Who Owns Renault?

Renault's history begins on October 1, 1898, when 21-year-old mechanical engineer Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand established "Société Renault Frères" in Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburb of Paris. Louis had already designed his first automobile, the Type A voiturette, which featured a revolutionary direct-drive transmission system that eliminated the inefficient chain drives common in early automobiles. On Christmas Eve 1898, Louis demonstrated his invention by driving the Type A up the steep Rue Lepic in Montmartre, a feat that other cars of the era could not accomplish. This demonstration won him an immediate 12 orders, effectively launching the company's commercial operations.

The early 20th century saw Renault quickly establish itself as a technological innovator and motorsport competitor. In 1906, the company achieved significant prestige by winning the first Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France with Hungarian driver Ferenc Szisz at the wheel. By 1908, Renault had become France's largest automobile manufacturer, producing 3,575 units that year. World War I transformed the company's operations dramatically, as it pivoted to producing military vehicles, ambulances, aircraft engines, and the revolutionary FT-17 light tank, which featured the first fully rotating turret and influenced tank design for decades to come.

The interwar period brought both expansion and challenges. After Marcel Renault died in a racing accident in 1903 and Fernand retired due to health issues in 1908, Louis became the sole leader of the company, renaming it "Société des Automobiles Renault" in 1921. During this period, Renault diversified beyond passenger cars into commercial vehicles, agricultural machinery, and industrial equipment. The company adopted assembly line production techniques inspired by Ford, though Louis Renault maintained a more craft-oriented approach with higher customization than American mass production systems. The Great Depression hit Renault hard, leading to labor unrest and strikes at its factories, but the company recovered in the late 1930s with the introduction of popular models like the Juvaquatre.

World War II marked a critical and controversial chapter in Renault's history. Under the German occupation of France, the company's factories were commandeered to produce vehicles for the Wehrmacht. Louis Renault's decision to cooperate with the occupying forces rather than sabotage production led to his arrest following the Liberation of France in 1944. He died in custody under disputed circumstances before facing trial. In January 1945, Charles de Gaulle's provisional government nationalized Renault through decree, transforming it into "Régie Nationale des Usines Renault" (RNUR), a state-owned enterprise. Under government control, Renault launched the 4CV in 1946, France's first truly mass-market car, designed secretly during the occupation and aimed at providing affordable mobility to post-war France.

The decades following nationalization saw Renault emerge as a symbol of French industrial prowess. The company produced a series of iconic vehicles including the Dauphine (1956), Renault 4 (1961), and Renault 5 (1972), which became one of Europe's best-selling cars of the 1970s and 1980s. International expansion accelerated during this period, with manufacturing facilities established in numerous countries including Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Eastern Europe. However, by the late 1980s, Renault faced significant financial difficulties due to increased global competition and economic challenges.

Renault's modern era began with its privatization in 1996, though the French state retained a significant ownership stake. A transformative moment came in 1999 when CEO Louis Schweitzer orchestrated an alliance with then-struggling Japanese automaker Nissan, sending Carlos Ghosn to restructure Nissan's operations. The Renault-Nissan Alliance (later expanded to include Mitsubishi in 2016) created one of the world's largest automotive groups. The early 21st century saw Renault embrace design innovation under design chief Patrick Le Quément and expand its footprint in emerging markets, particularly Eastern Europe, Russia, and India.

In recent years, Renault has positioned itself at the forefront of electrification. The company launched the ZOE electric vehicle in 2012, which became Europe's best-selling EV for several years. In 2023, under the leadership of CEO Luca de Meo, Renault created the Ampere division dedicated exclusively to electric vehicles and software. The company's "Renaulution" strategic plan, launched in 2021, emphasized value over volume and refocused on its core European markets while pursuing targeted international growth. By 2026, Renault had established itself as a major player in the European EV market, reviving iconic nameplates like the Renault 5 and Renault 4 as all-electric models while continuing to operate within the framework of the reorganized Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.