1950 Renault Break Juvaquatre

"It's Smart . . . It's Thrifty . . . It's French!"

Here's a car that perfectly matches the needs of rural life in Cuba. Plenty of space, a rugged and simple construction, and easy maintenance — meet the Break Juvaquatre, Renault's versatile station wagon.

Upon its presentation at the 1937 Paris Motor Show, the new mid-size Renault looked pretty familiar, because it took a heavy dose of inspiration from the German Opel Kadett/Olympia, which was built since 1935. The Juvaquatre „Break“ was added to the lineup in 1950, when the production of the sedan was already about to end because Renault needed more production capacity for the popular 4CV. The "Break" was simply a "fourgonnette" commercial van with windows in it. Our pictured car is from that year, and according to its owner, it's still going strong. Only the engine was replaced by a Lada motor at some point in time.

The all-steel station wagon was a modern concept in these days. Even the Americans had just discovered the advantages of all-steel station wagons themselves. The new station wagon gave the Juvaquatre a second life, as the steady demand compelled Renault to produce it — meanwhile renamed into Renault Dauphinoise — until 1960.