LOUIS RENAULT: A Biography

by Anthony Rhodes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 1969

The rise and fall of Louis Renault, ""France's Henry Ford,"" is a Horatio Alger story with a sad ending, set against the changing currents of French political and industrial life in the first half of the 20th century. Rhodes, an English professor turned full-time writer, sets the scene with a little automotive history and a bit about Renault's French forerunners. Louis himself had the true mechanic's touch; tinkering with new forms of transmission he invented a direct-drive system that, together with his decision to market light vehicles aimed at the larger public, made his fame and fortune. There's a colorful chapter on the ""heroic period"" of 1895-1905, when Louis and brother Marcel tested Renault models in the murderous races between European capitals that established the company's reputation but cost Marcel his life before they were discontinued as too dangerous. Then it's up the ladder of industrial success, with Louis running a notoriously tight operation that survived expensive strikes in the thirties and determined competition from Andre Citroen. Renault's career was at a peak during and after the First World War, when he was decorated with the Legion of Honor for his contribution of efficient light tanks. But the hero of World War I became the villain of World War II; like most French industrialists he cooperated partially with the German occupiers, and the Resistance singled him out for full scapegoat treatment. Arrested in September of 1944, his property confiscated by government decree, he died in prison a month later, probably as a result of beatings by the gaolers. Rhodes blames Renault's intransigent independence and inadeptness at public relations for his undeserved downfall. A biography conventional in its approach but of considerable interest both for its subject and its historical background material.

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 1969

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harcourt, Brace & World

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1969

Categories: NONFICTION