Caravelle made its American debut at the New York Auto Show in December 1959 where 13,000 prospective buyers placed orders for what was billed as “A dream car come true.” However, the first production models wouldn’t reach the buyers’ eager hands until many months later. Renault made no secret of the’ fact that the Caravelle was built on the Dauphine platform. This meant the chassis carried a high-revving four-cylinder engine, rack-and-pinion steering, and a fully independent suspension. A threshed manual gearbox was standard, a four-speed optional, as well as an automatic Ferlec electromagnetic clutch for the three-speed.
