· The Georges Besse plant at Douai in northern France – the only Group plant to produce New Scénic, New Grand Scénic and New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet – is celebrating its 40th birthday.
· Douai is Renault's largest plant in France by headcount (5 100 employees) and by number of vehicles produced (170 000 cars in 2009). Over the past 40 years it has turned out 9.2 million vehicles.
· The plant has manufactured some of the brand's top-selling models since 1970, including Renault 11, Renault 19 and, more recently, the three generations of Renault Scénic.

Renault-Douai was created in 1970 to round out the Group's industrial facilities in France. From 1960 to 1970, global sales of Renault vehicles doubled, and existing production capacity was unable to keep up with demand. In the 1960's, therefore, the Group built several plants, including Valladolid (Spain) in 1962, Sandouville (France) in 1964, and Bursa (Turkey), in 1969.
Renault created this plant in Douai, in a region that had been hard hit by a crisis in the mining and textile industries because of the city's location in the heart of Western Europe.
Work began on May 26, 1970 and the first workers were hired in September that year. The plant started out manufacturing bodywork parts for other sites before going on to produce full vehicles from December 1974 onwards. The first car to roll off the production lines was a Renault 5. In 1976 Douai began to specialize in the production of midsize sedans, firstly Renault 14, then Renault 9 in 1981, Renault 11 in 1983, Renault 21 in 1986 and Renault 19 in 1988. In 1995 the plant began manufacturing the first-generation Mégane.
In 1996 Douai became the first factory in the world to produce a compact MPV, the first-generation Scénic, which was to revolutionize the European market. The site also made the second generation Scénic from 2003 to 2009. At present Douai manufactures New Scénic and Grand Scénic, as well as New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet.

Renault Douai: Key figures
Staff in 2010: 5 100
Current daily output: 1 000 vehicles
Output in 2009: 170 000 vehicles
Total output since opening: 9.2 million vehicles
Environmental certification: ISO 14 001
Renault in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region:
Renault is the largest industrial employer in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. The Group has four industrial facilities in the region: the Georges Besse plant at Douai (Scénic, Grand Scénic, Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet), Maubeuge Construction Automobile (Kangoo, Kangoo be bop, Kangoo Express), Française de Mécanique at Douvrin (1.2L gasoline engines) and STA Ruitz (automatic transmissions). All four sites are environmentally friendly, being certified to ISO 14001
standard.
In keeping with its slogan, "Drive the Change", Renault is preparing for the future in the Nord-Pasde-Calais region. Beginning in 2011 the Group will produce Kangoo Express ZE, the first electricpowered light commercial vehicle accessible to all.
Renault in France
Renault has 14 industrial plants in France out of a total of 38 worldwide. In the first half of 2010 the 14 facilities had a total workforce of 30,000 and produced 347,237 vehicles.
Timeline
1970: Douai plant created
1975: Renault 5 starts production
1976: Renault 14 starts production
1980: Fuego starts production
1982: Renault 9, voted 1982 Car of the Year, starts production
1983: Renault 11 starts production
1986: Renault 21 starts production
1988: Renault 19, voted 1990 Car of the Year, starts production
1993: Renault Douai renamed Georges Besse plant
1994: Hitachi 5400T press commissioned
1995: Mégane starts production
1996: Scénic, voted 1997 Car of the Year, starts production
1997: Georges Besse plant incorporated as a partnership under French law
2000: Scénic RX4 starts production
2002: Mégane II 5-door sedan starts production
New bodywork shop and new wax injection workshop built (total investment: 500 million euros)
2003: Scénic II and Mégane II Coupé-Cabriolet start production
2004: Grand Scénic launched
2006: 1,000th Scénic II produced
2009: Scénic and Grand Scénic III launched
2010: Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet launched

sursa: renault.com

Renault was the first automaker to open premises on the Avenue des Champs Élysées in Paris in 1910. This year it is celebrating the centenary of its arrival on one of the world's most famous thoroughfares.
From the first showroom, opened at the beginning of the last century, through the Pub Renault to L’Atelier Renault, the history of France's leading automotive brand is intertwined with that of the Champs Élysées itself.
An exhibition covering a century of automotive dreams and adventures will be open to the public from September 11 to November 14, 2010 at L’Atelier Renault.
After 10 years and nearly 25 million visitors, L’Atelier Renault will close for six months in January 2011 for refurbishment.

1910-1959: RENAULT IS THE FIRST AUTOMAKER ON THE CHAMPS ELYSEES

Renault was the first automaker to open for business on the Champs Élysées. A visionary pioneer, the company opened the first-ever automotive showroom on the avenue, just a stone's throw away from the Grand Palais exhibition center, home to the Paris Motor Show since 1901.
The first stage of the site's creation began on May 23, 1910.
Magasin Renault on the Champs Élysées was a symbol of the brand's prestige, playing host to dignitaries, businessmen, industrialists and artists. It also attracted many foreigners, who took advantage of a trip to Paris not only to visit the store but also to order a Renault that would be shipped back home. Thanks to its location and prestige, Magasin Renault became a strategic venue.

1962-1999: PUB RENAULT: A LEGENDARY INSTITUTION

Half a century after it first opened the Champs Élysées store, Renault was casting around for a new concept that would be as ground-breaking at the 1910 initiative. It wanted to create a space devoted entirely to the Renault brand.
The Pub Renault opened its doors on October 3, 1962 to coincide with the start of the motor show, which by then had moved to the Porte de Versailles exhibition center on the southern periphery of Paris.
Visitors soon discovered that the new venue, where a number of cars were on display, was a great place to meet. With its bar and restaurant, the Pub Renault attracted a lively crowd on a daily basis, whatever the hour. But the main highlight was the automotive-themed decor, full of cozy booths styled on the cabins of classic cars, with replica seats, upholstery, woodwork and brass fittings. The store-as-an-experience was born.

2000: L’ATELIER RENAULT: THE PIT STOP OF CHOICE ON THE CHAMPS ELYSEES

L’Atelier Renault opened on November 13, 2000, more than 30 years after the Pub Renault. The change was part of the new brand image, expressed in the baseline "Renault, Créateur d’automobiles.
The aim of the new venue was to epitomize Renault's openness to the world in all its diversity.
The light-filled, spacious interior is organized around ethereal, seemingly weightless structures.
With an average of 2.5 million visitors a year, three times more than the Pub Renault, L’Atelier Renault regularly sets records for footfall, sometimes attracting up to 20,000 people in a single day!
In the past decade nearly 50 exhibitions have been organized, with a hundred or so vehicles on display each year.
The keynote shows include:
- the Christmas exhibitions: "Renault's Santa Claus Workshop" in 2004, "My Renault Toys" in 2006, "Renault the Wizard's Workshop" in 2007, and "Blue Christmas" (Gordini) in 2009
- exhibitions featuring Formula 1 racing and motorsports: "The Saga" in 2004, "F1 Secrets" in 2005, "Renault F1 Story" in 2006, "Xperience" in 2007, "Passion Sport" in 2008, "Sport by Renault" in 2009
- artistic and cultural exhibitions ("Vasarely" in 2003, "Renault by Doisneau" in 2004, "Bring On the Ads!" in 2005, "Scénic’Art" in 2006),
- exhibitions related to specific aspects of the automobile: "Safety for All" in 2004, "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" in 2005, "HyperSensoriel" in 2006.
L'Atelier Renault also hosts major events such as the gala evening held in 2008 to celebrate the 25-year partnership with the Cannes Film Festival, and the ZE Soirée in 2009, an evening devoted to the all-electric vehicle range.

Web: www.media.renault.com; www.atelier-renault.com

sursa: renault.com

+ Anexa

RENAULT SAMSUNG MOTORS CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF SUCCESS IN KOREA

· In the 10 years since Renault purchased 80.1% of Samsung Motors, Renault Samsung Motors has become the third-strongest automaker in Korea with only 4 vehicle models in its line-up (SM3, SM5, SM7, QM5).

- Korea is the 3rd most important market for Renault in terms of sales, right after France and Italy (1st half of 2010).
- In the first 8 months of 2010, Renault Samsung Motors recorded the largest domestic sales since its incorporation by selling 175,385 units, which represents a 65.2% increase in sales over the same period in 2009.
- In Korea, Renault Samsung Motors captured a 12.9% market share in the first 8 months of 2010, up from 10.8% in 2009.

· Renault Samsung Motors has been ranked No.1 in customer satisfaction in Korea for the past 9 years.

· With its technical center, design center and supply network, Renault Samsung Motors is an important Asian hub for the Renault Group.

After 10 years of continued growth and development driven by the pursuit of a premium brand image based on the highest quality products and services, clearly differentiated from domestic brands as the best alternative to imported cars, Renault Samsung Motors ranks top in sales revenues among companies doing business in Busan (South Korea), and continues to grow into a leading global company.

Launched in September 2000 as a member of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Renault Samsung Motors is now on a robust track towards a record high performance as it celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

Renault Samsung Motors maintains a good balance in sales with two-thirds domestic and one-third exports. With the global economic downturn, domestic sales increased more than exports; however, the rate of exports has risen since the end of 2009, showing signs of global economic recovery.

In 2010, the yearly “Marketing Insights” automobile quality survey conducted among 91,129 consumers in Korea (similar to JD Power), showed that Renault Samsung Motors scored the best results in all fields; product quality, service quality, and overall satisfaction, making the Kore an brand the leader in customer satisfaction for the past 9 years. SM3 CE ranked 1st place for having the best initial quality and durable quality among all C-segment vehicles. SM5 was the best car in its segment (D) in terms of “customer stress level” (lowest number of things gone wrong by customers using their car).

RSM is very keen on consolidating its Premium Brand image on the Korean market, based on differentiated and high quality products and services. In order to maximize its premium brand value it has introduced new sophisticated brand and visual identities, as well as a new showroom design concept on the occasion of the company’s 10th anniversary. This new design will help to achieve maximum customer satisfaction by making the showrooms of the company more refined, comfortable, and multi-functional.

The company started in 2000 with only 1,900 employees, but the number has now quadrupled to some 7,600. According to Renault Samsung Motors CEO, Jean-Marie Hurtiger, the key to the success of the company in the Korean market was its ability to integrate into Renault Group, and adopting Renault technology and management systems, while preserving, its own rich Samsung heritage but also the Korean traditional corporate culture. Renault Samsung Motors is a true multinational company in which the distinct management and corporate cultures of the three different nations (France, Japan and Korea) have been integrated into an entirely new corporate culture.

From its launch year in 2000, the engineers at the Renault Samsung Technical Center (RSTC) were increasingly involved in the development of SM3, SM5, SM7, and QM5. QM5 was the first entirely new product of the Renault-Nissan Alliance launched at Renault Samsung Motors. RSTC played a leading role in the development of New SM3 which has been a great success since its launch in July 2009, but the New SM5, launched in early 2010, represents the first brand new model that RSTC co-developed for Korea as well as for export markets. For the global markets as part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Renault Samsung Motors also produces and exports SM3 (Sunny and Almera) under the Nissan brand.

The Renault Samsung Motors Design Center, located in the RSTC, plays an important role within the Renault Design Network by developing the styling design of Renault Samsung Motors line-up of vehicles while also working on styling design for global projects implemented within the Renault Group and monitoring general design trend for the Asian Region.

Important dates in the history of Renault Samsung Motors
2000

Sept.- Renault Samsung Motors (“RSM”) launched (1ST CEO: Jérôme Stoll)

Oct. – RSM vehicles exported (to Jordan) for the first time since its launch

Dec. – Received the 1st Foreign Corporation Award (offered by Busan City)
2001

Feb. – RSM’s mid-term development plan announced

Mar. – The SM5 monthly sales exceeded a 5,000-unit mark

May - SM5’s cumulative annual production figure exceeded a 100,000-unit mark

Sept.– “SM5 Edition Speciale” released to celebrate its 1st anniversary

Dec. – Won the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit on the 1ST Day of Foreign
Companies
2002

May – The SM5 monthly sales exceeded a 10,000-unit mark

Sept. - SM3 launched
- Louis SCHWEITZER Chairman and CEO of the Renault Group visited Korea and had a press
conference.

Oct. – Giheung Parts Center completion ceremony held

Dec. – The SM5 annual sales exceeded 100,000 units as a single model.
2003

June - ISO 9001:2000 (Quality Management System) and
ISO 14001 (Environmental Management system) certified

July – A signing ceremony reached with the Renault Group for design cooperation

Sept. – Achieved top CSI in the automotive sector (Korean Automobile Quality White Paper)
2004

Jan. – Tandem press line installed at Busan plant

Mar. – Achieved a record of 540.000 hours without any occupational injury for the first time in the
Korean automotive industry

Dec. - SM7 launched
2005

Jan. – NEW SM5 launched

June – Won the “2005 Quality Management Award” presented by Busan City

Nov. – Carlos GHOSN, President and CEO of Renault Group visited Korea and held a press
conference.
2006

Feb. - SM3 New Generation exported for the first time under Nissan brand.
- Jean-Marie HURTIGER appointed 2nd CEO of RSM

Mar. – an advanced two-shift work system introduced at Busan plant
2007

Feb. - RSM Commitment 2009 announced

Dec. - QM5 launched
- Won the Premier Award at the "2007 Labor-Management Culture Awards"
2008

Mar. - QM5 exported under Renault brand “Koleos”
- SM5 sold in 600,000 units/ SM5’s 10th anniversary

July - QM5 City (gasoline model) launched

Sept. - SM5 exported under Renault brand “Safrane”
2009

Apr. – NEW SM3 received the award of Best Car at the Seoul Motor Show

May - QM5 exported to the Chinese market

July - NEW SM3 launched

Sept. – RSM’s 9th anniversary and the construction of the Haman Parts Center completed

Oct. – RSM’s eco-friendly campaign “eco ACTION” launched

Nov. – Achieved top CSI for 8 consecutive years and RSM’s Busan International Logistics Center
opened
2010

Jan. - NEW SM5 launched

Sept. – Achieved top CSI for the 9th year

sursa: renault.com