The code "DF" likely stands for Dauphine-Frégate (or Dynamique Frégate ), indicating its position between the two models. The "264" was the project number. Some internal documents refer to the car as the Renault P24 .
Do you have a specific aspect of the DF264 you’d like to explore further? (e.g., detailed technical drawings, comparison with the Dauphine, or the crash that killed Lefaucheux)
Refinement. The DF264 vibrates. At idle, the gear stick will dance, and at 110 km/h, the mirror glass will oscillate. Furthermore, it hates being revved. The powerband dies abruptly after 3,500 rpm. Redline is a terrifying 4,200 rpm that sounds like the engine is preparing for takeoff.
For the owner-operator looking for a simple, repairable engine for regional work outside major cities, the DF264 is a gem. Parts are still available from specialists like Diesel Technic and Renault Trucks Genuine , and any competent diesel mechanic with Bosch experience can rebuild one.
It was a brilliant piece of chassis engineering—forgiving, spacious, and safe. But it was let down by the most important part of a car: the heart. It was a car born one engine too early. If Renault had managed to license the 1.1-liter engine from the Peugeot 203 or develop a brand-new overhead-valve unit, the DF264 might have rewritten the rulebook.
They had fused. The module was getting power, but the return signal was being shorted out by the power feed, confusing the ECU into thinking there was a "circuit fault."
Today, we are diving deep into one of the unsung heroes of French agricultural engineering: .