel tank with one just one-third of the size. Before the modification, Jean-Louis described the archetypal 'tank-slapping' feel of the vehicle, joking: "It reminds me of a truck I drove in the French army! With a partial fuel load, the fuel moved around in the tank and it had quite an effect."

Heritage fans should get the chance to see the 40CV in action as it enters its ninth decade, with appearances planned for the 'Goodwood Festival of Speed' on July 7th, 8th and 9th and a possible appearance at the 'World Series by Renault' event at Donington Park on September 9th and 10th.

Technical Specification - Renault 40CV (1926)
Engine: 6-cylinder in-line, 9,121cc, two valves per cylinder
Gearbox: 3-speed, plus reverse
Brakes: Drum front and rear
Bodywork: Coupe two doors, two seats; length 5.34m, width 1.77m, height 1.66m
Top Speed: 191km/h