Renault Estafette 600
Renault put the engine and driven wheels at the front so tradespeople got a low, uncluttered loading floor behind the seats.
1960 Renault Estafette.JPG · Wleiter · CC BY-SA 3.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Released in 1959, the Estafette filled a practical gap between Renault’s little Juvaquatre van and its larger trucks. Engineer Guy Grosset-Grange’s team moved the powertrain to the front even though Renault’s passenger-car programme then favoured rear engines. With the rear free of a driveshaft and differential, the van could offer a low floor and useful boxy volume. Renault launched five forms—including a 600 kg van, high van, covered pick-up, nine-seat microbus and a lighter city-parking version—and kept evolving the family through 1980.
Look a little closer.
One launch version was built light enough for France’s old “Zone Bleue” city rule, which restricted parking for commercial vehicles carrying more than 500 kg.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Packaging was the breakthrough
Front-wheel drive was new for Renault, but the customer benefit mattered more than the label: a low floor, fewer mechanical parts under the cargo bay and easier kerbside access. It was an engineering decision aimed squarely at deliveries.
Source: Renault Group · Remembering the Estafette ↗A family of tools, not one fixed body
The Estafette name covered vans, raised and extended bodies, pick-ups, minibuses and campers over two decades. This profile holds to the 600 kg launch panel van so later engines, roof heights and dimensions do not drift into the first model’s facts.
Source: The Originals Renault Museum · Estafette ↗Where these facts come from
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.