<VV> Model name question (Non-Corvair)

[R. Byers]

I am pretty sure you are thinking of the infamous Dauphine and the R8.  The R8 was an interesting car, especially when in Gordini tune.  I drove a friend's car up 95 from Miami to New York one bleary 1969 Christmas break.  It was afternoon/night/night/morning, as only college students can do, with 17.5 hours to Washington DC.  Most of the southern 95 didn't yet exist.
 I had just taken over the wheel for the first time and thought I was pretty familiar with the weird French car when we came to a toll booth.  Well, the Renault didn't have power brakes and I went through the toll plaza feverishly flinging my coin at about 10 mph. I heard the bells ring but my quarter must have hit the bucket or they didn't bother to chase me. I thought the brakes had completely gone!  My buddy, the owner, woke up and asked what was wrong and I said the brakes had gone.  He sleepily informed me they worked fine but you really had to stand on them.  Stand on them indeed!

Back in the late 50's and early 60's Renault sold a couple of different models of cars.  One was called a dauphine (sp) or something like that.  What was the other one, and which one was the larger of the two.  If I remember correctly the larger one was a four door and the smaller one a lower powered 2 door.  Both rear engine.