Posts Tagged ‘renault’

Eighties Renault Grab Bag – Two Fuegos, a GTA, and a Medallion

October 29, 2010

Note: Found this unpublished article in my posts. So the ads may no longer be up, but an interesting read nonetheless.

To break the chain of Fiats, we’ve got a handful of interesting Renaults. Personally, I lean more towards the stuff they made in the 60s and 70s, but some of the 80s products were noteworthy, at least to a funny furrin’ car lover. And there are some real oddballs out there still… these cars came around at a point when Renault was already having a bumpy time of it in the US market.

This car was already featured on Just A Car Geek, but I still think it’s worth including in the group. With only 24,800 miles, it’s been parked with a blown head gasket since Bush Sr. was in office, so that engine will be locked up good and tight. On the bright side, even though its body is rust-free (or nearly so) and the red paint is shiny, nobody will be able to steal it. It even has a cool Webasto-style rollback sunroof. Pick it up for $1100 in Novi, MI.

1983 Renault Fuego turbo red

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Gran Turismo Alleggerita?? 1987 Renault GTA

May 4, 2010

Here’s a car that had a promising future when it debuted in the US in late 1982 – the Renault 9/11, the best-selling Renault ever. And yet they just weren’t right for the US market, as was often the case for French cars. They were some of the least costly cars on the market, with great mileage ratings and some innovative comfort features, but actually came out as a decline in the small-car market was starting. Combined with poor longer-term quality ratings, this meant the Alliance, Encore, and GTA only lasted for 5 model years.

And that brings us to our specific car. Brought out in 1986 as a performance model to boost sales, it packed 95 hp, thicker anti-roll bars, body kit, sports exhaust, upgraded wheels, and a closer-ratio gearbox plus stiffer engine mounts. This package added up to something pretty fun to drive, but low cost and sporting intentions mean there aren’t that many left. I’ve been waiting to write about one for a while, so
now you can see one for sale, with bidding currently at $102.50 with only 4 days to go and no reserve.

1987 Renault GTA front

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Horsing Around – 1978 Renault LeCar Black Beauty

December 14, 2009

Update, 12/14/09: Thanks to flaky bidders, this car is back on eBay. Guess I shouldn’t have been so hasty on the short-eating.

Well, who knew… bringing us down to another level of obscurity is this Black Beauty edition Renault LeCar. I don’t believe this car was actually equine-inspired in any way, but it’s still a neat 70s-style options package based on the R5 GTL. Options, most of which we take for granted nowadays, included a sport steering wheel, alloy wheels, special red striping (ooooh!), AM/FM stereo with delux rear antenna, a locking gas cap, folding canvas roof, and a rear wiper. But really, the most entertaining thing about the brochure (scroll down on the linked page to see it) is the fact that it refers to Le Package. Well, at least it’s funny if you have the mind of a 13-year-old French boy. On a more personal note, the mother of a childhood friend of mine had one of these with the ragtop, and I was pretty impressed at the time with how spacious and smooth-riding it felt.

Anyway, on to the example at hand. Compared to most Renault 5s you see for sale, this one’s in pretty fantastic shape. The black paint and striping are shiny and presentable, and the interior looks pretty tidy as well. It’s also comforting that the seller has thoroughly photographed the car inside and out, so you can see both its flaws and its strengths. On another amusing note, the gold plaque on the dash confers the status of A COLLECTOR ITEM on the car, to quote the seller. Too bad there aren’t that many Renault Le Car collectors out there… that said, this example, in Corona, CA seems to have attracted quite a bit of attention, with 44 (!) bids currently bringing it up to $2750. Don’t get me wrong, I like these cars, but if it significantly passes $3000, I’ll eat my shorts.

1978 Renault LeCar front

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