Renault Brings Stunning Retro Speed Machines to 2016 Goodwood FoS

Our attention is being fixated on the three blue speed machines, separated by several decades. Compared to the Megane RS, they seem a little crude, with leather hood straps and wood dashboards, but these were some of the fastest cars of their time.

The oldest car you see in this video is the 1925 Renault 40 CV Montlhery. It's named after a famous French racing circuit of the time that was inaugurated only one year before.

Power came from a gigantic 9.1-liter engine. In 1926, Plessier and Gartfield, the engineers responsible for the operation, launched a very streamlined 40 CV with a single-seater body and the radiator placed behind the engine. The car achieved averages 173.649 km/h for 24 hours. On the way, the 40 CV broke several other records, including 1,000, 2,000 miles, and 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 kilometers.

Goodwood hill will be graced this year by an accurate replica that was put together in the 70s. The one with four bundled up headlights is the 1934 Renault Nervasport Land Speed Record Car. It was propelled by Renault's second-generation 8-cylinder in-line engine, whose design was influenced by aviation.

Its target record was 6,300 kilometers in two days at an average speed of over 132kph (82mph) at the same Montlhéry circuit. On 5 April, after 48 hours, 3 minutes and 14 seconds of driving, the car crossed the finishing line having broken 12 records, including 8,037 km in 48 hours, at an average of 167.445kph (104.068mph).

And finally, we have the 1956 Etoile Filante. As the story goes, the legendary turbine expert Szidlowski persuaded Renault’s first post-war chairman Pierre Lefaucheux to trigger the development of an experimental turbine car. On September 5, 1956, the Etoile Filante whistled across the Bonneville Salt Flats with a record speed of 306.9 km/h. All three will be seen going up the hill and will be joined by several more modern Renaults.