Renault AK90 Grand Prix Re-creation
Engine no. 62
• Accurate re-creation of Renault's winner of the first ever Grand Prix of 1906
• Accompagned with a letter from Hugues Portron, Renault Classic Director, as confirmation that the car was made with original Renault parts and looks very closed to the original one (include in the file)
• Built in Argentina
• 'Best Artisan Re-creation' class winner at AutoClásica in 2014
• Exhibited on the Renault Classic stand at Rétromobile 2016 in Paris
The basis of this wonderful re-creation of Renault's winner of the first ever Grand Prix was a collection of components discovered in a woodworking shop in Argentina. These consisted of four wheels, a front axle, a small dashboard-mounted lubricating box, and a very old engine with four monobloc cylinders.
The recreation was built in Buenos Aires by Luis and Jorge Penedo, whose friends, acquaintances and trade contacts helped them find information about the car. They received numerous photographs, articles from magazines and books, and drawings that helped them make all the missing parts.
A dealer in Paraná City in Argentina had a very old gearbox and some more spares from a very early Renault, which were acquired for the project. The gearbox was a four-speeds-and-reverse type with sequential shifting, similar if not the same as the GP winner's. The original chassis was a unique design specially made for the GP car and not a standard production frame modified for racing. The vendors built theirs using two chassis rails and the gearbox mount they already had, which were modified to make an exact copy of the original chassis.
According to the owners: "The engine is almost 9 litres in capacity and the same exterior size as the 12.9-litre unit of the original GP car, which helped establish the re-creation's overall proportions." Having resolved that, their main problem was re-creating the massive centrally mounted radiator, which involved making 1,200 copper pipes. Then the body and the rest of the accessories were completed and the car built using the aforementioned images, details and drawings.
The project took six years and more than 3,000 hours of work to complete and was finished in 2014. The car was unveiled that year at the AutoClásica show in Buenos Aires, winning the 'Best Artisan Re-creation' class. As a result of this award the car caught the attention of the directors of Renault Argentina, and the following year representatives of the Historic Department of Renault Classic in France came to AutoClásica to view it, commenting that it was the most faithful reproduction they had ever seen.
The following year Renault returned to Formula 1 and the owners received an invitation to tour Europe with the car, taking part in the major classic motor sport shows. The tour started in February at Rétromobile in Paris where the AK90 was the star of the Renault Classic stand, after Hugues Portron, Renault Classic Director, confirmed them by letter that the car was made with original Renault parts and looks very closed to the original one (include in the file). The rest of the tour took in the Le Mans Classic; Lossange Passion at the Linhas Montlhéry circuit; the Goodwood Festival of Speed; the Classic Days Schloss Dyck in Germany; Het Loo in the Netherlands; and the tribute to Ferenc Szisz in his native Hungary. The car is currently in the UK on a temporary import licence.
Please note that if this vehicle is sold to a French private buyer or an EU private individual the reduced rate of Import VAT at 5.5% will be charged on the hammer price. The Import VAT will be invoiced to you by our custom broker who will also charge a clearance fee. If you buy as a Trader or Company however, the Finances Publiques will charge you directly (based on our customs broker clearance) and the French VAT Import Charges will not appear on your Bonhams invoice. Please note that if you purchase as an EU Company, you are required to pay the VAT in your registered country at the relevant rate. Import rates to other EU Countries may vary and an administration fee will be charged to prepare the necessary customs clearance. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department or our recommended shippers.
Footnotes
Renault AK90 Grand Prix reconstitution
Moteur n° 62
Engine no. 62
• Accurate re-creation of Renault's winner of the first ever Grand Prix of 1906
• Accompagned with a letter from Hugues Portron, Renault Classic Director, as confirmation that the car was made with original Renault parts and looks very closed to the original one (include in the file)
• Built in Argentina
• 'Best Artisan Re-creation' class winner at AutoClásica in 2014
• Exhibited on the Renault Classic stand at Rétromobile 2016 in Paris
The basis of this wonderful re-creation of Renault's winner of the first ever Grand Prix was a collection of components discovered in a woodworking shop in Argentina. These consisted of four wheels, a front axle, a small dashboard-mounted lubricating box, and a very old engine with four monobloc cylinders.
The recreation was built in Buenos Aires by Luis and Jorge Penedo, whose friends, acquaintances and trade contacts helped them find information about the car. They received numerous photographs, articles from magazines and books, and drawings that helped them make all the missing parts.
A dealer in Paraná City in Argentina had a very old gearbox and some more spares from a very early Renault, which were acquired for the project. The gearbox was a four-speeds-and-reverse type with sequential shifting, similar if not the same as the GP winner's. The original chassis was a unique design specially made for the GP car and not a standard production frame modified for racing. The vendors built theirs using two chassis rails and the gearbox mount they already had, which were modified to make an exact copy of the original chassis.
According to the owners: "The engine is almost 9 litres in capacity and the same exterior size as the 12.9-litre unit of the original GP car, which helped establish the re-creation's overall proportions." Having resolved that, their main problem was re-creating the massive centrally mounted radiator, which involved making 1,200 copper pipes. Then the body and the rest of the accessories were completed and the car built using the aforementioned images, details and drawings.
The project took six years and more than 3,000 hours of work to complete and was finished in 2014. The car was unveiled that year at the AutoClásica show in Buenos Aires, winning the 'Best Artisan Re-creation' class. As a result of this award the car caught the attention of the directors of Renault Argentina, and the following year representatives of the Historic Department of Renault Classic in France came to AutoClásica to view it, commenting that it was the most faithful reproduction they had ever seen.
The following year Renault returned to Formula 1 and the owners received an invitation to tour Europe with the car, taking part in the major classic motor sport shows. The tour started in February at Rétromobile in Paris where the AK90 was the star of the Renault Classic stand, after Hugues Portron, Renault Classic Director, confirmed them by letter that the car was made with original Renault parts and looks very closed to the original one (include in the file). The rest of the tour took in the Le Mans Classic; Lossange Passion at the Linhas Montlhéry circuit; the Goodwood Festival of Speed; the Classic Days Schloss Dyck in Germany; Het Loo in the Netherlands; and the tribute to Ferenc Szisz in his native Hungary. The car is currently in the UK on a temporary import licence.
Please note that if this vehicle is sold to a French private buyer or an EU private individual the reduced rate of Import VAT at 5.5% will be charged on the hammer price. The Import VAT will be invoiced to you by our custom broker who will also charge a clearance fee. If you buy as a Trader or Company however, the Finances Publiques will charge you directly (based on our customs broker clearance) and the French VAT Import Charges will not appear on your Bonhams invoice. Please note that if you purchase as an EU Company, you are required to pay the VAT in your registered country at the relevant rate. Import rates to other EU Countries may vary and an administration fee will be charged to prepare the necessary customs clearance. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department or our recommended shippers.
Footnotes
Renault AK90 Grand Prix reconstitution
Moteur n° 62
