Renault Rafale, the presidential car

The days when one could guess the political label of the President of the Republic by the brand of his car are over. We know that this was not always the case. We remember that General Charles de Gaulle drove CitroënHe even ordered a special DS from coachbuilder Chapron. This ceremonial car was 6.53 m long and no longer resembled the company’s chevron-patterned sedans. Everything was different except the front. The roof was raised to take into account the general’s larger size. His successor Georges Pompidou I also traveled by Citroën. I have to say that at that time, Renaultyes Peugeot High-end catalogues are not available.

Renault Rafale test: https://www.lefigaro.fr/automobile/renault-rafale-l-avion-de-chasse-de-la-route-20240611

Pompidou, a car enthusiast who had driven a Porsche before becoming Prime Minister, continued the tradition of special bodies and asked Henri Chapron to build two stretched 4-door convertible SMs. These cars would also be used under the auspices of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand. Jacques Chirac would be the last to use one at his inauguration.

With the CX, Giscard d’Estaing put away the DS and boarded the new sedan of the company on the Quai de Javel. Then, with the arrival of the 604, Peugeot finally entered the courtyard of the Elysée Palace. In 1981, with the election of François Mitterrand, the fleet of cars at the Elysée Palace was replaced. Equipped with the same PRV V6 as the Peugeot 604, but with a less legal hatchback body, the Renault 30 became the car of the first left-wing president of the Fifth Republic. If Mitterrand was a fan of Renault for official trips, he preferred the CX to the XM for private ones. His successor, Jacques Chirac, was a fan of Citroën. On the night of his first election, he traveled through Paris in a CX Prestige. At the end of his second term, Chirac adopted the new C6, which was undoubtedly the last large French sedan. She would still serve during the term of Nicolas Sarkozy. Renault has not been abandoned since the former mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine ordered the extension of the Vel Satis. In 2012, François Hollande established himself in the colors of Citroën. He paraded in the rain in a fairly modified hybrid DS5. The roof of the French crossover was cut off so that the new president could stand in the parade and wave to the crowd.

Since his first term, Emmanuel Macron Driving vehicles from three French brands: DS, Peugeot wait Renault. Thus, on July 14, 2024, during the military parade on Avenue Foch in Paris, the President of the Republic made his debut in the new flagship of the Renault fleet: the Rafale SUV. The Elysée Palace waited until the last minute to unveil the new model of the Diamond Company that had just joined the Elysée Palace garage. The presidential team also included a stretched armored DS7, a Renault Espace and a Peugeot 5008.

Given its mission, the Presidential Rafale offered by Renault undergoes a certain number of modifications. If for reasons of security and confidentiality we do not know whether the vehicle benefits from armor, the Rafale registered as “GY-654-AG” is painted in a midnight blue color not found in the manufacturer’s catalog. The grille is decorated with a degenerated tricolore, and the edge of the right front wing features a flag holder for mounting the French flag. The doors are also decorated with emblems in French colors. Specific 20-inch rims complete the device. As for the treatment of the interior, the Boulogne manufacturer does not want to reveal.