Gordini

(Redirected from Simca-Gordini)

Gordini (French pronunciation: [ɡɔʁdini]) is a division of Renault Sport Technologies (Renault Sport).[1][2] In the past, it was a sports car manufacturer and performance tuner, established in 1946 by Amédée Gordini (1899–1979), nicknamed "Le Sorcier" (The Sorcerer). Gordini became a division of Renault in 1968 and of Renault Sport in 1976.[3]

Gordini
Company typeDivision
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1946
Headquarters,
ParentRenault Sport
Gordini
Formula One World Championship career
First entry1950 Monaco Grand Prix
Races entered33
EnginesGordini, Simca
Constructors'
Championships
0
Drivers'
Championships
0
Race victories0
Podiums2
Pole positions0
Fastest laps1
Final entry1956 Italian Grand Prix

History

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1937 Simca-Gordini Type 5 Le Mans
1939 Simca-Gordini Type 8
1946 Simca-Gordini 11
1950 Simca-Gordini T15s, as raced, and retired, at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans by José Froilán González and Juan Manuel Fangio
Gordini Type 16
Simca-Gordini Type 21S
Renault 8 Gordini
Renault Twingo RS Gordini
Clio Gordini
Renault 12 Gordini

Amédée Gordini tuned cars and competed in motor races since the 1930s. His results prompted Simca (the French assembler of Fiat) to hire him for its motorsport program and to develop road cars. Their association continued after World War II.[4]

In 1946, Gordini introduced the first cars bearing his name, Fiat-engined single-seaters raced by him and José Scaron, achieving several victories. In the late 1940s, the company opened a workshop at the Boulevard Victor in Paris, entering sports car and Grand Prix races.[5] Gordini and Simca started to diverge in 1951 because of political conflicts.[4]

Gordini competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1956 (with a brief return in 1957 with an eight cylinder engine), although it achieved a major success in Formula Two during that period.[5]

After its Formula One program ended, Gordini worked with Renault as an engine tuner, entering Renault-Gordini cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1962 and 1969. It also tuned engines for Alpine, a rival sports car manufacturer also associated with Renault. In 1957, Gordini and Renault manufactured the Dauphine Gordini, a modified version of the Renault Dauphine which was a sales success.[6] Gordini-tuned Renault cars also won various rallies during the 1950s and 1960s.[7] In 1963, the Gordini company planned to move its headquarters to Noisy-le-Roi. At the end of 1968, Amédée Gordini retired and sold a 70% majority stake from his firm to Renault.[8] Renault-Gordini was moved to Viry-Châtillon in 1969 and became a sport division of Renault, before being merged with Alpine to form Renault Sport in 1976.[3] On 1 January 1976, René Vuaillat became director of Gordini.[9] The Gordini company name became wholly owned by Renault in 1977.[8]

Renault sold Gordini-badged performance versions of models including the Renault 5, the Renault 8 the Renault 12 and the Renault 17.

In November 2009, Renault announced that it would be reviving the Gordini name for an exclusive line of hot hatches, in a similar fashion to Fiat's revival of its Abarth name.[10] Modern models to bear the name include the Renault Twingo and the Renault Clio.

Models

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  • Dauphine Gordini (1957–1967)
  • Renault 8 Gordini (1964–1970)
  • Renault 12 Gordini (1970–1974)
  • Renault 17 Gordini (1974–1978)[11]
  • Renault 5 Gordini (1979-1985) UK market only, sold elsewhere as the Renault 5 Alpine
  • Clio Gordini RS (2010–present)
  • Twingo Gordini (2010–present)
  • Twingo Gordini RS (2010–present)
  • Wind Gordini (2011–2013)

Car colours

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Since its early Renault models the most characteristic colour scheme of Gordini cars has been bleu de France (the French motor racing colour) with white stripes,[12] although different combinations have been used over the years.[13]

Formula One results

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(key)

YearChassisEngineDriver123456789
1950Simca-Gordini Type 15Gordini straight-4GBRMON500SUIBELFRAITA
Robert ManzonRet4Ret
Maurice TrintignantRetRet
1951Simca-Gordini Type 15Gordini straight-4SUI500BELFRAGBRGERITAESP
André SimonRetRet6Ret
Robert ManzonRet7Ret9
Maurice TrintignantRetRetDNSRet
Aldo GordiniRet
Jean BehraRet
1952Gordini Type 16Gordini straight-6SUI500BELFRAGBRGERNEDITA
Robert ManzonRet34RetRet514
Jean Behra3Ret75RetRet
Johnny Claes8
Prince BiraRet11
Maurice TrintignantRetRet6Ret
Simca-Gordini Type 11Simca straight-4 Max de TerraRet
Simca-Gordini Type 15Gordini Straight-4 Prince BiraRet10
Johnny ClaesRet14DNQ
Robert O'BrienNC
Maurice Trintignant5
Paul FrèreRet
1953Gordini Type 16Gordini straight-6ARG500NEDBELFRAGBRGERSUIITA
Jean Behra6Ret10RetRetRet
Maurice Trintignant7†65RetRetRetRet5
Harry Schell7†Ret7RetRetRet9
Robert ManzonRet
Carlos MenditeguyRet
Roberto MieresNCRet6
Fred Wacker9
Simca-Gordini Type 15Gordini straight-4 Pablo BirgerRet
Georges BergerRet
1954Gordini Type 16Gordini straight-6ARG500BELFRAGBRGERSUIITAESP
Jean BehraDSQRet6RetF10RetRetRet
Élie Bayol5
Roger LoyerRet
Paul FrèreRetRetRet
André Pilette59Ret
Jacques PolletRetRet
Georges BergerRet
Clemar BucciRetRetRetRet
Fred WackerRet6
1955Gordini Type 16Gordini straight-6ARGMON500BELNEDGBRITA
Élie BayolRetRet
Jesús IglesiasRet
Pablo BirgerRet
Robert ManzonRetRetRet
Jacques Pollet710Ret
Hermano da Silva Ramos8RetRet
Mike Sparken7
Jean LucasRet
1956Gordini Type 32Gordini straight-8ARGMON500BELFRAGBRGERITA
André Pilette6†DNS
Élie Bayol6†
Robert Manzon99RetRet
Hermano da Silva Ramos8RetRet
André MilhouxRet
Gordini Type 16Gordini straight-6 Hermano da Silva Ramos5
Robert ManzonRet
André Pilette11
André Simon9

(† indicates shared drive)

References

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  1. ^ "Renault revives Gordini". Renault. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  2. ^ "Renault Sport range". Renault. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  3. ^ a b Smith, Roy P (2010). "The Winds of Change: 1974–1979". Alpine Renault: – The fabulous berlinettes. Veloce Publishing. pp. 180–181. ISBN 978-1-845844-04-2.
  4. ^ a b Lawrence, Mike (1996). "Gordini". A to Z of Sports Cars, 1945–1990. A to Z. Motorbooks International. ISBN 1-870979-81-8.
  5. ^ a b "Constructors: Gordini (Equipe Gordini)". Grandprix.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  6. ^ "Gordini" (PDF). Renault. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  7. ^ "Renault Manufacturer Profile & Rally History". Rallye-info.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  8. ^ a b Smith, Roy (2008). "Gordini the name on the engine". Alpine and Renault: The Development of the Revolutionary Turbo F1 Car 1968–1979. Veloce Publishing. pp. 38–39. ISBN 978-1-84584-226-0.
  9. ^ Cléon - Association RENAULT HISTOIRE Archived 2015-06-26 at the Wayback Machine sur Association RENAULT HISTOIRE
  10. ^ Joseph, Noah (10 November 2009). "Renault revives the Gordini name for exclusive line of hot hatches". Autoblog.
  11. ^ "Renault-Gordini History". Renault Sport South Africa. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  12. ^ Smith, Roy P (2013). "Gordinis for the Road and track: 1958–1979". Amedee Gordini: A True Racing Legend. Veloce Publishing. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-845843-17-5.
  13. ^ "New Renault Clio RS Gordini Coming in 2014 with 230 HP". Autoevolution.com. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.