Drive
Tucked in Robin’s garage sits a two-tone blue sports car that represents true French glamour, his exquisitely restored 1964 Renault Caravelle. Aptly named Brigitte, learn more about WA's most unique French sports car on this episode of RAC's In My Garage.
Published
3 min read
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Published
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Watch Mark meet Robin to discuss his 1964 Renault Caravelle and take it for a spin on the Horizons by RAC YouTube channel.
Tucked between decades worth of motoring memorabilia in Robin’s garage sits a two-tone blue sports car that represents true French glamour, his exquisitely restored 1964 Renault Caravelle – or as it was known in the UK & Europe, the Floride. It’s a car that conjures images of golden evenings in St Tropez, of breezy coastal drives and glasses of wine catching the last of the sun. And like many icons of 1960s France, this Caravelle has a name: Brigitte.
Robin chose the name in honour of Brigitte Bardot, actress, icon and fittingly, the Caravelle’s most famous ambassador. During the model’s heyday, Bardot was photographed with her Renault on the shores of the Riviera, and the likeness is uncanny. With her flowing lines, confident rear fins and a front end whose design can still be seen echoed in today’s most popular EVs, Robin’s Brigitte feels every bit the cinematic star.
But Brigitte didn’t arrive on Aussie shores with this elegance. When Robin purchased the car from South Africa, he admits his first thought was that he perhaps shouldn’t have. The Caravelle was tired, worn and hiding more than a few surprises. Originally white, she came with a dash full of holes, fibreglass panels moulded over chicken wire, and various non-original repairs that had seen better days. Yet where others might have walked away, Robin saw potential.
He painstakingly sourced factory or factory-equivalent replacements for the front-trunk tub, doors, new stainless steel bumper bars and numerous trim pieces. Some missing items simply didn’t exist anymore, so he made them himself. Like the sun visors, and a carefully moulded fibreglass cup that surrounds the unusually placed fuel filler inside the engine bay.
But even in factory-fresh condition, Robin felt the need to add touches of personality befitting a car named after Bardot. Caravelle’s were never offered in Arctic Blue, let alone two-tone, but Robin’s vision speaks volumes as his Caravelle carefully tows the line of French elegance and American excess to form the quintessential 60s car.
Finding leather in the exact shade he needed took 18 months, but the result is seamless. A new steering wheel, matching seatbelts, and even his mum’s vintage cooler and esky, both painted arctic blue, bring a true sense of Riviera chic to the cabin.
The wire-style wheels, while not original, nod to heritage too. Queen Elizabeth II’s Renault Dauphine, the model on which the original Floride was based, wore a similar set. Under the rear deck, the engine has been completely rebuilt, and although the transmission is still awaiting Robin’s freshly self-built replacement, Brigitte is already running beautifully.
Robin’s passion for French motoring runs deep. He remembers seeing Caravelle’s as a child, owned a Citroën DS years later, and recalls the moment he saw one parked outside the Louvre and knew, one day it would be his turn.
His garage reflects that lifelong love: his mother’s Kuwaiti number plate, Le Mans clippings from the year he was born and tools arranged with the care of someone who values every story they hold.
For Robin, Brigitte isn’t just a restoration. She’s an era brought back to life, an ode to French glamour that now gets to soak up the beautiful WA sun.
