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At the end of the Second World War, the Ponce plan organized and rationalized automobile production, imposing on each manufacturer the type of vehicle they had to produce. Only Citroën and Renault, the two most powerful, were allowed to develop a more complete range. Taking advantage of this freedom, alongside the Juva and the four horsepower, Pierre-André Le Faulcheux, CEO of the Diamond brand, freshly nationalized, wished to market a competitor to the Citroën Traction and a strong star. This would be the frigate. It was Fernand Picard, father of the four horsepower and one of the future project managers of the shooting star that would break the land speed record in September, who was designated to carry out the study of this 11 horsepower vehicle that had to be capable of transporting six passengers. The type 108 project indeed resembled a sort of large four horsepower with a 2-liter engine in the rear, giving it a resemblance to the Tatra 603. For technical reasons, including cooling of the engine compartment, but also due to its resemblance to the Czechoslovak sedan and its habitability, the project was abandoned. Only the engine and the suspensions were kept, and the company's technicians had to revise their work.
The design of the Renault Frégate did not leave people indifferent. Its detractors would say it was chubby and that its lines were distressingly soft. Its defenders, on the contrary, praised its softness and the modernity of its design, insisting on a very Latin front end, perfectly in harmony with an Americanized profile of the most beautiful effect. We will let everyone be the judge. As always at the time, it was possible to accessorize one's Frégate with specialists such as Rob, GH, Saprare, and a few others. It was therefore easy to personalize one's Frégate with hubcaps, side skirts, chrome trim, exhaust tips, headlight and taillight bezels, a sunroof, and so on. This Frégate was therefore a classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car with independent front wheels. The suspensions were torsion bar, coil spring, and telescopic shock absorber. The drum brakes were hydraulically operated. The type 668 engine was a 4-cylinder in-line of 1996 cm³ for a power of 58 horsepower at 4000 rpm. The transmission had four speeds, only the last three of which were synchronized with a steering column lever. Despite an empty weight of 1265 kg, the advertising perhaps generously announced that this Frégate reached 130 km/h with a consumption of 10 L at an average speed of 80 km/h. As planned in the specifications, the new 4.70-meter-long Renault was capable, thanks to its two benches, of carrying up to six people with a trunk large enough to hold all their luggage. The floor was flat, which was not so common for a rear-wheel-drive car and thus allowed all occupants to benefit from comfortable space. The dashboard, pleasing to the eye, was in line with the curved exterior design. With its cigarette lighter, ashtrays, and glove box, the equipment was on par with an 11 horsepower car of the era.
The Frégate was presented hastily with great fanfare in November 1950 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris by Pierre-André Le Faucheux. This haste, which would not be without consequences, was not due to chance. The international situation with the wars in Indochina and Korea worried the government, which was considering banning the presentation of new car models from January 1, 1951, in order to preserve industrial capacity within the framework of a war economy. This early launch also raised the issue of the production of this new model itself. The new factory at Flins was not yet operational, and the first Frégates were assembled on a provisional assembly line. Finally, the first example was delivered one year after its presentation. One might say today that Renault sought to create a buzz for the occasion. Let us recall that the name Frégate is borrowed from the warship that appeared in the 17th century. It was therefore logically that the first example of this sedan was delivered to Baron Surcouf, a descendant of the famous privateer, who would set off for Saint-Malo, escorted by five other examples. But beyond this delay, the most serious issue was that the company's technicians had not had time to finalize the development of the Frégate. While the press praised its road holding, it did not fail to note, among other things, the vagueness of the steering and the imperfect handling of the gearbox. But more seriously, its lack of reliability forced Renault in 1953 to recall the first 40,000 examples sold. To counteract this disastrous image, Renault, throughout the Frégate's career, multiplied communication operations focusing on the 100% guarantee that accompanied its purchase, but also on more original actions such as the "Croisière Vérité" (Truth Cruise) that the company organized in December 1953. Several hundred drivers, selected by lottery, would take turns for two months at the wheel of different Frégates, covering over 100,000 km before rating their vehicles. These ratings would be made public. Renault repeated this on several occasions with, for example, the "Croisière du Printemps" (Spring Cruise) reserved for female customers or the implementation of free tests. In parallel, in order to broaden its potential customer base, the company offered a stripped-down and more economical version of the Frégate, the Affaire. While the classic Frégate took the name Amiral. Furthermore, Renault corrected the Frégate's teething problems. From 1954, the engine was made more reliable and gained a few horsepower. But above all, the company resolved the problems of soundproofing, excessive vibration, steering, but also gearbox handling. All these improvements were recognized by the specialized press, but they did not fundamentally change the Frégate's image with the general public. As misfortune never comes alone, Pierre-André Le Faucheux, head of Renault, was killed in February 1955 on Route Nationale 4 at the wheel of his Frégate after skidding on an ice patch. But beyond all these vicissitudes, the Frégate also had to face increasingly fierce national competition with Simca and its Vedette range, which was offered in several versions, such as the Trianon, the Versailles, or the Régence, as well as the Marley station wagon. Moreover, announced for several months in the specialized press, Citroën presented in October 1955 the DS, which would instantly make all these beautiful cars look old. Renault reacted for the 1956 model year. While the general line was not touched, the front end received a new grille, much more in keeping with the times, accompanied by new bumpers and new turn signals. The interior received new upholstery and more qualitative trim, as well as a revised dashboard with a horizontal tachometer. But it was under the hood that the main evolution lay with the adoption of the new "Étendard" 2-liter engine producing 77 horsepower, which now allowed for 135 km/h. While the Affaire version was still in the catalog, it had to make do with the old engine and took the name 2 L before becoming Caravel the following year. The Frégate Amiral was still offered alongside a more upscale execution, the Grand Pavois, recognizable among other things by its two-tone bodywork and its more luxurious interior. Finally, Renault offered a station wagon version, the Domaine. With this model, Renault targeted professionals, shopkeepers, and artisans, but also large families, by highlighting a modular space thanks to a folding rear seat. In six-seater configuration, the trunk capacity was 1 m³, but this was doubled with the rear seat folded down, providing a flat floor for a payload of 600 kg. Another advantage of the Domaine, with its two-part opening with a tailgate and a side door, this Frégate was capable of transporting long or bulky items. In terms of mechanics and therefore performance, the Domaine was identical to the sedans. Renault would also highlight the very good towing capabilities of this Domaine. In 1957, one could say finally, the Frégates were equipped with a new gearbox, still with four speeds but fully synchronized. The following year, the Étendard engine reached 80 horsepower, accompanying the new Frégate Transfluide. This was equipped with a torque converter semi-automatic transmission with the lever still on the steering column. A position indicator was also found on the dashboard: P for parking, R for reverse, E for exceptional acceleration, N for neutral, M for mountain, and VR for V and road. The Transfluide was available on the sedan but also a few months later on the station wagon, which for the occasion took the name Manoir. For the very last model years, the Frégate received new, more elongated front turn signals and taillights that acted as small fins. To be almost complete, let us also recall that with Renault's support, coachbuilders such as Tourneur, Marchand, and Chaperon offered convertible and coupé versions of the Renault Frégate, as did Auto Bleu. It should also be noted that specialized companies offered the installation of Indenor or Perkins diesel engines. Unfortunately, even though the Étendard engine was perfectly reliable and Renault had corrected the majority of the Frégate's defects, the company's sedan never managed to completely shed its negative image. Despite very good road holding, excellent braking, above-average comfort, and honest performance, the Frégate was not really successful and only sold 180,000 examples, including fewer than 10,000 station wagon versions. Its production ceased in April 1960, replaced following an agreement with the American manufacturer American Motors Corporation by the Renault Rambler. But that's another story.