Daniel Renard

Place: Douai

Born: 1947

Biography:

Daniel Renard was born in Douai, France in 1947. He is a French manufacturer of microcars and the founder of Automobiles ERAD in 1975. Renard did not have a secondary education, but opened a small garage in Douai in 1967. He built a three-wheeled microcar in his spare time, which gained the attention of a local newspaper. This led to an order of another car by a reader, and the company was born. Series production began in 1978, after the company had moved to bigger premises in the nearby town of Aniche. In 1979 nearly 2400 vehicles were built, while in 1980 employees built 2640. Production came to an end in 1997 when Savel (also located in Aniche) bought the company. In total, about 30,000 ERADs were built, of which 800 were electrical vehicles. Renard also created the Qpod brand in 1995, which was introduced into the UK by TV personality Noel Edmonds in 2004 and marketed by the Unique Motor Company. The Qpod brand was dissolved in 2006.