In 2027, Renault will finally inaugurate a museum up to its history. Installed in the old Flins factory (Yvelines), this future cultural space will value more than a century of innovation, design and industrial engagement. The site, emblematic of French automotive production, will be converted into a circular economy center.
The museum, designed as a major project, will bring together nearly 600 vehicles, prototypes and concept cars, often unprecedented for the general public. It will also offer a selection of archives, works of art and audiovisual documents retracing the history of the manufacturer since its creation in 1898. The scenography will retrace the strong moments of Renault: the First World War, the Automobile Race and the Anchor of the brand in popular culture.
Until now kept in the shadows or stored out of sight, the Renault heritage parts will be accessible for the first time in a museum. The visit will revolve around several halls built for the occasion, spread over 11,500 m², with a height of 15 m and including 13 rows of 5 floors for cars. The site will include educational spaces, an event hall, a catering workshop visible from the public and an archive room.
The project, initiated by Luca de Meo (ex CEO), led by Jean Dominique Sénard (Chairman of the Board of Directors) will be funded partly by the sale of duplicates from the collection. According to Argusthe value of these parts exceeds construction costs. The museum is expected to be self -financing after its opening. It also aims to strengthen the brand’s influence via events and tests. It aims to become a real cultural and exchange place. Renault director general, Fabrice Cambolive explains to the site Lips :: “We wanted to share it widely, through a living, open experience, accessible to everyone. A place where you come with the family, where you walk among the cars, where you reconnect to a story that is not frozen but in motion ”.
Louis Renault at the wheel of his type A cart in 1898.
The collection, still little known to the general public, includes in particular the famous Renault Type A of 1898, the type K n ° 147-The Victory Car of Marcel Renault in the Paris-Vienne race of 1902-The post-war 4CV, the R5 Turbo, or even the 2010 DEZIR concept car. Each model will tell a time, a technological break or a social chapter.
The Renault fund for art and culture will also be presented. He notably includes photographs by Robert Doisneau, former photographer of Renault (1934-1939), and around 250 works by artists like Arman, Dubuffet and Tinguely. This fund, initiated in 1967 by Claude Renard, invited artists to work in the workshops. A year ago, Renault sold part of the collection to invest in new purchases, including works from street artwhich will also be part of the exhibition.
The Renault museum will join a circle of institutions dedicated to automotive history, such as Mercedes Benz Museum and Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagakute, Museo Ferrari in Maranello, the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese and Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
3D projection of the future Renault museum in Flins.
© Jacob Celnikier CGA and Kaupunki
Courtesy Renault Communications
