Renault Galion
| Company type | Subsidiary product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor | Renault AHx |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Defunct | 1965 |
| Fate | Production transferred to Saviem in 1957; model phased out in 1965 |
| Headquarters | Boulogne-Billancourt (initial production), Blainville-sur-Orne (Saviem production) , France |
Area served | France |
| Products | Light-duty trucks and vans with payload up to 2.5 tonnes |
| Parent | Renault, later Saviem (subsidiary) |
The Renault 2,500 kg (also known as 2T5) alongside the Renault Galion were light-duty trucks and vans designed to carry loads up to 2.5 tonnes. These vehicles were produced initially by Renault from 1947 until 1957, after which their manufacture was transferred to the subsidiary company Saviem until 1965.
History
Launched in 1947 as a successor to the Renault AHx, the Renault 2,500 kg was assembled at Renault’s factory in Boulogne-Billancourt. In 1957, production of several smaller commercial models, including the Renault 2T5—later renamed Galion—and the smaller Goélette with a payload of 1.4 tonnes, was relocated to Saviem’s plant in Blainville-sur-Orne, situated on a former shipyard site. Despite this shift in manufacturing, these vehicles retained the Renault branding until 1959, when the Galion and Goélette names were officially introduced.
The original Galion model was phased out in 1965 when Saviem launched the updated and more robust Saviem Super Galion series following multiple design enhancements.
Technical details
By 1961, Saviem was producing between 50 and 60 units of the Galion each day. The lineup included at least two inline-four engine options: a Perkins diesel engine with a displacement of 3 litres generating power at 2,400 rpm, and a Renault petrol engine of 2 litres delivering output at 3,300 rpm. Power was transmitted to the rear wheels through a universal joint coupled with a four-speed manual transmission. Petrol engine variants featured models such as the 668-8 producing power at 3,300 rpm and torque at 2,000 rpm, as well as the 671-2 Étendard—a 2.1-litre engine providing power and torque at specified rpms. During the 1962 Paris Motor Show, Renault unveiled the 580 diesel engine: a four-cylinder unit with a capacity of 2.72 litres delivering power at 2,900 rpm and torque that replaced the earlier Perkins diesel.
The Galion employed a single-disc manual clutch system, leaf spring suspension paired with hydraulic shock absorbers on both front and rear axles, and utilized recirculating ball steering for directional control.
Variants and dimensions
As of 1958, the Galion bus variant measured in length, width, and height respectively. The R2167 rigid chassis truck had dimensions of length by width by height; its flatbed version measured slightly differently in all three dimensions. The R2168 extended flatbed model was longer while maintaining similar width and height measurements.
Codenames
Petrol-powered models from the earlier Renault 2T5 and Galion series were designated with codenames ranging from R2160 to R2169. Diesel-powered versions bore codenames such as R4166, R4168, and from R4240 through R4247.