Posts Tagged ‘hatch’

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Haute Kilometrage – 1983 Renault LeCar

June 6, 2014

Frequent readers will have noticed that most Renault LeCars offered for sale will show up here – they’re a quirky, iconic classic that had much more success outside of North America. Most survivors have faded paint, sun-baked interiors, rust, or mechanical failures, combined with low miles, but occasionally you’ll find a European market car, or one set up with some desirable features that keep it from getting lumped in with every other LeCar. You can find this 1983 Renault LeCar for sale for C$950 ($870 today) in Tsawwassen, BC.

1983 Renault LeCar right front

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Influential – 1967 Autobianchi Primula

April 29, 2014

Pop quiz! If someone asked you to name a car that influenced most compact front-wheel drive cars on the road today, what would you say? First-generation VW Golf? Guess again. Citroen Traction Avant (heck, any postwar Citroen)? Not quite. Austin Mini? Almost, but no cigar. It was the Autobianchi Primula. Fiat used their Autobianchi brand to test out new technologies, and in this case, they tested the transverse-engine, front-wheel drive with the transmission above the differential instead of in the oil sump, as seen on Minis. It also featured unequal-length driveshafts, rack and pinion steering, and disc brakes on all four wheels. The Primula only got second place in the European Car of the Year competition, but Fiat went back with a similar powertrain layout in their 128 and got the top prize. For your own automotive unsung hero, check out this 1967 Autobianchi Primula, for sale for €500 ($690 today) in Lucbardez-et-Bargues, southwestern France.

1967 Autobianchi Primula right front

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Modern Supermini – 1974 Renault 5TL

April 28, 2014

From the North American perspective, we tend to think of the Renault 5 as a car from the late 1970s and early 1980s. However, it actually debuted in 1972, and it’s a credit to its ingenuity as a design that it lasted in production all the way through 1985 in its first iteration, and a further 11 years in the second, which was a completely new Gandini-designed car with a very similar appearance. Imagine that this basic design spanned the presidential administrations of Nixon to Clinton, or from the years of the BMW 2002 to the E36 3-series, and you’ll see how avant-garde this car must have seemed at its debut. Even more amazing, the first generation was designed by a Renault employee in his spare time. You can find this 1974 Renault 5TL for sale for €1500 ($2077 today) in Tortefontaine, France.

1974 Renault 5 left front

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