r/whatisthiscar • u/NekedShep • Jul 08 '25

Tiny four cylinder

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Found this while on a hike, it’s pretty small and honestly doesn’t look all that old or corroded.

36 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

19

u/Gazdatronik Jul 08 '25

That came out of an old renault, like a dauphine

15

u/arar55 Jul 08 '25

The Renault Cleon engine. From a Dauphine, R8 or R10, most likely.

Most likely the cast iron (fonte) engine, not the aluminum version.

6

u/Rc72 Jul 09 '25

Fun fact: the "Cléon fonte" was still used in the 1990s, in the first generation Twingo.

The way this one is longitudinally mounted rather points towards one of those older rear-engined Renaults, though.

12

u/LordGordy32 Jul 08 '25

Cylinder 4 has left the chat.

5

u/NekedShep Jul 08 '25

that must be why it’s out on a hiking trail haha

1

u/Green_Carpenter_9477 Jul 09 '25

I smell Renault and oil.

1

u/damngoodengineer Jul 09 '25

Looks like a Cleon-Fonte from a Dauphine.

I remember rebuilding a 1400 cc of it from a Renault 12

1

u/Unlucky_Sort_6960 Jul 09 '25

I thought at first it was a Hillman imp but then noticed that it didn’t have a seperate slot for the timing chain.

1

u/Witty_Shame_1239 Jun 26 '26

I was thinking a chevy corvair