Editing Renault (section)

===Founding and early years (1898–1918)===
[[File:Louis Renault with his first car.jpg|thumb|left|[[Louis Renault (industrialist)|Louis Renault]] (1877–1944) in 1903]]

The Renault corporation was founded on 25 February 1899 as ''Société Renault Frères'' by [[Louis Renault (industrialist)|Louis Renault]] and his brothers [[Marcel Renault|Marcel]] and [[Fernand Renault|Fernand]].<ref name="LAE">{{cite book |last1=Boutillier |first1=Sophie |last2=Uzunidis |first2=Dimitri |series=Studyrama perspectives |volume=625 |title=L'aventure des entrepreneurs |trans-title=The entrepreneurs' adventure |language=fr |year=2006 |publisher=Studyrama |isbn=2-84472-790-5 |pages=28–29}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Porázik |first1=Juraj |last2=Oravec |first2=Ján |title=Old time classic cars, 1885–1940 |year=1985 |publisher=Arco Pub |isbn=0-668-06307-6 |page=58}}</ref> Louis was a bright, aspiring young engineer who had already designed and built several prototypes before teaming up with his brothers, who had honed their business skills working for their father's [[textile]] firm. While Louis handled design and production, Marcel and Fernand managed the business.<ref name=AIM>{{cite magazine |date=8 April 1909 |title=A brief history of the House of Renault |volume=20 |issue=14 |magazine=Automotive Industries |pages=569–570}}</ref>

The first Renault car, the [[Renault Voiturette]] 1CV, was sold to a friend of Louis' father after giving him a test ride on 24 December 1898.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ay8mnbMwYesC&q=first+renault+car+1CV&pg=PT141 |title=Heidi Klum & Seal The truth about the divorce |publisher=epubli |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Renault Voiturette 1901.jpg|1901 Voiturette Renault Type D Série B|thumb]]
[[File:A 1911 Renault CC.jpg|thumb|1911 Renault CC]]
In 1903, Renault began to manufacture its own engines; until then it had purchased them from [[De Dion-Bouton]]. The first major volume sale came in 1905 when Société des Automobiles de Place bought Renault AG1 cars to establish a fleet of taxis.<ref name="TEMBEF">{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Michael Stephen |title=The Emergence of Modern Business Enterprise in France, 1800–1930 |series=Harvard Studies in Business |volume=49 |year=2006 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=0-674-01939-3 |pages=402–405 |chapter=The Automobile and its Allies}}</ref> These vehicles were later used by the French military to transport troops during [[World War I]] which earned them the nickname "[[Renault Taxi de la Marne|Taxi de la Marne]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.francebleu.fr/patrimoine/13h30-une-page-d-histoire-france-bleu-champagne/une-page-d-histoire-le-taxi-de-la-marne |title=Une page d'histoire - le taxi de la Marne |work=francebleu.fr |trans-title=A page of the history - The Taxi de la Marne |publisher=France Bleu |date=11 March 2013 |access-date=15 April 2013}}</ref> By 1907, a significant percentage of London and Paris taxis had been built by Renault.<ref name="TEMBEF"/> Renault was also the best-selling foreign brand in [[New York City|New York]] in 1907 and 1908.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=28 January 1909 |title=Renault leads the foreigners |volume=20 |issue=4 |magazine=Automotive Industries |page=212 }}</ref> In 1908 the company produced 3,575 units, becoming the country's largest car manufacturer.<ref name="TEMBEF"/>

The brothers recognised the value of publicity that participation in [[motor racing]] could generate for their vehicles. Renault made itself known through succeeding in the first city-to-city races held in Switzerland, producing rapid sales growth. Both Louis and Marcel raced company vehicles, but Marcel was killed in an accident during the 1903 [[Paris-Madrid race]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Weeks |first=Lyman Horace |title=The History of the Automobile And Its Inventors |year=2010 |publisher=Books on Demand |isbn=978-3-86195-242-8 |pages=101–102}}</ref> Although Louis never raced again, his company remained very involved, including [[Ferenc Szisz]] winning the first [[Grand Prix motor racing]] event<ref>{{cite web|title=100 years in the driving seat: Renault celebrates a century of Grand Prix Victories |publisher=Renault UK |url= http://www.renault.co.uk/NMNewsItemDisplay.aspx?nid=119&nc=56&pc=4 |access-date=1 March 2008 }} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> in a [[Renault AK 90CV]] [[1906 French Grand Prix|in 1906]].

Louis took full control of the company as the only remaining brother in 1906 when Fernand retired for health reasons.<ref name="AIM" /> Fernand died in 1909 and Louis became the sole owner, renaming the company ''Société des Automobiles Renault'' (Renault Automobile Company).<ref name="LAE" /><ref name="TEMBEF" />

Renault fostered its reputation for innovation from very early on. At the time, cars were luxury items manufactured without assembly line advances. The price of the smallest Renaults at the time was 3000 [[franc]]s (₣); an amount equal to ten years pay for the average worker. In 1905, the company introduced [[mass production]] techniques and [[Taylorism]] in 1913.<ref name="ROH">{{cite web|url=http://www.renault.co.uk/about/historyofrenault.aspx |title=Renault official history |website=Renault.co.uk |access-date=7 September 2011}}</ref> In 1911, Renault visited Henry Ford at the [[Highland Park Ford Plant|Highland Park factory]] and adopted some of the manufacturing principles from his trip.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Île Seguin Renault Factory |url=http://architectuul.com/architecture/the-ile-seguin-renault-factory |website=Architectuul |access-date=15 January 2021}}</ref>

Renault manufactured [[buses]] and commercial cargo vehicles in the pre-war years. The first real [[commercial truck]] from the company was introduced in 1906.<ref name="TT">{{cite book |last=Bradley |first=Elliot |title=Trucks and trucking |year=1979 |publisher=Crescent Books |isbn=0-517-27343-8 |page= [https://archive.org/details/truckstrucking0000brad/page/94 94] |url= https://archive.org/details/truckstrucking0000brad/page/94 }}</ref> Renault were also an important pre-war manufacturer of [[Aircraft engine|aircraft engines]]. The firm entered the business in 1907 with the first of what would become a series of [[Renault 50/60 hp|air-cooled V8 engines]].<ref name=":SYHartmann2">{{cite web |last=Hartmann |first=Gerard |date=2005 |title=Les moteurs d'aviation Renault |trans-title=Renault aviation engines |url=https://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/les_moteurs_d_aviation_renault.pdf |access-date=10 December 2023 |language=FR}}</ref> In 1911 the [[Renault 90 hp]] became the world's first [[V12 engine|V12]] aircraft engine when it was exhibited at the Salon de l’Aéronautique at the [[Grand Palais]] in [[Paris]].<ref name=":SY1">{{cite book |last1=Ludvigsen |first1=Karl |url= |title=The V-12 Engine |date=2005 |publisher=Haynes |isbn=1844250040 |location= |pages=18–19}}</ref>

During World War I, the company branched out into [[ammunition]]<ref name="TEMBEF" /> and [[Military vehicle|military vehicles]] such as the revolutionary [[Renault FT]] [[tank]].<ref name="ROH" /> Production of aero engines also ramped up with additional licensed production of the firms' products being undertaken by various companies, including [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] who got their start in the aircraft engine business producing a batch of [[Renault 70 hp]] air-cooled V8s.<ref>{{cite web |date=13 August 2014 |title=The Rolls-Royce board was determined to resist Government requests to start making aero engines in Derby – it soon changed its mind |url=http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Rolls-Royce-board-determined-resist-Government/story-22711723-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150110225748/http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Rolls-Royce-board-determined-resist-Government/story-22711723-detail/story.html |archive-date=10 January 2015 |access-date=24 February 2014 |work=Derby Telegraph |publisher=Local World}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=13 March 2012 |title=The 10 Best Brand Extensions Ever (According To Me). 7)Rolls-Royce Aircraft Engines |url= https://business.time.com/2012/03/14/the-10-best-brand-extensions-ever-according-to-me/slide/rolls-royce-aircraft-engines/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224201600/http://business.time.com/2012/03/14/the-10-best-brand-extensions-ever-according-to-me/slide/rolls-royce-aircraft-engines |archive-date=24 December 2013 |access-date=24 February 2014 |magazine=Time }}</ref> Renault's most successful aircraft engine was the [[Renault 12Fe|300 hp 12Fe]] with around 5,300 built during the war.<ref name=":SYHartmann2" /> The company's military designs were so successful that Louis was awarded the [[Legion of Honour]] for his company's contributions.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/228176/view |title=Science Photo Library |website=sciencephoto.com |access-date=7 September 2011}}</ref> The company exported engines to American automobile manufacturers for use in such automobiles as the [[GJG]], which used a Renault {{Convert|26|hp||lk=in}} or {{Convert|40|hp||abbr=on}} four-cylinder engine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/wwi/GJG_Car_NYG.pdf |title=The GJG and the New York Guard |publisher=New York State Military Museum |last=De Angelis |first=Marianne |access-date=21 June 2014 }}</ref>