Renault has opened a rare window into its archives with a no-reserve heritage auction that blends historical depth with genuine automotive eccentricity. Rather than offering only well-preserved classics and showroom icons, the sale includes prototypes, training builds, experimental concepts, and mechanical curiosities that rarely surface outside private factory collections. At the center of attention is a six-wheel Renault Clio pickup, a factory-built oddity that captures the spirit of this unconventional event. Let’s explore more about it!
A Closer Look at the Six-Wheel Renault Clio Pickup
The Clio pickup is a 2001 workshop project created by apprentices at Renault’s Flins plant. What began as a standard Clio II was cut, stretched, and redesigned into a compact utility vehicle complete with an open bed and dual rear axles. The additional axle was not part of an engineering program but served as a fabrication exercise for workers learning structural modification and metalworking techniques.
Although the vehicle cannot legally operate on public roads, it stands as a snapshot of the creativity and hands-on flexibility that existed inside Renault’s production ecosystem. Its presence in a public auction demonstrates how deeply the brand is digging into its archives for this sale.
Oddities, Concepts, and Forgotten Experiments
The six-wheel Clio is only the beginning. The catalogue includes dozens of rarely seen vehicles that reveal Renault’s long tradition of experimentation. Among them are modified vans such as the 2004 Trafic Deck’Up concept, futuristic design studies from the late 1980s and early 1990s, early electric conversions, limited-build Alpine derivatives, and even commercial prototypes that never advanced past internal testing.
Together, these vehicles showcase the kinds of ideas manufacturers often explore behind closed doors: design experiments, engineering trials, and practical training builds that inform future models but never enter the public sphere.
Why Renault Is Selling These Rare and Unusual Vehicles
This auction arrives during a broader reorganization of Renault’s heritage division. The company is preparing its historic Flins-sur-Seine site to host a new museum and is streamlining its extensive fleet in the process. As a result, duplicates, experimental builds, and non-essential prototypes are being made available to private buyers. The most striking element of the sale is its no-reserve structure. Every car will sell regardless of price, opening the door for collectors to secure unusual and historically valuable machines at unexpectedly accessible figures.
What This Auction Represents for Collectors
For serious collectors, this sale offers more than novelty. It is an opportunity to acquire genuine artifacts of industrial history, each reflecting a unique moment in Renault’s development. Some pieces illuminate the company’s design language, others highlight engineering shifts, and a few represent spontaneous creativity on the factory floor. Even more unconventional entries carry cultural and historical value. They document Renault’s willingness to experiment and its evolving approach to mobility, technology, and manufacturing through different eras.
A Rare Glimpse Into Renault’s Creative Past
Renault’s no-reserve heritage sale stands apart from traditional classic car auctions because it provides access to vehicles seldom seen or sold. It combines history with discovery, offering everything from unusual prototypes to development oddities. The six-wheel Clio pickup may be the headline attraction, but it is the breadth of the collection that defines the auction. It serves as a reminder that most compelling automotive stories often come from the experimental fringe rather than the mainstream production line.
Image Source: Peter Singhof via Artcurial
