10 of the best French presidential Renaults

From vast pre-war cruisers with engines the size of palaces to high-tech MPVs and glitter-speckled hybrids, Renault has long been the go-to marque for France’s voitures présidentielles. It’s a partnership rooted in national pride, Gallic engineering and a certain je ne sais quoi you just don’t get from a BMW 7 Series.

This list doesn’t just chart the evolution of French power – it’s a whistle-stop tour of elegant oddballs, executive experiments and the occasional over-armoured Vel Satis. Vive la République, and vive the weird and wonderful Renaults that have carried it.

Renault 40CV: The 9.5-litre monster that ruled the Élysée

Forget ‘chauffeur-driven’ – this 9.5-litre beast carried entire social classes. The Renault 40CV was less car and more mobile château, with a top speed that could ruffle moustaches and monocles alike. Presidents Deschanel, Millerand and Doumergue rode in it like emperors on wheels, while its race-bred cousin casually obliterated records at Montlhéry. This was a car built when France didn’t just do luxury – it invented it. If torque were a political ideology, this was the manifesto.

Renault Reinastella: The straight-eight convertible fit for a Republic

Meet the Reinastella, the automotive equivalent of a flapper draped in velvet. Coming in at a whopping 5.5 metres long and weighing over 2.7 tonnes, this straight-eight-powered convertible was less ‘car’ and more ‘moving ballroom.’ It ferried Presidents Doumer and Lebrun in imperial style, gliding along boulevards like an aristocrat who’d just discovered power steering.

Renault Nerva Grand Sport – Art Deco, but make it presidential

You know things are serious when your pre-war presidential limo looks like it belongs in a Flash Gordon comic. The Nerva Grand Sport might sound like an expensive whiskey, but it was Renault’s Art Deco answer to what a head of state should arrive in. President Lebrun’s 1938 example had a futuristic edge, with aerodynamic lines and a 5.4-litre engine capable of 145km/h. That's right – he could declare war and outrun it.

Renault Suprastella: The drop-top De Gaulle didn’t drop

The Suprastella was a one-off wonder: a presidential cabriolet that whispered power even before De Gaulle climbed aboard. The last Renault with a straight-eight engine, it was more dignitary than daily driver. Built just before World War Two and used until 1950, this car had staying power. It’s the kind of convertible you’d wear gloves to drive, even if you weren't actually driving. Très executive.

Renault 30: The V6 hatchback that defied presidential convention

In 1981, François Mitterrand flipped the French political script by choosing a Renault 30. A hatchback. With a V6. Quelle surprise! It was plush, practical and loaded with tech, and arguably the most unpresidential presidential car ever. But that was the point. With its oddball proportions and radical-for-the-time format, it screamed: ‘L’état, c’est moi... mais en velour.’

Renault 25 Limousine: Stretching the definition of presidential style

If the Renault 25 were a suit, it’d be double-breasted with gold buttons and shoulder pads. But this wasn’t just any 25 – it was the Heuliez-stretched, armour-plated, massage-seated, Baccara-trimmed, V6-purring limo of President Mitterrand’s dreams. Longer by 22.7cm (precision matters), it came with all the 1980s trimmings: electric everything, wood everywhere and rear seats that made business class look cheap.

Renault Safrane: When French luxury meant leather, GPS and serious length

In 1992, Renault turned the Safrane into a presidential lounge suite on wheels. Both Mitterrand and Chirac climbed aboard this rolling fortress, complete with GPS (so you never lost your electorate), memory seats (for your political victories) and suspension so smooth you wouldn’t feel a coup coming. With V6 power and stretch-limo proportions, it was less ‘executive saloon’ and more ‘Élysée on the go.’

Renault Vel Satis: The bold presidential box on wheels

Oh, the Vel Satis. The car that dared to wear shoulder pads in 2008 and actually got away with it. Chosen by President Sarkozy for Bastille Day duties, this armoured Vel Satis V6 was extended by 25cm and finished in full political theatre. It looked like a concept car that snuck out of a design studio and ended up running a country. Unapologetically weird. Unmistakably French.

Renault Espace V: The presidential MPV that took on the Champs-Élysées

In 2016, François Hollande picked an Espace to do what no MPV had done before: command a republic. Armoured, stretched and sprayed in a discreet but moody blue, it ferried Hollande – and later Macron – through the political fog in family-sized comfort. With room for briefs, briefcases and maybe even briefings, it was the minivan of might. Proof that practicality can be presidential.

Renault Rafale: The glittery, hybrid SUV-coupé for the French presidency

Fresh from the atelier de awesome, the presidential Renault Rafale is a mobile command centre disguised as an SUV-coupé. Special paint that rejects heat? Check. French-flag glitter sequins? Bien sûr. Hidden banner holders and tricolour grille? Naturally. Inside, there are heated, cooled, massaging thrones, retractable desks, secure sockets and a mobile office vibe strong enough to run a G7 from the back seat. Macron’s got taste – and apparently, influence at Renault Design HQ.

All photos © Renault, except the main image, © Tramino via iStock.