Offered from the estate of the late Peter Stevens
1902 Renault Type G Rear Entrance Tonneau

• First registered in Gloucester in January 1904
• Known ownership history from 1939 onwards
• Extensively restored over the years
• Campaigned enthusiastically at home and abroad
• Completed 32 London-Brighton Runs with previous owner

Built in late 1902, this car was first registered in Gloucester on 1st January 1904 to one F G Marner of Cubitt Town, London. There were three further owners recorded in London up to 1914. Prior to WWI this car was re-bodied to make it look more modern, perhaps copying the Renault AX. The side radiators were cut down to equal lengths and positioned in a radiator at the rear of the engine. The shape was the same as the 1904 Renaults, more square than the later models.

Philip Fotheringham-Parker purchased the car in August 1939 for the sum of £22 10s. The car was kept either at his mews house in London or, from the 1970s, at John Kemsley's garage in Petts Wood. Philip's wife 'Georgie' drove the car on Brighton Runs and it was used at home and abroad.

The car was dated by the VCC as 1903 but on a Renault trip to France Philip met with Dick Collinson, who had an original 6hp 1902 car. Philip wanted to have his car altered and redated as 1902. Using the original radiator tubes (lengthened where necessary) a new radiator assembly was constructed to the original pattern. New mudguards were made to the pattern of the Collinson's car. The VCC redated the car as 1902.

When Philip died in 1981, John Kemsley purchased the Renault from Georgie and made a new four-seater rear entrance tonneau body using period documents for dimensions. The body is ash framed; the lower carcass is covered in marine ply; and the seats skinned in aluminium.

John Kemsley used this car in several Renault Frères events in the UK and abroad, Teuf Teuf events, the Creepy Crawly, the Ellis Journey and, of course, the London-Brighton, completing 32 Runs in it. John's account of the car's history lists some of the many works carried out during his 50-or-so years of ownership (inspection essential).

The brass chassis and model plate that should be on the car is missing. The numbers stamped on the front dumb irons have been recorded as the chassis number, '489'. The axle is dated 1902 and the De Dion engine, number '9754', is late 1902/early 1903. The car has only two controls: throttle and advance/retard (earlier models had a third, foot, control regulating the inlet valve opening).

Peter Stevens bought the Renault within the last two years and completed the London-Brighton Run in 2024. The accompanying file contains a V5C; some invoices from John Kemsley's ownership (late 1970s onwards); period articles; VCC Dating Certificate; details concerning the body restoration; and redating correspondence.