Let's Talk Renault

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Renault vehicle manufacturer began in 1899 by three brothers in Paris, France. They achieved early success by racing their cars in city-to-city contests which unfortunately took the life of one of the brothers. A second brother left the company, but the third, described later by Time magazine as "rich, powerful and famous, cantankerous, brilliant, often brutal, the little Napoleon of an auto making empire," was still running the company. Renault's innovative designs for military tanks, airplanes and vehicles during WWI garnering the company a Legion of Honor award. But by 1944 the remaining brother was accused of collaboration with the Germans in the Second World War and died before the trial. The company, Renault, was nationalized in 1945 by the French.