Recalling the events of January 2003, Mr Schweitzer said: "I felt we were not where we should be. Since then, we have seen an enormous amount of progress. It's one of the things I am really proud of, these last two years."
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Last year, only General Motors, Toyota and Ford sold more vehicles than the Renault-Nissan alliance.
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The greatest legacy of the Schweitzer era, though, is the Scenic, a compact people-carrier that redefined car-buying habits across Europe.
Was Mr Schweitzer surprised by its success? "Our product planning people said 300 (production) a day. I expected 700 or 800. We went to 1,800, so, yes, I was."
Now Mr Schweitzer has another big idea. He wants to introduce car ownership to millions of people around the world who have never been able to afford it.
Eighty per cent of the world's cars are bought by only 20% of the population, says Mr Schweitzer. His mission is for Renault to give those others "access to the civilisation of the motor car from which they were previously excluded".
The result is Logan, a Megane-sized model that will be sold in developing countries at prices from �3,300 including tax. Schweitzer has effectively called for a 21st century reincarnation of the old Ford Model T, the car that put America on wheels.________________
In another development, Manteqi told the press that Iran Khodro would manufacture "from now on, cars that will meet requirements of European safety and environmental standards."
The official stated that Iran Khodro would launch Peugeot Aryan 206 from 2005. "This new model can meet our domestic and exports demands," he said.
The French company Renault is to produce Logan, a budget compact family saloon, here as part of a joint venture between Renault Pars, the car giant's Iranian concern, and the Automotive Industry Development Company, a grouping of Iran's two main state-controlled carmakers Saipa and Iran Khodro.
Annual production, beginning in 2006, is expected to start at 300,000units but could eventually rise to 500,000.
Iran has seen a sharp growth in demand for new cars in recent years. In 2003, market demand amounted to 700,000 units.
