Yeah. It’s a hulking great big lorry. Because awesome. Welcome to The Carchive, where original manufacturer literature pertaining to ANY vehicle is hauled out of the dripping, dank caverns of history and left to dry in the breeze.

Today we’re going French, and we’re going Big. Think this plus something yummy to eat + 3.14159 = Tom Selleck in a 308GTS.

“Innovation means nothing if you don’t get any benefit”

This is, of course, a brochure for a commercial vehicle. A lorry. A machine for making profit with. As a result, the publication is somewhat straight-talking and speaks little of lifestyle, image or excitement. Usually, items from The Carchive are easy to pick snarky holes in, but not this time around. It’s still a pretty interesting document besides all that, though.

The Renault Magnum first scared the bejeezus out of people on Europe’s roads back in 1990. Its sheer height and road presence made for an intimidating, and alien sight never experienced before. This brochure dates from twelve years later, long before which the novelty of the styling had rather worn off. Renault would need to work hard to keep people interested.

“A warm welcome awaits you”

It was the living accommodation that benefited most from the exuberance of the exterior. The bluff,  cliff-like stem made for a remarkably tall interior volume, indeed a six-footer (by which I mean in height, not quantity of feet) could walk around the cabin without recourse to stooping. Or, thanks to the flat floor, much in the way of hobbling or hopping.

There was versatility, too. There was a high bunk and, optionally, a low one or a chair and bunk combo, and the option of replacing the co-pilot’s perch with a storage chest. There was a fridge, lamps galore and a good, infra-red remote-controlled sound system. It may not have been grotesquely indulgent in the best quilted leather and wood tradition of American Semis, but it made for a comfortable retreat at the end of a long jaunt.

“We have injected many qualities into our 12 litre engine”

The engines of the year 2002 Magnum were all based on the same 12-litre, twin-head, 24valve six. Up to 480 hp could be called upon, with the vast swept volume making 1400 lb.ft of torque available. But that was nothing especially out of the ordinary, and regular heavy-haulage prime movers are now breaching the 700hp barrier.

The final Magnum came off the production line in 2013, the Australian Mack version hardly ever getting started. It was kind of replaced by the “T” series for 2014. It looks nice enough, but seems to have stepped aside from the Magnum concept. Will it return? I’d love it to.

In fact, this would probably be one of two truck types I’d like to see make a return, the other being the Ford 9000 series cabovers.

What would be yours?

[All images are of original manufacturer publicity materials, photographed by me. Actually, looking at the Magnum, and then the Avantime and Vel Satis that came later, could it ever have been anything but a Renault?]