The Renault 4L celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2021, a milestone that marks six decades of a car that sold over 8 million units in more than 100 countries and became one of the most culturally significant vehicles ever built. To mark the occasion, Renault commissioned a series of special projects including a collaboration with TheArsenale that reimagines the iconic 4L as a vehicle of the future.
What Made the Renault 4L So Iconic?
The Renault 4 was born from a bold declaration by Renault CEO Pierre Dreyfus in 1956: "Cars must no longer be just four seats and a boot. Give me some volume." The result was the 112 project, developed in total secrecy and launched in 1961 as Renault's first front-wheel-drive family car. It had to suit town and countryside, weekdays and weekends, work and holidays, men and women. Buyers were immediately won over by its flat floor, its innovative tailgate, and its modular rear bench seat, features that today's crossovers still owe a debt to.
60 Years, 8 Million Cars, 100 Countries
Between 1961 and 1992, the Renault 4L rolled off production lines in numbers that few cars in history have matched. It became the mascot car of an entire generation in France, blurring lines of age and social class in a way that very few products ever achieve. Students drove it to protests. Farmers loaded it with produce. Families packed it for holidays. The 4L was, above all, versatile: a car that refused to be defined by a single use or a single type of owner. Its legacy directly influenced the DNA of the modern Renault 4, which returns as an electric vehicle in 2025.
The 60th Anniversary Celebrations
Renault marked the 60th anniversary with an ambitious programme spanning art, design and automotive culture. French illustrator Greg produced 14 drawings retracing the 4L's evolution over six decades. Designer Mathieu Lehanneur created a suite concept reinterpreting the 4L's interior as a luxury space. And most ambitiously, Renault teamed up with TheArsenale to reveal the AIR4: a flying electric reinterpretation of the 4L, a concept car that asks what the world's most democratic vehicle would look like if it no longer needed roads at all. For those who want to own a piece of this heritage, the Renault F1 R31 show car and Renault R29 rolling chassis are also available through TheArsenale's F1 memorabilia collection.
TheArsenale x Renault: The AIR4
The AIR4 represents the most radical birthday gift any classic car could receive: a full reinvention as an electric flying vehicle. The collaboration between Renault and TheArsenale draws a direct line between the 4L's original promise, a car for everyone, everywhere, and the emerging world of personal air mobility. Where we're going, we don't need roads. The AIR4 is available to explore exclusively through TheArsenale Edition vehicles collection.
Full details of the 60th anniversary programme are documented on the Renault Group official newsroom and on Renault UK's dedicated anniversary page.
Discover the Renault AIR4 and explore TheArsenale's full range of curated cars and concept vehicles.
