- Rare Grand Pavois version

- Incomplete original condition, but apparently sound

- Original accessories

- No reserve

When it was officially introduced at the 1951 Paris Motor Show, the Frégate made a strong impression with its elegant styling, but it was let down by its underpowered and underdeveloped engine. This shortcoming was remedied in 1955 with the new 77bhp 2.2-litre Etendard engine. The same year, the Frégate Amiral sported a new oval radiator grille, distinguishing it from the Affaires version. In 1957, when Pierre Dreyfus received Queen Elizabeth II, she visited the factory in a convertible Frégate, a sure sign of the importance of the model to Renault.

The Frégate offered for sale is a Grand Pavois version, the top-of-the-range model at the time, in two-tone light and dark blue. In original condition with an apparently sound body, it is incomplete and some parts have been removed, but it has a set of attractive Robri wheel trims, a rare bonnet badge and a distinctive rear numberplate surround. The interior features two-tone seats and inner doors, in original condition. It joined Renault’s collection in April 1995, after being in the same collection since 1980, with the registration 3347 HX 92. It represents a good basis for a restoration and could be turned into a Frégate whose luxurious presentation would stand out from other examples of the model.