- Extremely rare motorboat developed and sold by Renault

- Attractive original condition, well documented

- Elegantly styled and nicely finished ‘Dauphine for the sea’

- No reserve

Under the name of Renault-Penhoët, in 1961 Renault entered the market for small pleasure boats with this ‘Runabout’, developed in collaboration with the Chantiers Navals de l'Atlantique. The laminated polyester shell was made up of two moulded sections: the first being the hull and the second the combined bridge, seat and floor. These were assembled around a ‘cushion’ of plastic foam which ensured the rigidity and buoyancy of the complete structure. According to the catalogue, “The profile of the shell has been designed to ensure good protection at the front, maximum speed and high stability when turning”. At less than 400kg, the weight was kept extremely low. With room for five passengers, the boat had an elegant dashboard with OS Marine instruments (rev counter, temperature and fuel gauges) behind an Ondine steering wheel, while under the bonnet at the rear a 40bhp Dauphine Gordini engine let it reach 50kph.. Unfortunately, the motorboat was not as successful as had been hoped, and Renault ended its production in 1963.

In two-tone red and white, the Runabout from the collection, named the “Barracuda II”, appears from the correspondence in its history file to be the first example of this ‘Dauphine for the sea’. Its French certificate of registry and navigation title are in the file. It was owned by M. Jacques Pottier in 1966 and then by his son, who sold it directly to the collection in 1997. At this time, it had been partly restored and mechanically overhauled. Today, it appears to be in good original condition, and with its panoramic windscreen, has a very fetching appearance. The Dauphine Gordini engine is present at the rear, but will need to be serviced before being run again. Once the shell has been inspected and the engine serviced, this rare, almost unique, boat will once again be able to engage in the waterborne leisure pursuits it was designed for, to the delight of those on board.