The Renault AMR 33 was the second Renault light tank design to be developed for the cavalry units in the early 1930s, under the same group of projects that led to the AMC 35. In contrast to the AMC 35, the AMR 33 was designed with speed in mind, and was the fastest of all the light tank designs used by the French Army in World War II. For its role as a reconnaissance tank, however, its armament was limited to just one turret-mounted 7.5-mm machine gun while the riveted armor was also kept necessarily thin. Most unique was the suspension, featuring a twin-wheeled bogie in the center flanked a pair of single wheels on bell cranks. An improved version, known as the AMR 35 eventually adapted other armament configurations, notably a 25-mm anti-tank gun. Unfortunately, its poor protection, ineffective armament, and lack of a radio limited its effective as a reconnaissance tank and it did not play a major role during the Battle of France. Surviving units were taken over by the German Army.

The Auto-Mitrailleuse de Reconnaissance requirement for the cavalry units was issued in 1931 along with two others (which resulted in the AMD 178 and AMC 35), and was the first to be fulfilled by Renault through its submission, the AMR 33 VM. After the initial production run, an improved model was developed as the AMR 35 ZT with a lengthened hull, more powerful engine, and different armament configurations including a 13.2-mm machine gun on the ZT1 (which could also be armed with the original 7.5-mm) or a 25-mm anti-tank gun in the ZT2 and ZT3 (in the latter case, mounted in a casemate). Lastly, the ZT4 used the turret from the FT-17, while the ADF1 was a radio-equipped command vehicle. Captured vehicles were known by their German designations PzSpWg VM 701(f) (AMR 33) and PzSpWg ZTI 702(f) (AMR 35). Some were used as 80-mm mortar platforms with their turrets removed.