Renault heirs tried and failed at French court to cleanse their name with a bid to be compensated for the nationalization of the Renault company more than 65 years ago.

Paris / NationalTurk – The heirs of Louis Renault, founder of French vehicle maker Renault lost a bid at the French Court to be compensated for the nationalization of the company more than 65 years ago.

A Paris court judged it was not competent to rule on the challenge by Renault’s seven grandchildren to the nationalization of the carmaker company at the end of World War II, during which Renault was branded a Nazi collaborator.

His grandchildren had asked the court to review the constitutionality of the nationalization, which they say violated their property rights, while their lawyer announced plans to appeal the ruling.

Louis Renault : Nazi Collaborator or Forced Victim of Nazis

Louis Renault was accused of collaborating with Nazi Germany during the occupation of France between 1940 and 1944, when his company supplied equipment to German forces. Allied planes bombed his factories in the west of Paris in 1942.

His seven grandchildren argue he was forced to work with the Nazis after they occupied France, and say that by doing so he prevented 40,000 workers from being forcibly relocated to Germany.

Renault was arrested after the liberation of France in 1944 and charged with collaboration. He died in prison from grief later that year, before he could be tried.

In 1945, French liberation leader Charles de Gaulle signed a decree nationalizing Renault, with zero compensation for the family.

The company managed despite the antics to become one of France’s and World’s biggest carmarkers.

The French state is still the largest shareholder, with a 15 % stake in the company

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