61 Renault Caravelle

https://charlottesville.craigslist.org/cto/d/1961-renault-caravelle/6404925421.html

 

Cute car! Overall shape and style on these kinda reminds me of a (non-floating) Amphicar.......

 

To me, the Sunbeam Alpine's bigger brother. It's a stylish car. I assume it's rear engine?

 

It looks it.

 

IIRC, I think these were styled by Virgil Exner and his son, but I'm not sure.....

 

That badge next to the Renault writing on the front fender looks like a Pinifarina design house insignia

 

I'm sure it is a design house badge, but it's not Pininfarina; theirs is a thin shield, white background with a red lower-case 'F' in the middle.

 

Good Eye . It does look like a street version of a Amphicar

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Caravelle

Although designed by Frua of Italy, the car's body was constructed locally, by the automobile body maker Société des usines Chausson,[9] based in Asnières-sur-Seine at the northern edge of Paris, and known in France as the producer of many of the school bus bodies used for transporting children in country areas.

 

Interesting little car, it looks like a 2-door Convertible Renault Dauphine to my eyes. I don't think I have ever seen one before.

 

I definitely have never seen one before this. How about a Caddy 500 drivetrain?

 

It's sort of Renault's version of Volkswagen's Karmann Ghia. It was based on this Dauphine:

 

Here's one in good shape:

 

And, hey, the Caravelle looks good, too!

 

Dauphine eye candy gallery:

http://voitures.renault.free.fr/?img=1010