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a black car driving down the street in front of a buildinga small black car driving down the street in the citya small black car that is parked in a parking lota red seat in the back of a black cara black car with a red seat and a steering wheela small black car parked in front of a buildinga picture of a car engine in the back of a truck
OSENAT

48 - 1965 Renault 4 L Bertin (R) No reserve Chassis 5251489 - FFV…
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Estimate €15,000 - €20,000
Sale commission
Description
1965 Renault 4 L Bertin (R) No reserve Chassis 5251489 - FFVE SAPELEM – RENAULT certificate - French vehicle registration document - A tribute to Jean Albert Bertin - Original design A renowned aeronautical engineer and the father of the Aérotrain project, Jean Bertin also turned his attention to the issues of urban congestion in the mid-1960s. Convinced of the need to reduce the footprint of cars in city centres, in 1965 he developed a unique prototype based on a standard Renault 4: the R4 Bertin, sometimes nicknamed the ‘Mini 4L’, through his company, SAPELEM. To achieve this, Bertin had the original chassis and bodywork cut off behind the driver’s seats, drastically reducing the wheelbase and the vehicle’s overall length to just 2.34 metres (nearly 1.30 metres shorter than the Régie model), whilst taking care to retain the original tailgate and rear load space. Transformed into a highly manoeuvrable two-seater city car, it retained all the original mechanical components of the R4, notably its 743 cc front-mounted engine, which made maintenance easier. Officially unveiled by its inventor at the 1969 Paris Motor Show, this innovative vehicle — foreshadowing the concept of the modern Smart by several decades — remained a one-off. After being preserved for many years, the prototype was officially added to the collections of the Cité de l’Automobile (National Museum – Schlumpf Collection) in Mulhouse, before undergoing a complete restoration in 2011 with the support of Renault Classic. Our collector, a great admirer of Jean Albert Bertin, decided in the early 2000s to recreate his own Renault 4 Bertin, as the original car was now classified as a historic monument. Built on the basis of a 1965 R4, it was, like the original, shortened and modified whilst retaining the boot and rear bench seat. Although we do not have invoices for this work, it was carried out whilst remaining as faithful as possible to the original design. Mechanically, the car starts and runs. However, due to its prolonged period of inactivity since the owner’s death, a service will be required, particularly regarding the brakes. An FFVE certificate containing the correct details about the car (2-seater and manufacturer) is included in the file to facilitate the registration process. A beautifully crafted replica, this Bertin is a fine tribute to a unique adventure and the forerunner of the Smart! 1965 Renault 4 L Bertin (R) Chassis No. 5251489 - FFVE SAPELEM – RENAULT Certificate - French Vehicle Registration Certificate - Tribute to Jean Albert Bertin - Original Design A renowned aeronautical engineer and the father of the Aérotrain project, Jean Bertin also turned his attention to the issue of urban congestion in the mid-1960s. Convinced of the need to reduce the footprint of cars in city centres, he developed a unique prototype in 1965 based on a standard Renault 4: the R4 Bertin, sometimes nicknamed the “Mini 4L”, through his company, SAPELEM. To achieve this, Bertin had the original chassis and body cut off behind the driver’s seats, drastically reducing the wheelbase and the vehicle’s overall length to just 2.34 metres (nearly 1.30 metres shorter than the Régie model), whilst taking care to retain the original tailgate and rear cargo space. Transformed into a highly manoeuvrable two-seater city car, it retained all of the R4’s original mechanical components, notably its front-mounted 743 cc engine, which made maintenance easier. Officially unveiled by its inventor at the 1969 Paris Motor Show, this innovative vehicle—which foreshadowed the concept of the modern Smart by several decades—remained a one-off. After being preserved for many years, the prototype was officially added to the collections of the Cité de l'Automobile (National Museum – Schlumpf Collection) in Mulhouse, before undergoing a complete restoration in 2011 with the support of Renault Classic. Our collector, a passionate fan of Jean Albert Bertin, decided in the early 2000s to recreate his own Renault 4 Bertin, as the original car was now classified as a historic monument. Built on the chassis of a 1965 R4, it was, like the original, shortened and modified whilst retaining the boot and rear bench seat. Although we do not have invoices for this work, it was carried out to remain as faithful as possible to the original design. Mechanically, the car starts and runs. However, due to its prolonged period of inactivity since the owner’s passing, a service will be required, particularly regarding the brakes. An FFVE certificate containing the correct information about the car (2-seater and manufacturer) is included in the file to facilitate the registration process. A beautifully crafted replica, this Bertin is a fine tribute to a unique adventure—the forerunner of the Smart!
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About the sale Classic cars
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Auction time 06/29/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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