I saw the car 2 years after I got rid of it. Renault retired it from the USA in 1981 and, in partnership with AMC, replaced it with the Renault Alliance and Encore, cars sized much more to North American tastes and, of course, assembled in Kenosha. Its unique layout left the car with room to store the spare wheel under the bonnet and also with a classic French umbrella gear lever sprouting from the dash, just like in a 2CV or Renault 4, as the gear linkage went over the engine. I think you’re stretching it a bit suggesting nothing approached it for small style until BMW’s MINI rocked up: the 205, the Corsa B, the first Twingo, both generations of Uno, and the K11 Micra all spring immediately to mind as being considered terribly chic at the time they were new, even the dear old Metro got some early 80s fashion love for a brief time. is two less than the 956 c.c. It is recognised as one of the first superminis: cars larger than a Mini but smaller than a Ford Escort, Fiat 128, VW Beetle or Opel Kadett; almost always with a hatchback, usually two doors and front-wheel drive. If anything, the R5, having been introduced, iirc, in 1972, was the most elderly of the lot, drawing suspension from the 1961 R4, and compromised by the old Dauphine drivetrain transplanted to the front. It uses material from Wikipedia. The Renault upheld that tradition: alternator, master cylinder, brake proportioning valve, radiator. Losange Magazine has the support of Renault Classic, the history department of the Renault factory. DESPIECE DE RENAULT R 5 GTL 1979. We had the original Renault 5 here in Canada before the Americanized Le Car version. It’s in the summer-position. ), this is to give economy of fuel, the topic of the moment. The distinctive styling changes for the mid-engined car were by Marcello Gandini and the car became the first of a consistent series of Renault hot hatchbacks, today based around the Renault Clio. All specifications, performance and fuel economy data of Renault 14 GTL (43 kW / 58.5 PS / 58 hp), edition of the year 1979 since September 1979 for Europe , including acceleration times 0-60 mph, 0-100 mph, 0-100 km/h, 0-200 km/h, quarter mile time, top speed, mileage and fuel economy, power-to-weight ratio, dimensions, drag coefficient, etc. Were these all gas powered throughout their life or was there a diesel version also? Wasn’t long before the Hyundai Pony succeeded the Yugo / Lada etc in that category. Opening that sunroof cooled off my car faster than any A/C could and the sunroof added headroom. Ce véhicule est de 3670.00 mm longue, de 1480.00 mm large et de 1551.00 mm haute. Renault 4 GTL Engine Technical Data Engine type - Number of cylinders : 1 picture & information @ NetCarShow.com. Image:PK-ParsKhodro.jpg. You are correct it was the 205 that was offered with a Diesel. Turning on the defroster after the engine was warm would draw snow from the plenum, melt it in the heater core, then blow the water onto the windshield, where it promptly froze. Later Gremlins from 1977 and ’78 as well as the successor Spirit were actually quite nice looking smaller cars IMO, once AMC redid the front with a shorter clip it didn’t look nearly so nose-heavy. The R20 TS got a new cooling fan, inertia reel rear seat belts, a new windscreen wiper switch, and the choice of a 5-speed gearbox. I remember pushing 12 inches of fresh snow to get to work at UPS. An enlarged Renault 5 Alpine spec engine displacing around 1596cc (as in the 90 hp Volvo 343 Oettinger rather than the similar-sized South American and Dacia versions) would potentially produce around 106 hp, a Renault 5 Alpine Turbo spec engine of the same displacement should put out around 125-126 hp with a later Renault Supercinq GT Turbo unit of the same size possibly putting out around 130-140 hp. This advantage was evident very early in its life, to the extent that the car’s role was refined before it was even launched. I guess Vauxhall and Ford are the UK best sellers ? !” Figuring one broken bleeder does not equal two siezed calipers, and as the brake pedal didn’t feel squishy, I and my car ran out of there at full chat. Indeed, apart from the Citroën DS, CX and SM, it is hard to recall a truly memorable large or six-cylinder French car of the last 50 years. Be prepared to have some segments in French without subtitles, however! The four-door is so-so, but the saloon just doesn’t work from a visual standpoint. You bet it was. El coche está muy bien de chapa y al dia de mecanica y se usa a diario en Losar de la Vera (Cáceres). Renault R5 5 L TL TC GTL TX Alpine Turbo Cibie Rear Tail lights Lens Set NOS. After a suggestion that it should be badged “Frog” to take on from the VW Rabbit, Renault opted instead to badge it “Le Car,” which at once played up its French nature and allowed some humour in the advertising. We did go to the ER that night, but we weren’t there very long. 3 Renault à partir de 200 €. $25.00 shipping. renault le car r5 Door Pockets ... Renault R5 LeCar Distributor Cap for Ducellier system with points 1976-1979. For the last two years, it was also fortified with a turbocharger, giving it 110 horsepower and a 110 mph top speed. By the time these were a few years old, nobody seemed to take them seriously any more. Roomy, great ride, as mentioned-hilarious but effective handling, revvy, stout motor, great acceleration with the twin choke weber, and lots of hauling room with the easily removable rear seat taken out, just fold it up, slide the pivot bar sideways, and take it out, surprised no one mentioned that feature! Despite sharing mechanicals with the humble Renault 4, the 5’s appeal to younger buyers was substantially greater, something of which Renault was well aware and accordingly made much of in its advertising and marketing. That was it. To my knowledge, neither the 1st-gen Renault 5 nor the Peugeot 104 were offered with a diesel engine. It caught fire five miles from the dealership. Revisions to all R20 models: driver's side rear fog light and rear seat belts. These cars have always fascinated me, although I have only seen the “Le Car” versions. I do know that they appeal to me and for some reason that bothers me. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Renault Sport guys were desperate to develop an AWD or 4WD R5 Turbo as ” Maxi ” the final evolution of the Renault 5 Turbo’s, but the accountants said NON. I am only familiar with gasoline powered 5. PSA mount the rear axle on soft bushings allowing it to steer, works really well and less complicated than the rear steering on their bigger cars, helped the Xsaras to first 5 placings at the 98 Monte Carlo on debut. Of course, the 1307 is only a 4-speed, but even with its better insulation, at same rpm, it’s way more noisy than the R5. The correct translation of the French ad would be, ” Donc you think I look mean on this photo ”. As many of us have said many times before: The second generation Renault 5, often referred to as the Supercinq or Superfive, appeared in 1985. from the 5TS, and this 42 b.h.p. 3. Thanks for covering this car, Roger, as it is easily one of my favorites. The three-door, of course, retained its signature door releases, leading my mum-in-law to buy a five-door instead! En juillet 1979 (pour 1980), la Renault 5 est déclinée en variante 5 portes. 1980: 5-door TL, GTL and Automatic models arrive. February 1976: Introduction of the R5 GTL. Many of the European makers didn’t do so well, particularly the French and Italians. I had the pleasure of owning two Le Cars in the eighties. Vitesse: 5 equipements => bac de portiere conducteur et passager - sieges avant enveloppants. (Renault brought the R5 MKI into Canada for another 2 years after ceasing importation into the US in 1984). Performances Renault 5 GTL (1976-1979) Poids/Puissance: 17.8 kg/cv: Vitesse max: 138 km/h: 0 à 100 km/h: 16.7 sec: 0 à 160 km/h - sec: 0 à 200 km/h - sec: 400 mètres DA: … Bought and paid for all by myself. The 5 had a great motorsport career too, though the rally car was a very different beast. We both also came away with a diagonal set of bruises where the seatbelts caught us. The Ford Festiva (Mazda 121)maybe? The Renault Le Car, which was designed exclusively for the North American market and sold by American Motors saw its introduction delayed until 1976 due to high demand in Europe. The original Renault 5 continued to be built in Iran by Pars Khodro, as the Sepand. The studs were so soft they often broke off when impact wrenches were used. The entry-level TC had the 956cc engine (rated at 42bhp), while the TL had the 1108cc engine (rated at 47bhp), and the GTL, Automatic, TS and TSE had the 1397cc engine (rated at 60bhp for the GTL, 68bhp for the Automatic, and 72bhp for the TS and TSE). A bad joke on your side of the pond. Lots of ground clearance. At this time, Renault also offered a deliberately high geared version, known as the GTL, often fitted with very deep polyester mouldings all around. For me, the overall packaging is what seals the deal; it looks great, although that is an added benefit. Volkswagen I thought many efforts were made to engineer out that tendency; I.E. My parents shot pictures of an early two-door version in Southern France last year; the two-door makes this car. Awesome, awesome cars for that country, which has a lot of winding, mountain roads and aggressive, crowded city streets. In the UK, as the country joined the European Union (or Common Market, as we called it then) in 1973, and BL offered nothing to directly compete (the Mini was much smaller, the Allegro larger and lacking the style, to say the least), the Renault 5 became, ahead of the FIAT 127, Peugeot 104 and later, the VW Polo, the small car of choice for those willing to move away from the established UK brands. And how. The 85 GLC that followed it, a better car by nearly every measure, failed in the canyon, lacked the Renault’s suspension control and rigid body. The original expectation had been for a five-door car to supplant the Renault 4 and sell alongside the more modern-looking Renault 6, but a three-door body style was chosen instead, highlighting the 5’s unique position in the company’s lineup. edit: Because of how the trailing arms mounts to the body, wouldn’t cornering forces cause deflection in such a way that the wheels toe out? By the time I bought my 80, Renault was in the hands of AMC dealers. The 7 or ‘Siete’ was only made in Spain by FASA Renault. I see more Citroens and Peugeots than Renaults where I live.Peugeots are very popular for taxis. I think it was fun and reliable and he has fond memories of it. All of them were brilliant basic transport in their own right, but the overall design made them far more than just that. They were also the first choice when you needed a small commercial vehicle in the seventies and eighties. I’ll always remember the day my wife and I took her 6’4 brother and 6’2 girlfriend out to see some covered bridges. Interesting, still the Le Car was the only car that I have seen in person with only three wheel nuts. (first posted 3/12/2014)     France is justifiably famous for good food, good wine, great scenery and (outside of Paris at least) a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and pace of life. It was the only time, in those days, that a salesman didn’t try to pull me back to look at something else when I lost interest in the car I’d test driven. The mechanicals had their challenges. A very interesting backstory on this car. There was never a French made saloon version of the 5. Then the writeup guy says “see? Imagine the savings for 1 million cars! 5. But Renault certainly wasn’t the only one in that era when it came to (a complete lack of) rust proofing. Learn how your comment data is processed. Mileage for the ancient pushrod was a subpar 28. Renault 5 GTL. Cinq works well. The TL was better equipped, and had a vanity mirror for the front seat passenger, three ashtrays (one in the driver's door armrest and two in the rear), two separate reclining front seats instead of one bench seat, front pull handles, and three stowage pockets. Salted roads ate all metal equally, and smaller cars in general, and unitized body, as opposed to body on frame vehicles, suffered the most. We were hit headon at about 25 MPH one fine evening; some clown didn’t bother to check oncoming traffic before turning left right in front of us. Even the bondo had bondo. It has a 37 kW-50 hp 1,037 cc engine. First of all, a fair number of imports to the USA had options that were not common in Europe, like automatic transmissions and air conditioning. Copyright 2011 - 2021 Curbside Classics. I do know that they appeal to me and for some reason that bothers me. Earlier examples are still around in smaller numbers as well. Nice warm air intake ! My barber hated it though. 1979-07-15 Photo size: 8" x 7.1" inches . This was one of the limited-edition Black Beauty cars, complete with plaque on the dash giving its number in the limited production run (217 out of 400, if I recall). Great writeup, Roger. Some Peugeots, and maybe one or two Citroens back then. Peugeot Don’t sneer at the LeCar’s fabric sunroof. Losange Magazine started in the Netherlands in 2007 as an initiative of Renault enthusiast Tony Vos. It must be imported from another country, the current owner has it since march 2008. Perfect for nice days in Southern California with the vinyl roof opened up, scaring the daylights out of BMW drivers on Angeles Crest or Mulholland Drive by hanging right onto them through the curves was always tremendous fun, even if they left my 48bhp in the dust coming out of them. Drivability, thanks to the manual choke Weber, was vastly better than the cold blooded Fords of the day, whose choke would come off way too soon, leaving the cars sputtering and stumbling until throughly warmed up. Honestly, though, the handling on the torsion-bar cars was hilarious in an awesome way. Arguably, the Italians were first out of the blocks in 1969 with the Autobianchi A112, and the 1971 Fiat 127, which was built on the same mechanical base. It was a brilliant design let down by mediocre quality and not being suitable for typical US driving demands/expectations. Ive seen one or two of these I guess they were sold here though in numbers of I have no idea other French brands are more common, I drive one so I notice them. Celles-ci sont identiques à celles de la Fasa-Renault Siete (7) espagnole, une 5 trois volumes à 4 portes avec une malle arrière et des pare-chocs chromés. L'année de départ de la production du modèle еst 1979. In 1979, Renault added a five-door version with a new interior, which traded the original model’s simplicity for some perceived plushness. The writeup guy took me back to the mechanic who replaced the pads. My first front driver, and, with a raging 50hp, was also my first experience with torque steer. The second-generation R5 also spawned a panel van version, known as the Renault Extra (In UK/Ireland), Renault Express (France, Spain, Portugal, Italy) or as the Renault Rapid (Mainly in german spoken countries like Germany, Austria), which was intended to replace the R4 F6 which had ceased production in 1986. This less famous–but still capable–sporting edition was one of the first performance hatches in production, initially powered by a cross-flow version of the 1.4, making 92 horsepower. Тhe most accurate of 1979 renault 5 gtl technical specification, top speed, body, engine, transmission, model performance and more. Toyota. Front and back of the image: Front of photograph Back of photograph. Top speed on the freeway depended on wind direction. I was just recovering from a huge hole in the wallet that was branded as a Fiat, and did not want to jump from the frying pan into the fire. I, too, remember them being sorta jokes in the late ’80s, when there were still a few around. And it even had 4 doors, though storage wasn’t so great in the front trunk (it was the first “2nd car” in my family that was bought new). The key differences between the 5 and its competition were a direct result of the car’s origins. Air for the plenum came through a grill in the top of the hood. Take it into a corner and it would lean until it seemed like you were about to take the door mirrors off — then it would seem to take a “set” and just grip like crazy. Even the British magazines thought the consumer-grade Peugeot 205 and the later Renault Supercinq were pretty much the gold standard for a comfortable ride and agile handling. I even remember a magazine ad for the Renault 5 that mentioned a police department somewhere in Washington state that used them due to their economy (which of course was a big deal during the fuel crisis and high inflation rate in the US at the time). Renault 1979 – Type R14 TL, GTL, TS 7/57 CV – 1.218 cm3 14 TS : nouvelle version, Boucliers de couleur anthracite et plus larges Calandre aux ailettes inclinées et garnie d’un logo TS Stripping latéral sur les ailes avant visant à réduire l’épaisseur de la silhouette Sièges avant de type « pétale » The parking in the bush is typical of what you might see in many places in France; this car is fine, don’t worry. Achat immédiat +7,50 EUR (livraison) Fascículos NQC 80 … After moving to the US, I picked up a 1977 LeCar. Indeed, no other 1970s supermini had anything approaching its charm–perhaps the next car in this area of the market to do so was the 2000 BMW Mini, albeit at a considerably higher price point. Now I am going to have to Google “three nut car wheels” to see what else I find. To mention a few: Renault Dauphine,4, 6, 8,10, Citroen 2CV, Dyane, Ami. The 80 had rectangular headlights (Cibie Z-Beams dropped right in) and looked better than the earlier US imports. 1979: R15/17 production ends. Other versions of the first car included the Renault 5 Alpine (Gordini in the United Kingdom), Alpine/Gordini Turbo, and a four-door sedan version was called the Renault 7 and built by FASA-Renault of Spain. If 86WW469 survived the introduction of the NCT (National Car Test) into the current day, I truly hope its owner is enjoying it as much as I did. The suspension, as we see here, was in line with the company’s standard practice, with longitudinal torsion bars and double-wishbones up front, and staggered transverse torsion bars in the rear (with a slightly longer wheelbase on the right side), acting on trailing arms. http://www.r5gordini.co.uk/forum-mainmenu-90/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1927 The torque peak was at 2500rpm, which came up at 35mph in 3rd gear and 45 in 4th, which made for relaxed puttering around town. A sad side of the Renault 5 story is that Michel Boue died of cancer before the Renault Five was launched. It dethroned the Golf Diesel for its lively character. I don’t have much recent experience with French cars, being in the US we are denied easy access to them, but we actually got a Peugeot 505 rental from Hertz back in 1985 (Newark Airport) and my Father owned a Renault 10 (twice the 5?) 04/1984, 20.028km, essence, mecanique, cylindrée: 1108 cm3 nb. A lot of the Japanese B- and C-segment cars could have taken a lesson there, as could the Mk1 Fiesta, which was reasonably nimble, but also rather stiff. The engines were established units, coming from the Renault 4 and 6 as well as the older, rear-engined Renault 8 and 10, and ranging from 850cc to 1300cc. Hillman Minx prior to the Audax series had 3 wheel studs. This choice of name was much-ridiculed among Francophones, as it literally means "the coach". What really sank it though was rust. > Whatever their merits (and I’m sure there were some), these were the cars that were a bad joke before the Yugo took that crown. Compared to the other common cars over there, the Hillman Hunter and Kia Pride/Mazda 121/Ford Festiva (another good one), the Renault felt oddly placid. My first new car was an ’80 LeCar. I have wanted one ever since, but they never seemed to come up when I had the money. I think the last time I saw one in Scotland was back in University, though there are a couple of Supercinq still bimbling around here in Edinburgh. The most extreme version so far has been a mid-engined Clio with a 3.0 litre V6 and somewhat challenging road behaviour, especially in the wet. When the tan one was in its death throes in New Orleans, my mechanic, a dedicated Francophile, located in a large tin building brimming with spare parts, told me he had enough new parts and some solid donor chassis that would enable him to build me a new one. A portion of the failure of the Alliance and Encore was also put on poor dealer shops. Also beginning in 1979, the 18 Automatic became a separate model (with GTL trim) rather than simply a transmission option. La livraison est rapide. Production of the R5 was transferred to the Revoz factory in Slovenia when the Clio was launched, and it remained on sale as a budget choice until the car's 24-year production run finally came to an end in 1996. One aspect that always pleases is that some of best of these are also amongst the least glamorous and thus, cheaper options. I’ve had three R5s over the years – two of the later transverse-engined models (one a turbo), and one US-spec LeCar. While the plenum had a drain tube to drain water from the plenum when it rained, snow would collect in the plenum. A huge success and very popular on my side for more than 25 years in a row. Don’t underestimate the national pride in France, Italy and Germany for their car brands, the suitability of the cars for the markets and (especially France, Italy for example) the affordability a compact car like the 5 or Fiat 127 offered. Renault 5 GTL 5-door (1979) - Front Angle The 5 has gone down in popular history as one of the most influential cars of the 1970s. http://en.int.renault.tv/factual/renault-icons/renault-icons-renault-5/. 1977: Introduction of the R5 Alpine, similar to R5 TS plus 1397cc engine & 5-speed gearbox. The picture with the bundled up girl and the next one just made me think of the VW thing for some reason. Sporting 115PS (85 kW/113 hp) in the Phase 1, the Phase 2 GT Turbo later brought 5 extra horsepower to the table, a slightly altered torque band and higher reliability. The mechanic said he had broken off one of the bleeders. They also had (very unusual in Europe) a transverse leaf spring rear suspension. The hot hatches, such as this (front-engined) 5GT Turbo, continued and the Supercinq remained Renault’s supermini competitor until 1991, when it was replaced in western Europe by the Clio and the smaller Twingo.