September 2010 44 Pages Draft.pdf - Renault Owners Club Forum

R E N O T E ST H E m A G A Z I N E o f T H E R E N A U L T o W N E R s C L U B I s s U E 3 s E p T E m B E R 2 0 1 0E V E N T R E p o RT sR E N A U LT A N N I V E R s A R I E sm o d I f I E d R E N A U LT sRENAULTHistoire & Collection

C o N T E N T sCLUBOFFICERSSecretary:Sebastian O’Halloran33, Park View,Western Park,Leicester.LE3 6SJEmail: secretary@renaultownersclub. comTel: 0116 287 6243Treasurer:Malcolm BaileyMayhill House, London RoadAddington, West MallingKent ME19 5ANTel: 01732 849325Email: treasurer@renaultownersclub. comMembership Secretary:Damien Bailey address as Malcolm Baileymembership@renaultownersclub. comEditor, Events and Webmaster:Alasdair Worsley01652 655 781165 Scawby Road, Scawby Brook, Brigg, N. Lincs.DN20 9JXEmail: editor@renaultownersclub. comClub ShopMichael FawkeTel: 01303 894392Email: shop@renaultownersclub. comModified Secretary:Jason Fordjayvxr@msn. comCOPY DATESNext issue of Renotes is due December 2010All contributions for that issue must be received byNovember 15thPlease send to the Editor:Alasdair Worsleyat address aboveSubsequent issues will be December 2010 and March2011Renotes is published by the RenOwners Club LimitedMEMBERSHIPFEESfull UK and EEC £25full Non EEC £30senior Citizens and Unemployed(includes students) £20Additional £5 for New members overnormal membership.2-3 Contents and Letters to the Editor4 Club Events6-11 Event Reports12 Classic and Collectors - 25/30 Renault 5 Turbo & GT14-17 Classic and Collectors - 60th Colorale Anniversary18 Classic and Collectors - 40th Rodeo Anniversary19 Classic and Collectors - 35th Renault 20/30 Anniversary20-21 Classic and Collectors - 30th fuego Anniversary22-24 supercinq saga25 Classic and Collectors - 30th Trafic & master Anniversary26 Classic and Collectors - 25th UK Espace Anniversary27 motorsport - End of the Turbo Charged Era 198528 modern - Cliomania29 modern - Clio 20th Anniversary30-31 modern - News from Renault and the End of the Vel satis ?32-33 modified - my Renault - modified 19 16v34-35 modified - 4 x 4 + 6 x 5 + 6 x 4 + 6 x 10 = 75036-37 Au Coin du Livre - Book Reviews38-39 Heritage - Renault 25 Years Ago40 Around the Clubs41-44 Club parts, Classifieds and Club shopFront Cover: This is a collage of the original sales photos from vehicles celebrating theiranniversaries this year. The vehicle at each of the 4 corners is still in production. To see your caron the front cover, please send me either a photo or a good quality electronic file (jpg > 1MB isbest).The opinions expressed in Renotes are not necessarily those of either the Editor or the Committee of theRenOwners Club Limited© Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording orotherwise, without prior permissionDISCLAIMER1. "Any person receiving any technical assistance from any member of the RenOwners Club Ltd shall hold harmless thatadviser from any and all claims for damages, losses, expenses or costs arising out of the provision of that technicalassistance and any person receiving such technical assistance shall waive any claims that it might have or might pretend tohave against that person arising from the provision of the technical assistance. "2. "A party receiving any technical assistance from any member of the RenOwners Club Ltd shall not be entitled to relyupon that advice as given by the RenOwners Club Ltd. For the avoidance of doubt no advice given is by the RenOwnersClub Ltd and no person has authority to hold themselves out as giving advice backed by the RenOwners Club Ltd. "2 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

L E T T E R s T o T H E E d I T o RLetters totheEditorIn the June 2010 issue of RENOTESthe comment was made in the“RENAULT 50 YEARS AGO” articlethat “The Ultimate Achievement ofAdvanced Electrical Engineering andCompact Automotive Design, " the HenneyKilowatt was a true forefather of today'shybrid and electric cars.You may be interested to know that thisdesign is referred to as a “parallelhybrid”. The electric motor and theinternal combustion engine work togetheror independently as required. This allowsthe engine to be downsized because theelectric motor can provide the missinggrunt as and when required. Which is notall that often usually, just as well as thebatteries do not last long. Most currentproduction hybrids are, sadly, of thisdesign.But there is another way, called “serieshybrid”, where the engine drives agenerator/alternator which createselectricity which either goes into thebatteries or to the motor, or both. Thisconcept, the true forefather of all hybridvehicles, was first developed byFerdinand Porsche (Ferry’s father) in1901, not as a way to make petrol enginesbetter but to make the then fashionableelectric motors better!The advantage of this system, used ondiesel electric trains the world over, is theengine can operate at one load/speedpoint, its most efficient obviously, andonly when required. No HC fuel need beconsumed around town if there arebatteries for, say, 80 km of driving (80%of all car trips are 80km or less), and aslittle as 1.8 l/100 km on the highway ispossible in a series hybrid adaptation ofcurrent vehicle designs. The ChevroletVolt and a few other more forwardlooking designs are series hybrids. This isthe future in my view.Lawrence GlynnMember Renault Owners’ Club CanberraAustraliaIwould like, at some time in thefuture, to purchase a series 1 Twingowith basic spec. (no power steering,electric windows, air-con or ABS forme thanks just good old minimalistmotoring just like my R5 Campus twinsAmandine and PoppyThere was a dedicated website for theSeries 1 Twingo with tips about legalising'em for the UK with such as how toconvert the digital dash to read in MPHfrom KPH. Rear foglight and headlampissues. Sadly I think the site is nowdefunct.I just want a little feedback about the +veand -ve aspects of living with a Series 1Twingo here in Blighty.Dank U! Please reply via editor or theforum.Count Richard Ferenc Edgar HORVATHGreetings from the CzechRepublic, I would like tointroduce my Mégane. I boughtit in 2008, was manufactured in2002. Mégane has is silver metallic,including bumpers, door handles andmirrors. It is the equipment: fog lamps,remote central locking, 4 airbags, AC,power mirrors and front windows, radiowith CD and controls on the steering wheel,height-adjustable driver's seat, the seats arepartially covered with skin. The car isroomy, comfortable, well-controllable. 1.616V engine gives the car a very goodacceleration and maximum speed.Consumption is also satisfactory, average7l/100km. I would be honoured if you myview the Mégane. More Pictures on theForum.New membersRik Kova - By EmailThierry sybord(managing director Renault UK)Clare WhartonNeil BuskeyJason TurnerChristopher forrestAdam Loundsdavid pounder - safranesimon BatemanHoward dixondave Warner - Renault 19Alan daviesAnd from JapanいらっしゃいませEgawa masayukiR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E35

E V E N T sCLUB EVENTs 2010 / 2011The club is putting on a number of events in 2010. I have listedthose we currently have below. Any additions will appearthroughout the year and ALSO on the website. This is animportant resource as we can use it to give up to dateinformation on additions and alterations. If you need to checkanything, please contact the Events Secretary (Email:events@renaultownersclub. com) or the Secretary (Email:Secretary@renaultownersclub. com). Addresses and telephonenumbers are on page 2. Club Events are marked (C). Someevents will be for club members only and may be tailoredround a theme.pLEAsE NoTE mosT CLUB EVENTs REQUIRE pRE-BooKING THIs YEAR As NUmBERs ANd ENTRIEsNEEd posTING To oRGANIsERs WELL BEfoRETHE EVENTRenault World series (C)Silverstone18th to 19th September 2010Contact: Seb Email: secretary@renaultownersclub. comTel: 0116 287 6243NEC Classic Car show (C)12th, 13th and 14th NovemberWe have applied for a stand on this and welcome enquiries.Please let us know if you want to apply or can offer help, spaceis LIMITED to 6 cars and preference will be given to cars thatmatch the shows requirements most closely. Email:editor@renaultownersclub. com or Phone 07917 858423 fordetails.2011 EVENTsIt is early days yet to get most of the dates in but for 2011 thefollowing events are expected to take place.AGM (April)French Car ShowBromley PageantKent Run (May)Renault Clubs Open Event (June/July)Tatton (August)Crich (probably for the August Bank Holiday)World Series RenaultWe also strongly suspect there will be an event to celebrate the50th Birthday of the start of production of the Renault 4.The Club also plans to run the French Run again, details willbe also included in a separate letter but we are looking forideas. Should we run a similar weekend one (about £200 perperson), extend it to a 3 day event over a bank holiday (notingcosts will rise) or take it out to a full 5 day event, perhapsattending one of the main runs on the continent. if the numberswork out we could look at a 5 day event for £1000 per couple.This may seem high but it works out at £100 per person perday, would include dinner bed and breakfast, access to a coupleof museums and a couple of Chateaux as well as possibly acouple of buffet lunches, the rest would be for individuals todecide on. A mix of free days and local road runs.Please email events@renaultownersclub. com to let us knowyour thoughts.All these are prototypeRenault 4s. Which onebecame the productionshape?4 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

A d V E RT I s m E N TCars for Sale Live Stage Restoration Autojumble Over 1000 Cars & 100’s of Bikes Parts & Services Dream Rides Automobilia AccessoriesClub Exclusive Ticket Deal!“Advance Offer” Book today- Save £’s & beat the queues!Club Single £15.00Quote code CLUBS10Club Family £34.50Quote code CLUBF10Book by phone or web now...Sponsored byIn association withOfficial partnerThe place to share your passion for cars1213 14 NOVwww.necclassicmotorshow.comBook online or call the ticket hotline 0871 230 1088Classic Motor Show tickets also allow FREE entry into The Classic Bike Show AND the MPH Show (excludes Top Gear Live Theatre).Offer applies to Sat13th/Sun14th November 2010 only. Club Single ticket offer limited to 2 tickets per member. Club Family ticket admits 2 adultsand up to 3 children (5-16yrs) and is limited to one family ticket per member. Club Single tickets save £5.00 off the Sat/Sun door price. Club Familytickets save up to £37.00 off the Sat/ Sun door price compared to buying individually! Offer applies to advance bookings only. Hand your specialticket stub in to your club on their stand at the show and your club can earn £1.00 commission! See website for all information. All bookings aresubject to a single transaction fee. All information is correct at time of publishing.R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E55

E V E N T R E p o RT sFRIENDSThis years Powderham vehicle gatheringtook place on July 10th & 11thThe weather leading up to the show hadbeen really great and we were all keepingour fingers crossed for good weather overthe weekend.I had decided that I would try to get mycars there on the Thursday evening afterwork leaving Friday free for setting up thestand and memorabilia tent.This is where friends come into action.Melvin who works at my accident repaircentre volunteered to drive the recoverytruck with 2 cars on board, The R15 &R17. These weren’t taxed so couldn’t bedriven to the show.Melvin had quite a hairy trip, as on hisway to Powderham, there was a problemwith the brakes on the truck and for amoment, had no brakes. I think this ratherfrightened him as he was a bit pale onarriving at the showground (But I couldn’tsmell anything and no brown stains) Itwas a seized calliper which has now beenfixed.My old work mate John drove the Renault10. My mate Becks and his son Markdrove the Renault Caravelle. My brotherin-law Rodney took my Renault scenictowing the memorabilia trailer. Rosedrove the Renault 8 and I took the 12Estate. Chris took over his own R5 turboOn arriving we found that we had beengiven a different site this year under ahuge tree, but we thought if it’s really hotat least we will have some shade.Once we had dropped the cars off and hada chat, Rose, Rodney and John went homein the Scenic. The rest off us all went inthe recovery truck to a place calledAshcombe, between Dawlish and Haldonto pick up a 4CV a car used for sprint andhill climbs with a R16 engine in it.Early on Friday morning I took the R6with John over to the show and Becks,Event ReportsMark and Rodney who had all taken theday off from their various work placescame on over to help with setting up thestand, positioning the cars in all the rightplaces and putting up the memorabiliatent, (tall people are very useful for this).This done it was time for me to take themall to the pub for a well earned carveryand a pint. My poor wallet!!!! Back in theafternoon it was mostly unpacking thememorabilia.Later in the day my wife Rose anddaughter Sarah arrived to complete thesetting up making sure everything waswell displayed. This took at least a coupleof hours.Chris turned up with his R21turbo 4wheel drive (Editor - Quadra). Gary wasnext to arrive, all the way from Lincoln,he was staying for the weekend in a localhotel. I lent him the R12 estate fortransport as his wife was using their carfor her needs.We left around about 8'o clock and wereglad to get home and in the shower. I waslooking forward to the weekend. Saturdaymorning arrives and John and I set outjust after 8a. m. to wipe over the cars andgreet Richard Hockin who arrived in hisDauphine.The day went very well with lots ofinterest. At 12.30 Rose and I went off todo our bit for the club, manning the backgate for an hour, when we got back to thedisplay, Rose cooked up some food on theB. B. Q. . Enjoyed by all.During the day I was given leads andphone numbers for other cars andmemorabilia. After a successful day weclosed up the tent, locked all the cars upand headed home for a well earned restand a couple of Bacardi and cokes.Sunday morning, a repeat of Saturday, butalso Rodney coming along with me andJohn.Rose and Karen (Rodney’s wife) camealong late morning. Between 9 & 10 othermembers arrived with their cars, BrianHunt with his R4 GTL from Falmouth,Andy & Sally with their R30TX fromSouthsea and Bernard Caddy with hisSafrane from Bristol. After introductionsand all getting to know one another theshow was open. 11.30 we had a parade ofRenaults in the ring.The organisers commented on ourimpressive stand and collection of carswhich they are happy to accommodate infuture year and also that it is nice to seeRenault cars back on the scene after along absence, which I was proud of asthat was my intention.We fired up the B. B. Q. again along withsome drinks for us all to enjoy.Another great day with more contacts.After the presentation ceremony westarted to pack everything away and I wasamazed at how many people were willingto help. In no time at all everything wasboxed up and ready for me to pack intothe display trailer.I would like to thank everyone for theirhelp and for giving up their time to makethis a successful and growing show.I was given an idea about next years showby Brian that next year is the R4 50thanniversary and maybe we could use thisas a theme. Incorporating other models. Iput this to Gary Creighton and he thoughtit would be a good idea. He mentioned iton the R4 forum and within a short whilehe had 2 positive replies of R4 owners tobe included. I have also mentioned this tothe Renault Owners’ Club and this will bea joint venture for both clubs.Put the date of July 9th & 10th 2011 inyour diaries if you would like to attendthis event. Celebrating the R4anniversary. Any enquiries please contactme. Rob Doran 01395 271116 or email;speedwayrob@hotmail. comLastly today I received a card and photothanking me from Andy & Sally sayingthey had a fantastic day and I think theyreally enjoyed the show and that they arealready looking forward to next yearsshow.6 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

E V E N T R E p o RT sThanks Robert "Roll on July 2011"Rob DoranFrench Car Show- Rockingham.Sunday 13th June 2010Sunday 13th June 2010 dawned as a dullday following the sustained activity ofSaturday when car shampoo, hoses andpolish had been lavished on our cars notto mention the vacuum cleaners and alloywheel treatments.The Kent based contingent comprised mybrother driving my 18GTS, son Damien inhis Clio Williams with me in theRenaultsport Mégane 225. While Damienand I left from West Malling, my brothercame through from Maidstone having lefta little earlier and we joined up near thetop end of the M11 before taking the A14for Rockingham. Access was easy and wewere quickly on the allotted area for theclub and unloading assorted kit we hadbrought with us.In the weeks prior to the show I hadmanaged to blag some redundant displayequipment from my local dealership,Davis of Sevenoaks, who kindly gave us apair of demountable poles and baseswhich could be placed under car wheelsfor stability. The poles were provided witheyelets and we fairly quickly erected theRenault banner and a Renault flag alsogiven by Davis of Sevenoaks togetherwith the club banner obtained by Alasdair.If you have a good relationship with yourlocal dealership why not ask if they haveany display material that they no longerneed as we are keen to collect as muchequipment as possible for future shows. Ifyou get anything one of us will be able tostore itThe rest of the contingent were eitherthere before or just after us and comprisedValerie Worsley in her magnificent 1909AX, Jim Worsley in his splendidAvantime, Alasdair with probably the onlycommercial vehicle at the show with aTrafic van, Andy Mitchell in his 30 plusthe three cars from Kent.Our display was probably unique in thatwe had a range of cars spreading over acentury of Renault motoring with moreunusual vehicles and all of them original.Star of the show was the AX whichattracted a lot of attention, as did Andy’s30 and the Avantime. I also had variouspeople curious to know what the 18 was.Damien’s Williams also attracted interestnot only because of its relatively lowmileage, but also its originality. My 225.probably went almost unnoticed onaccount of the fact that there was so manyof them at the show.Whilst we were not talking to visitors itwas possible to visit the many other carclub displays many of which had mostinteresting mechanical and bodyworkmodifications including a Five with anAudi five cylinder engine.For some, the star of the show was FrankWilliams’ original Clio Williams badgedNo 1 and another absolutely pristineWilliams which had been completely rebuiltand won two classes of the Meguiarscompetition. For others it could have beenthe Adrian Flux Babes who visited all thestands and graced the upholstery oradorned the bodywork of the cars whiletheir photos were taken.In between times you could watchenthusiasts having their cars tested on amobile rolling road or watch the moreintrepid lapping the speedway circuit,some producing ominous smoke ofvarious colours.Altogether it was a great day. Althoughwe had a couple of very short rainshowers they were insignificant. Whatwould have made it even better wouldhave been being able to use the whole ofour allotted area as we could have easilyfitted in some more cars. So if you fancy agood day out with other petrol heads, whydon’t you consider coming to one of theshows which the club attends.Malcolm BaileyScenic Tour 2010Like many Australians we love coming toFrance and discovering more about thisamazing and beautiful country, whichluckily for UK residents is so nearby andaccessible – the only downside for us isthe 24 hours or so of being stuck inside aplane to get there.A bonus though is that Renault have ascheme for non EC residents who canbook a brand new car on short term lease,so when we arrived in Nice in April wewere able to pick up a new Scenic 1.9dciwith all the best options – includingleather, sunroof and GPS.The first day with the car we went toMonaco for lunch, wonderful atmosphereas preparations were underway for theGrand Prix in May, with spectator standsbeing erected and lots of banners goingup. We found a little place at the harbourfront appropriately named the CaravelleCafé to take in the atmosphere. Nice towalk in the tunnel that the GP goesR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E75

E V E N T R E p o RT sthrough – the footpath is right above theseafront with waves crashing below, and astiff sea breeze blowing in, you don’t getany impression of this watching the raceon TV with the sound of F1cars roaringby.We then headed North to Reims to take inthe ROC’s ”Rallye to Reims” as part ofour 2010 Scenic tour travelling anticlockwise right around France. Our lastROC event was the Club’s 50thanniversary at Beaulieu in 2002, so it wasgood fortune to be able to attend anotherevent, in this case one that offered notonly good company, interesting locationsand Renaults, but French champagne aswell!Leaving Nice for our first full day on theroad, we easily completed 600km,allowing a more leisurely second day withsightseeing and quite a few stops, then aneasy run into Reims on the Saturdaymorning. After just 4 days in the newScenic, mostly on the highway, the rathersmall lift to the underground car park atthe Reims Holiday Inn was a good test ofmanoeuvrability for man and machine,before joining Mike Fawke and the happyROC crew that had driven down fromCalais.This event has already been well reportedin the last RENOTES, suffice to say weenjoyed it very much, the arrangementsand company were first class, and afterchecking out the old circuit at Reims wesaid our farewells and headed toNormandy where we had bookedaccommodation at a farmhouse very closeto Monet’s garden.This allowed us to be amongst the veryfirst visitors to arrive at the gardens on theMonday morning, where we were able totake in the beauty of this famous place,admire the new Spring growth and enjoythe surroundings. This was to be a themeof out journey over the coming weeks –being in advance of the tourist seasonmeant that there was little problem withqueuing or finding accommodation – andthe new blossoms and green grass wastruly impressive compared to the drynessthat prevails in many parts of Australia.Further South we visited the ChambordChateau in the Loire Valley and thentravelled down to Limoges from where weembarked on a discovery tourof many historical villages(www.lesplusbeauxvillagesdefrance.org )all the way down to Carcassonne,including a stop at Millau to see thewonderful road viaduct. Here Deirdrepurchased a high quality leather handbagfrom one of the many local makers to addto our shopping tally.The weather in the South was as good asthe Spring growth, day after day wassunny with temperatures ranging from 18to 23 degrees, perfect for motoringholidays. Village markets offeredmagnificent produce including all mannerof meat products, cheeses, nougat andmagnificent macaroons. One of ourfriendly hoteliers assured us April andMay was one of the best times to visit aswe would not like it down there in theMt. Ventouxmiddle of July and August because it wasfar too hot and the place was overrun withtourists!Apart from the occasional very narrowvillage street with barely room to passoncoming traffic, all was going well andthe new Scenic was performingeffortlessly and recording a constant6.9kl/100km, very acceptable for a mix ofbrisk driving and lots of tourist stops witha boot load of luggage.As well as checking out a huge variety ofcafes and restaurants, a month on the roadprovided a great variety of hotels andB&B’s of all shapes and sizes, some ofour favourites included severalcharacterful farmhouses, La ResidenceHotel in Limoges and the wonderfulSafari Hotel and L’Hibiscus Restaurant atCarpentras, close to Mt Ventoux.Here the weather was warmer, and aftervisiting a colourful Sunday morningvillage market featuring a vintage tractordisplay we were able to drive up to thesnow at the summit of Mt Ventoux inperfect sunshine, and then back down fora dip at the pool back at the hotel where itwas 27 degrees (www.safarihotel.fr )making it all a most memorable day.Our last days on the road were the reverseof this year’s “Tour de France “cyclingevent, through North East France intoBelgium for the Renault “World Series” atSpa, then on to Brussels via the newHerge Museum, and then on toRotterdam.At our last night’s accommodation,booked on the internet, we found our IBISHotel was adjacent to the large DorzoRenault dealership at Vlaardingen, anexcellent set up that displayed a 4CV and1966 “round eye” R10 inside the frontentrance of their large showroom, whichalso featured an Avantime as well as allthe new Renault and Dacia range.The next day, after 5 weeks and 6,100kmof incident free motoring we reluctantlyleft “our” new Scenic at Amsterdam forthe next part of our holiday.My thanks go to Deirdre for her excellentnavigation, keeping us on track for thetrip and also finding some of the mostbeautiful villages in France tocomplement my motoring and technicalagenda. And indeed to the ROC for anenjoyable weekend and showing us thatthe Club really gets out and about andvisits interesting places - bring on moreFrench events!8 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

E V E N T R E p o RT sTrevor WiseRenault 4 International Rally.17th - 18th July 2010Following our foray on to French soil inApril, with the Rally to Reims in ourRenault 4 GTL, the little car had got ataste for the continental journeys. Sowhen I got news of the Renault 4International gathering at Thenay in theLoire region of France, plans were drawnand the scenery was at its best. I wish nowthat I had lingered a bit longer and takenin more of the views, as I thought it was abeautiful place.After checking in at the venue and payingfor my pitch, I set up camp and met andchatted as best I could with other Renault4 owners. My French is not good but Imanaged somehow. My neighbour wasItalian, so that added to my confusion, butwhat a car he had, it was built for transcontinentalexpeditions and a tribute toHistoire and Collection had brought alongsome of the famous expedition cars of the60s as seen on Renault TV (Sky 883).It was for me a complete eye-opener, as Ihad no idea of the following the Renault4L, known as “La Quatrelle” by its manyfans on the continent, has, and I nowup.My partner Rita didn’t wish to go thistime, must be my driving, but that wasOK, it might be fun navigating my wayaround France solo. I planned to camp, soall the kit was gathered together andtickets for the ferry were bought.The rally was on the weekend of 17th –18th July but I reckoned it would take mea couple of days to get there and get back,so I left Plymouth for Roscoff on theWednesday afternoon ferry.I cheated a bit here and booked into asmall hotel for the night in Roscoff as theferry didn’t get in until 10:00pm. After agood night’s sleep and a nice breakfast, Iwas on my way.The Renault 4 is quite happy at around60mph, it’s amazing how much groundyou can cover at a nice steady speed, andafter a bit of motorway and a lot of Droads, some of then arrow straight, Iarrived at my overnight stop at La Flèche(The Arrow).The next day was spent driving along theLoire valley from Saumur through Toursto my destination at Thenay. The daystarted a bit damp but, the further east Itravelled, the better the weather was, andas I passed through Tours, the sun was outhis skills.The a fellow Brit arrived, SimonLethbridge from Salisbury in his mideightiesR4-F6 van, we hadn’t met beforebut hit it off from the start, and he spokegood French, useful. Next morning, thearrival of R4s seemed endless, such avariety of them, it was so much to take in.I then spotted a very modified, brightorange, Renault 12, I wonder who thatmight be, a certain Mr Flavell. It was niceto meet up with Derek and his family. Ithink Becky was pleased to see her old 4again and their kids were great.The Renault 12 was in good company, as,over the weekend quite a lot of early carsturned up at the event, a 4CV, a Frégate,6s, 8s, 10s and some very sporty jobs too.Saturday was spent just looking at thefantastic array of cars, some in originalcondition, some very much concours andothers, well very modified. The Renaultknow what an icon this little car is.We spent some time at the auto-jumble,all those hard to find parts in the UK,right under our noses. One or two bitswere bought. I got a couple of 1-43rdscale models for my collection. We met ayoung couple from Exeter, Brendon andAmanda, pity they weren’t in a 4, but itwas nice to meet them and also agentleman called Tony Latchford. His 4Lwas also at home at his holiday pad southof Thenay. He needed a replacementstarter motor for it which he managed toget.The highlight of the weekend was a lineup of all the 4s for the Guinness Book ofRecords. As far as I can remember I thinkthe number of cars was 574, what a sight,wall to wall Renault 4s.The evening was spent enjoying a fewbeers, kindly supplied by Tony, watchingthe fireworks, a huge bonfire and listeningto a French rock band killing some songs.Next morning, after a damn good fry up, arun was organised to go and visit themushroom caves, but it all went a bitwrong, even the French were getting lost,what hope for us. So back to the event, toR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E95

E V E N T R E p o RT stake in more Renault atmosphere.All weekend there had been lots of stuffgoing on but of course you can’t watch itall, too many cars to drool over, but Idon’t think we missed much and all toosoon it was over.I was very kindly offered a bed for thenight and a good meal at Tony’s place, soafter saying our goodbyes, we all wentour various ways.A quick dash 125km south to a smallpicturesque town of St-Benoît-du-Sault.After a good meal, and a good nightssleep, we managed to get Tony’s 1966 4Lgoing, so had a quick lap around theblock. All too soon I had to take my leaveand hit the road and 458km later saw mearrive at my last stop, a super campsitenear Dinan, up in Brittany. Talk about aGrand-Tourer, who needs a modern car,the Renault 4 is just fine.Next day I was in Roscoff, picking up,shall we say, supplies. It’s amazing how afew bottles of wine can improve roadholding. I think the little car wasbeginning to groan under the weight. Butwe made it home and the round trip wasjust over 1000 miles.Simon and I had the only two Britishregistered R4s at the event, and theFrench folks we met were impressed wemade the effort to attend and made us feelvery welcome.So come on you Renault 4 owners outthere, next year is the 50th Anniversaryof “La Quatrelle”, I’m sure it will be aneven bigger event and not to be missed, sosee you there.Brian HuntFrench Classic and PerformanceCars at the Ace Cafe London -19.07.2010Early August I received a nice note andsome photos from a French Car Meetingthat one of our members, Peter Bell, wentto on in July. I have copied it below as itis hopefully an event we can look toattend again in the future.Enclosed are 3 photos taken at the AceCafe in July, at the French Classic andPerformance Night. If any member hasnot been to this venue, it is a great placeto visit and join in the fun of the night.Having travelled down from Cheshire, Iarrived early, as you can see from the nextphoto.I had a nice meal and it was not longbefore other Renault Owners started toarrive. From the next photo, you can see 2lovely alpines to the left of my 1975Renault 12TL and two 21 Turbos to theright.LOOKING FOR DISCOUNT RENAULT PARTS ?Then you’ve just found your answer !!!www.widaonline.co.ukWe provide quality replacement parts from major European component companies,including many of the original parts suppliers to Renault Purflux - Air, Oil, Fuel and Cabin filters Valeo - Clutches, Lighting, Braking, Cooling & Wiping Dayco - Timing & auxillary belts TRW - Brake discs, Pads, Shoes & Cylinders. Marelli - Lighting, Pumps & Electrical. Delphi - Diesel filters & Diesel related products NGK - Spark plugs, Glow plugs & Lambda sensorsSpecialists in Pierburg EGR valvesGREAT PRICESEXTRA DISCOUNT FOR CLUB MEMBERSWINDOW REGULATORSREAR DISC ASSEMBLIESSERVICE KITS1.6 16v COILSTIMING BELT KITSA FAMILY RUN BUSINESS FOR 26 YEARSCurrent Club Code for EXTRA 5% Discountroc76481aa (in lowercase)10 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

E V E N T R E p o RT sAcross the car park, in the next photo, youcan see a fine collection of 5s and Clios,within an hour of the 6 O’clock start, thecar park was full with up to 65 cars, andwhat a great display it was.All I can say for members is, “Get downthere and get with it.” A great night outand a great time had by all.Peter BellEditors note. This year has seen amarked increase in the varietyand number of events membershave gone to. As I pen this,although before it is received, we will alsohave Tatton and Crich. After this, andbefore the next, we will have the NEC. Wewould be interested to know if anyone haslocal rallys to go to that they may feelwould appeal, either as official or unofficialevents.Next year we already have Crich,hopefully if it goes well, the NEC, Kentrun for the 50th Anniversary of the launchin France of the Renault 4, Powderham isgoing to be a full joint event aimed againat Renault 4s but with all welcome(remember the birth of the 4 saw the naildriven into the coffin of the French linethat made the 4CV). French Car Show andperhaps the addition of some of the above,what would you like to see for FrenchRun 2, maybe carry on the theme of the 4and visit the French at Thenay. 2011 isgoing to be busy but also it’s goodpreparation for in 2012 the club hits 60CLUB 2011 CalendarYears of Age. The second oldest RenaultClub in the World - The First being ourdown under cousins. For the 50th we sawa large gathering at Beaulieu and with afair wind, good weather and the motormunchkins pulling together we can have aparty to be proud of. Sadly this yearcircumstances got the better ofWroughton, as the whole show wentdown.Tatton and if you want it Glamisshould also be on the cards.What we do need though is an eventsSecretary. This is a very simple job, sendthe forms to the show organiser asking forspace, send the entry forms to themembers, when the space is known, tellthe members if they have a space or not.The forms are already done as are any oddthings they call for like risk assessmentsand the committee can help move showmaterial around and advice. Do not worryif you have ne email, the system will takeemails for you and post paper entry formsto you. At most an hour or 2 a month.pLEAsE THINK sERIoUsLY oNTHIs. YoUR CLUB NEEds YoU!This year we have discussed the idea of producing a club calender based on some of the photos we have received this year but notused. Associating pictures with a month so for example April may be a Reims photo as that was the Reims Rally month. We stillwelcome photos for any month by the way and these can be anything Renault. We have come up with a supplier that can produce andpost out single or multiple calenders at what we hope will be a reasonable price.We can also post abroad but please be aware there may be a delay and extrapostal charge. For the UK these can be ordered on-line at the shop webpage or viaMike Fawke. We suggest if you would like them by Christmas then you need toorder by VERY early November as there is a 3 week print and post time. Thephotos here show the style of the calender but the photos are not finalised. Cost is£6.50 for a desk version (approx 210mm x 100mm) or £10 for a wall version(Approx A4 per sheet - A3 unfolded). full details on line or please call. If youwish to order multiples, also call for possible discounts. Available until 01/10/2011purchase online at www.renaultownersclub. com,email order toshop@renaultownersclub.com or post order toROC Shop, 26 Capel Street,Capel-le-Ferne,Folkestone, Kent, CT187LZCheques made payable toRenOwnersClub LtdTelephone Enquiries to01303 894392R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E115

C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - R E N A U LT 5 T U R B oRenault five Turbo - 30 Yearsfive GT Turbo - 25 YearsAll the other cars celebratinganniversaries here have been tocelebrate the launch of a wholenew model rather than just avariant of a model. Indeed had we coveredevery possible variant’s birthday then wewould be covering literally hundreds ofmodels. Hardly a year has gone by that hasnot seen at least 10 new variants launched.New models generally are far rarer.led to the first Renault 5 Turbo beingcalled retrospectively, the Turbo 1)was to be succeeded by the Clio Williamsand on into the Sports Renaults we seetoday. A breed was born.'The original 5 Turbo has been modifiedin many different ways over the years andAs with everything, there must be anexception. There was one variant that initself was unique, unlike types like theGordini (where we have seen everythingfrom Dauphines to Twingo variants) orsimple Turbo versions (21s or 18s as anexample), the Renault 5 Turbo saw awhole new approach, a custom body,power plant location and a legend about tobe born.The 5 Turbo featured a mid-mounted 1397cc Cléon turbocharged engine placedbehind the driver in a modified Renault 5chassis. In standard form, the enginedeveloped 160 PS (118 kW; 158 hp).Though it used a modified body from astandard Renault 5, and was badged aRenault 5, the mechanicals were radicallydifferent. 400 were produced in order tocomply with homologation for Group 4 sothey could be used for racing.The first version was called the Renault 5Turbo; the successor, the Turbo 2 wasmore basic but had nearly the sameperformance at launch (as an aside, thisDuring its first ever race in the worldchampionship, driven by Jean Ragnotti, atthe Monte Carlo Rally, the result showedthe prospects for the car. It won.It remained one of the fastest two wheeldrive vehicles throughout its life, onlybeing displaced by the four wheel driveswhen the going got loose. By the Maxi 5Turbo it was hitting 350BHP but with muchmodified engines.In total, production onlyran for 4 years from1980 to 1984 and in thistime production waslimited. However fromit was born anotheranniversary special - the5 GT Turbo!The 5 GT Turbo looked like a 5, felt like a5, but had bolt on body panels andpossibly a little too much in the way ofperformance for such a little car. It was atbest a little difficult to drive, to start whenhot and turbo lag was also an issue. Butwhen it all came together correctly it wasan extremely fast car.Not without reason within two years,there was a Phase II. Extra cooling, somenew panels, more revs and power andeven more fun. Add to that, when EBS didthe run of 1400 convertible 5s...14 wereTurbos.When, in 1991, production finished, itbolt-on kits are (still) available to makebog standard 5s look like 5 Turbos. Theiconic mid-engined cars still appear forsale and a recent Ebay offering wassnapped up by a workmate, who pouncedon another one for parts.With whole Renault 5 Front ends newfrom the factory going for only just over£100 and many panels available,rebuilding these is not as hard as it couldbe made out to be. Watch out though tomake sure that what you are buying is oneof the originals and has not got too muchhidden crash damage.Alasdair Worsley12 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

A d V E RT I s I N G f E AT U R EYour antifreeze could be damaging you, your car and the planetYou might not know it but almost 100 percent of the antifreeze used in modern cars,vans, buses and trucks contains ethyleneglycol. That might not mean much to you,but there is a growing campaign includingpetitions presented at Downing Street forethylene glycol to be banned in allantifreeze and replaced by propyleneglycol.Why? More and more people arebecoming aware of the fact that ethyleneglycol is a toxic poison which can beharmful and even fatal to both humans andanimals. There are often cases of domesticanimals being killed by walking throughpuddles and then licking their paws, ordrinking water contaminated withantifreeze. In fact, as little as 30ml ofethylene glycol can be fatal in adults and itis lethal at a level of just 4 to 5ml per kgfor dogs (equivalent to just oneteaspoonful), and an even smaller amountat 1 to 2 ml per kg for cats.As you might expect, ethylene glycol isn’tparticularly kind to the planet either. TheEnvironment Agency actually classifiesethylene glycol as hazardous waste.What’s more, if they find evidence ofimproper disposal, they can impose heavyfines and possible prosecution. As theEnvironment Agency points out, antifreezecontaining ethylene glycol should never bepoured down the drain as it can also causedeath to marine life and wild animals.As if all this wasn’t enough, someformulations of ethylene glycol can evendamage the vehicles they’re designed toprotect. It damages car paint and just 0.5to one per cent of ethylene glycol in avehicle’s oil can cause rapid failure of themain bearings causing the engine to shutdown.There are three main reasons whyantifreeze or more specifically glycol ismixed with the water in the engine andcooling system:1. It stops the water in the engine’scooling system from freezing when theoutside temperature is low2. It helps the engine stay coolerwhen it’s hot outside by raising the boilingpoint3. It also contains an inhibitor thatstops the corrosion of the internal componentsof the engine.In short, a glycol antifreeze coolant protectsthe engine’s components and casing. That’s theidea, but not all antifreezes on the market do itthat well – it depends on the type of inhibitorused. For example, ten years after the newlong-life antifreeze was introduced, car andtruck owners continued to complain that thecoolant corroded and clogged radiators andradiator caps, eroded water pumps, rottedradiator hoses and caused chronic overheatingand engine damage. The new long life (OAT,HOAT, NOAT) (Organic Active Technology)was driven by the manufacturers and lasts forfive years versus the two years for the old bluestuff (IAT-Inorganic Additive Technology). Amajor problem with the new long life OAT isthat it is unsuitable for most vehiclesmanufactured before 2001.As the Federation of British Historic VehicleClubs state in their Newsletter Number 22010: “It does remain a rather confusedpicture, but the important facts to rememberfor historic vehicle owners are: use onlyInorganic Additive Technology (IAT) productsaccording to the manufacturers’ instructionsand take great care with any liquid containingethylene glycol.”Is there a safer alternative?Thankfully, there is an alternative to antifreezecontaining ethylene glycol. By adding just oneextra carbon atom in the chemical structure,propylene glycol is created, which has verydifferent chemical and biological properties.Propylene glycol is a low toxicity liquid whichhas been given the ‘generally regarded as safe’(GRAS) designation by the American Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) and is widelyused in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.It freezes at a similar temperature to ethyleneglycol, but it transfers heat much moreeffectively and it’s not harmful to the engine’smain bearings.Propylene glycol has also been the safealternative for vehicle antifreeze coolant in theUSA and France for many years. Propyleneglycol-based antifreeze coolant is offered by anumber of suppliers around Europe and theUSA, as a less toxic alternative to ethyleneglycol-based products. But no major vehiclemanufacturers currently use propylene glycolbasedproducts in their vehicles. However,PG-based products are more widely used inAustria and Switzerland where there islegislation that restricts retail sales ofhazardous products.One PG-based antifreeze coolantavailable in the UK is AAA ClassicCoolant (www.aaaclassic.com) which isdistributed by AAA Solutions Limited.According to Derek Harris, managingdirector of the company, “We have asimple mission statement, which is to seetoxic ethylene glycol coolant/antifreezereplaced with safer propylene glycol in allvehicles.”Editors Note:Ten reasons why AAA Classic Coolantwith its unique inhibitor packagedeveloped specifically for propyleneglycol is better for you, your vehicle andthe environment:1) GRAS and low toxicity. It willnot harm or kill an animal thataccidentally licks up a small spill on thegarage floor or in the car park2) Fuel economy, heat transfer andother key performance characteristics arenot compromised, and in some casesenhanced3) Is sold as a ‘pre-mix’ to avoidwater and mixing problems4) Will not damage paint5) Will not damage main bearings6) Does not break down intocorrosive elements, and can be used formany years to give excellent aluminiumprotection and prevent lime scale7) Inhibitor package contains 11inhibitors (versus 5 - 7), was developedspecifically for the characteristics ofpropylene glycol, and surpassesrequirements for BS65808) By adding an inhibitor thatprovides both a physical andelectrochemical barrier over all the metalsin the system, it addresses the heavy metalinternal contamination problem. Bymaintaining this barrier as directed withBNT, fleets have reported they were ableto sewer dispose their spent antifreeze(you might like to check with the localwater authority for limits and restrictionson disposal)9) Doesn’t persist in theenvironment and is readily consumed bymicro-organisms10) Propylene Glycol Is sustainableas it’s now being produced as a byproductof bio-dieselR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E135

C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - C o L o R A L EColorale 60 th Anniversary2010 sees the 60th anniversary ofthe launch of one of Renault’s leastknown range of models – certainlyas far as anglophone markets areconcerned – the Colorale family. Indeed,there is some confusion about its propernomenclature. ‘Colorale’ (an amalgamationof ‘Coloniale’ and ‘Rurale’, which is selfexplanatory)is the range’s family name(surname) and ‘Prairie’, ‘Savane’, ‘Taxi’and others are the model names(given/Christian names, as it were). Bychance, the range might have been named‘Pastorale’ or ‘Tropicale’, but the eventualchoice of ‘Colorale’ had a pleasant ring anda tenuous sound association with theAmerican world ‘corral’ (an enclosure intowhich [generally] cattle are herded), whichis a tangental compliment to the vehicle’sorganic ancestor, the station wagon of theAmerican mid West farming way of life.History records that there were twopassionately defended faiths espoused by,on the one hand, the Louis Renault-reared‘old guard’ and, on the other, the moreopen-minded, state-appointed ‘youngsters’of the newly-created RNUR (RégieNationale des Usines Renault), of whichPDG Pierre Lefaucheux was the primeexample, over the commercial viability ofthe Colorale range. Those managers, whohad served under the authoritarian Masterof Billancourt (and, indeed, many of theremaining pre-war Renault sales agents,too) were heavily influenced by theunequalled and extensive pre-war Renaultmodel range, which allowed them to offer aRenault model to virtually any possibletype of customer, and they were unable (ordid not want) to countenance making andselling a very narrow range ofcomparatively inexpensive vehicles, whichwas, in reality, all that the majority of animpoverished and war-weary general pubiccould afford at the time.Briefly, Pierre Lefaucheux decided to gofor broke with the 4CV and the rest, as theysay, is history. However, he was not totallyblind to the dangers of a ‘monomarque’culture (which later very nearly scupperedVolkswagen and its Beetle) and he wasaware that the RNUR neither offered a carto Renault’s pre-war rural customers stillcruising around in their ancient andunburstable Vivaquatres and Novaquatresnor to business and trades people, forwhom the 300kg Juvaquatre-based van wastoo small and the 1000kg asthmatic butindestructible van was too big. There was,indeed, room for something in between butwas it a viable market for the newlyfoundedRNUR?The ‘old guard’ believed that there wassuch a market and, championed by AlbertGrandjean and Gilbert Lescoat from thecompany’s inner circle, it was suggested, asfar back as 1946, that a ‘station wagon’-type vehicle should be studied, using amaximum of bits from the extensiveRenault spare parts bin tominimise investment costs.The appearance of theoriginalprototypewas verysimilar to thecontemporaryPlymouth, with‘woodie’ (called‘canadienne’ in French)bodywork. PierreDreyfus, who was tobecome PDG of the RNURupon Pierre Lefaucheux’untimely death in 1955, was one ofthose vigorously opposed to theproject as being non-viable andWoodiebackward-looking, not to mention thatdevelopment resources would be divertedaway from essential work needed toaddress the urgent necessity of developinga larger saloon, that is to say the thencurrent rear-engined Project 108. This wasaborted, late in the day, in favour of theFrégate range - also to be ultimatelydisappointing. However, his fears wereoverruled by the commercial arguments putforward by the Colorale’s supporters.The necessity to minimise unwarranteddevelopment costs led to the adoption ofthe pre-war, indestructible ‘85’ (from its85mm bore). This was a fainthearted petrolengine first seen in the 1936 Primaquatre,which every mechanic in France couldoverhaul blindfolded, and of which wellover a quarter of a million exampleshad been manufactured thitherto.Likewise, the choice of thesturdy, but heavy, chassis ofthe 1000kg smallcommercial would ensuresolidity, as would thesemi-ellipticallysprung one-pieceaxles front andrear. The latterwere assisted byJ. -A Gregoire’svariable flexibilitycorrectors for tropical markets.For the body design, Renault tookadvantage of the pertinent expertise of14 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - C o L o R A L Ethe large industrial concern, Chausson. Theeventual, co-operative metal-bodied secondprototype allowed a maximum of versionsto be offered with a minimum ofalterations.To make it look like a member of theRenault family, Robert Barthaud and histeam reworked the front to resemble the4CV. The interior was comfortable butsimple and somewhat rustic. Three could sit‘up front’ (thanks to the steering columnmountedgear lever),on a two-place benchand a foldable thirdseat, with a three benchseat behind. Moreover,one could fit a crosswiseseventh seatbehind the second row,or remove the backseat altogether, thusoffering a huge loadcapacity.In fact, the Prairie wasarguably the first ever,mass produced voitureà vivre, offeringroominess and versatility. A glazed tailgate,of which the top half hinged upwards andthe bottom half downwards, could be heldhorizontally by means of retaining straps orotherwise swung down to lie completelyflush against the back of the vehicle, thusfacilitating loading or the carriage of extralong objects. Although one or other or acombination of some such features wereoffered subsequently from time to time byother manufacturers (who have often quitewrongly laid claim to have built the first‘multispace’ vehicle), the Colorale range’spolyvalency was way ahead of them all andwas only properly trumped by Renault’scommercial interpretation of Matra’sEspace suggestion in the early Eighties.The Colorale range was launched in theBagatelle Park in May 1950 in threeversions. The first was the Prairie, whichwas to prove the most widely sold variantand which was a three-light, five-door,six/seven seat model. Then there was theSavane, a four-light, three-door, six-seater,on which the rear side windows wereabsent and the openings could be coveredwith roll-down canvas side curtains locatedby Dzus fasteners. Moreover, this modeloffered a top-hinged opening windscreen(the wipers on all Colorales had spindles onthe front bulkhead) and was clearly aimedat the tropical francophone colonial market(in the days before vehicle airconditioning!), although a notable numberfound agricultural or artisanal customers onthe home market. The last variant at launch,was the Taxi 85, which was a Prairie withthe necessary modifications to compete inits targeted market. All these models wereType R2090 vehicles.At the following October’s Paris Salon inthe Grand Palais, three further models werelaunched. The first was a Pick-up, aconventional such vehicle, with twosmallish rear-of-cab square windows on thecab’s closing panel, rigid flatbed sides anda drop-down tailgate, offering a natty littlefolding step on its inner face. Whenvertically lowered, this made climbing onto the load surface easier. The second wasan 800kgs Fourgonnette, which looked likethe Savane, but the rear side quarters weresolid panels and there were only three frontseats – a two-place bench and a foldablesingle seat, which could offer additionalcarrying capacity if and when desired, be iteither in weight or extended length terms.The back door was a right-hand hingedsingle piece component. The last variantwas the Chassis-Cab, similar to the Pickup,with the cab ending immediately behindthe two side doors. The shut panel washorizontally contoured and sported thesame little windows to allow rearwardsight, to which structure the manycontemporary commercial coach buildersadded their own (or their clients’ suggested)bodywork. All of these latter variants weredesignated as Type R2091.A significant factor in the pricing must havebeen that, in order not to interfere withBillancourt’s pell-mell production of the4CV, it had been decided to sub-contractthe stamping out of the body panels and theassembly thereof into complete bodyshellsto – whom? To Chausson at Gennevilliers,of course, as that company was, at thattime, the only external French subcontractorpossessing the industrialcapability to produce Colorale shells at theprojected rate of 150 units perday, at which point the projectwould have broken even. Theunpainted body shells weretransported vertically toBillancourt for final fittingout, eight at a time (four oneach side) on speciallyconstructed articulatedtrailers.In April, additional finalassembly was also undertakenat Renault’s factory at Haren,in Belgium and, already in itsfirst full season (1951), thePrairie De Luxe was joinedby a Prairie Normale, which was a ‘spartan’version, the price of which approachedmore closely that of the opposition. Tocontinue the publicity, a Savane and a pickuptook part in the Mediterranean-CapeRally and finished 7th and 11th, which wasnot a fine result, but it kept the new rangein the public’s eye. However, after the firstsix months, the range’s success could beestimated and it was not favourable. Forsure, the Prarie was selling into thefinancially comfortable clientele of thelarger agricultural undertakings in the Parisbasin and the north, where its rusticity,reliability, comfort and adaptability wereappreciated, but the necessity to ‘row’ itthrough the gears, led to poor economy,which was not to customers’ liking.R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E155

C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - C o L o R A L EIn short, the intended markets for theColorale variants turned out to be more of aniche market than had been predicted andthe range was not winning market sharefrom its more economical and lessexpensive niche competitors. Critics werenot slow to voice their opinions and so thefactory had to seek remedies, such as otherniches in the market, which could beexploited without too-costly adaptations,and by the fitting of a more economical butyet more powerful engine.1952 saw a substantial advance in pricesacross the board (this was true of the wholemotor industry at the time) to keep pacewith inflation and, even so, the companylost money on every Colorale itmanufactured. The year also saw the launchof the 4 x 4 versions, the Type R2092,which were available in Prairie, Savane andpick-up format, although the overall weightof such vehicles advanced to almost 1900kilograms. These versions promisedadditional markets in forestry and publicworks, as well as in the less developedcolonial empire. The layout included asteered front axle, with the wheels drivenvia Bendix-Tracta homokinetic joints and atransfer box, which fed both front and rearaxles, the driver choosing to engage ordisengage power to the front one. But eventhese new additions did not lift the overallsales figures.It is worth making a slight digressionat this point to examine someparticular versions in the range andsome variants. For example, the Taxi85 is often overlooked. Renault’s prewarKZ11 Vivaquatres still representeda major part of the taxi business,especially with the Parisian G2, G3and G7 companies, and one wouldhave supposed that the newcomerwould have been welcomed, especiallyfrom the maintenance point-of-view, asit had the same basic engine as the pre-warcars. However, the high initial cost coupledto the heavy fuel consumption of the Taxi85 deterred them all and this indifferencespread to other major French cities. On theother hand, it had a successful overseascareer, with 480 units produced in 1951, ofwhich 60 were exported to Greece andothers to Spain and to Denmark.The coachbuilder Carrier of Saint-Ouenfettled one such version for Madrid withtwo-tone paint, chrome body strakes and agood quality interior and another, ofdifferent aspect and interior finish, forGreece and yet another for tropical marketswith oversize tyres, a roof rack, which borethe displaced spare wheel, and awindscreen visor to mitigate solar glare.Indeed, a one-off Spanish catalogue incolour was produced for the taxi marketalone. Hardly a best seller, 195 such unitswere built in 1952, 11 in the following yearand it was not until December 1955 that thelast one rolled off the production lines.Unlike Peugeot, who catered directly to theambulance and hearse market with a builtupversion of its 203, Renault deliberatelyeschewed such outlets, leaving them tocoach builders, such as Surirey and, again,Carrier, who offered models on convertedPrairies (often a standard black vehicle withsuitable funereal ornamentation) or Savanesor, according to clients’ more specificwishes, on Colorale chassis-cabs.Expanding this review, it is to be noted thatother coach builders, such as Driguet, madespecialised adaptations of the variousColorale models – for grocery delivery, formilk delivery and others. Conversions werealso offered by a range of coach buildersfor plate glass carriage, for cattle/sheep/pigtransportation, for mobile shops, forscaffolding movements, for Tour de Francepublicity creations, for televisionbroadcasting (with a roof-mounted platformfor the cameraman and his equipment, thetransmission being effected within thePrairie’s (ex-)passenger area) and manyothers.Guilloré, who also clothed contemporaryBugattis and Delages, offered a limousineconversion on a Prairie basis. The interiorsported an ivory coloured plastic steeringwheel and it was completely retrimmed invelveteen cloth. Since a somewhat clumsyboot was grafted on the back (exit the twopiecetailgate), necessitating the extensionof the dumpy rear wings, the main rearbench seat was moved rearwards and three(forward-facing) foldable seats(‘strapontins’) were located behind thefront bench seat. Externally, apart from theobvious boot and rear wing extensions, thecars had chrome strakes along the bottomof the body, heavily contoured and chromedbumpers (with overriders) at back andfront, with a fillet to the bodywork, twosmall front lights below the headlights (forflashing indicators? for parking lights?) andoversize tyres on standard rims. How manyof these variants were manufactured is notpresently known, but is presumed to havebeen small.However, even such versatility, coupledwith the increasingly diverse model,sometimes as Sinpar or Herwaythorn alldriveconversions, which were destined forthe police, the gendarmerie, the armedforces, the postal and telegraphiccompanies and the other public utilities, didnot prevent the ColoRale range’sproduction from slipping gradually. Eventhe replacement in 1953 of the feeble ‘85’engine by the new ohv 1997ccs ‘Etendard’engine of the Frégate did not check theslowing of sales, for, although the moremodern engine was more powerful, itproduced its power at higherrevolutions and it lacked the low downslog of the pre-war unit. However, inorder to take advantage of the improvedpower, the engine had to be workedharder – so the economy was onlymarginally improved.Nor was it that the Colorale range wasnot a good one. Yes, the appearancewas dumpy, the performance was notscintillating and the economy was poor. Butit was extremely robust, it was comfortableand it was easy to repair in case of anaccident, as there was a mechanic in everyhabitation, who had repaired such enginestimes without number in the past. Thesimple fact was that the clientele, which thesales network had avowed was there – as ithad been prior to the hostilities – was,owing to demographic changes and theravages of war, no longer sufficiently large16 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - C o L o R A L Eto ensure a profitable business.Moreover, throughout the range’s life,examples featured in all sorts ofexpeditions to unlikely places all over theface of the earth, especially throughout theAfrican continent, so the vehicles were keptin the public’s eye over an extended periodof time. However, Pierre Lefaucheuxeventually had to admit to his colleague,Pierre Dreyfus, that he had been wrong insigning off the Colorale project and that theRNUR should better concentrate on themass production of a vehicle, which couldbe sold to a wider general public in greatnumbers.Additionally, not only had the developmentof the 109 prototype (the future Dauphine)intervened during the Colorale’s lifespan,the unexpectedly poorsales’ figures of the Frégaterange caused minds to befocused in that direction,too. However, the Coloralerange could not be excisedperemptorily, because theRNUR had a contract,which had to be honoured,with their subcontractor,Chausson, so one just hadto soldier on for a littlewhile. Unsurprisingly, newmodels were few and farbetween, but there wererevisions for the overseasmarkets and there was anorder for forty units of a 4 x4 Savane version (R2095)with dual foot controls for the Dutch army’sdriving school. By the end of 1954, annualproduction had fallen to 5628 units.During the next two years, the Coloralerange faded away. Examples wereassembled from the stock of alreadyfashioned body parts, in order to utilisethem and a Prairie Service, a completelybasic model, was shown at the Paris MotorShow in October 1954. But the range’sdeath knell had been sounded – strangelyechoing Pierre Lefaucheux’ own untimelydeath in February 1955 – and that year’sproduction had slowed to 4966 units. Littlepromotional publicity was undertaken andmotoring press road tests of the latestColorale versions were virtually absent or,at best, guardedly diplomatic. Eventually,daily production dwindled to less than 15units and, as the contract with Chaussondrew to a close, so production wounddown, the last R2093s, two Prairies and aSavane, being assembled on 13 February1956, followed by two final Prairie Servicemodels (R2094) two days later. From 1950,a total of 38850 Colorale vehicles had beenbuilt and it took nearly a further year beforethe Renault network had no further newunits to sell by the beginning of 1957.In closing, it is pertinent for us to considerthe range in anglophone (primarily righthand drive) markets. It was certainlyoffered on the UK market, as photographsin the ROC’s archives show, amongst otherRenaults, a Prairie on Renault Limited’sstand at the 1952 and 1953 Earl’s CourtMotor Shows. At the time of writing, noknown examples have survived on thismarket.The entire range also featured (“Comingsoon!”) as an ’85 Estate Sedan’ (thePrairie), as an ’85 Panel Van’ (theFourgonette), as an ’85 Taxi’ (idem), as an’85 Utility’ (the Pick-up) and as an ’85 Cab& Chassis’ (the chassis-cab) on the pages ofthe ‘Introducing a new neighbour’ fullcolour brochure, produced in 1951 bySydney-based Ira L. & A. C. Berk PtyLimited to celebrate the opening of theirnew North Queensland showrooms inBrisbane in April of that year, when thecompany was the official concessionaireand vehicle assembler in Australia for theRNUR (documents also in the ROCarchives). It is believed that a singleexample may have survived in that country.Although it appears to be doubtful, it hasnot been possible to determine presentlywhether the range was also offered on theNew Zealand and/or South African marketsnor, indeed, how successfully it sold inthose markets, nor further whether any suchhave survived.The Colorale range sold widely into Frenchcolonial Africa and its robustness andsimplicity permitted such vehicles to workthere tirelessly if slowly for some decades.What some of us, who have traveled inFrance in recent years, can confirm is that asurprising number of these stubborn ifdocile workhorses have survived in theirhomeland, some of them having beenconverted into tow trucks with a crane onthe rear floor and liveried inRenault’s contemporary white,yellow and black and havingworked well into the Eighties dansla France profonde, before beingretired round the back of small,out-of-the-way Renault agents’premises. Nowadays, there is agrowing affection for them,particularly amongst Frenchclassic commercial vehicleenthusiasts, who are taking thenecessary steps to restore them fortheir own pleasure and forposterity. Long may that continue!In closing, we are indebted toauthor, Marc-Antoine Colin, andto his publisher, ETAI, for some ofthe information, originally appearing in thebook “La Renault Colorale de mon père”[ISBN 2.7268.8854.1] of 2001, which hasbeen reviewed in a past edition ofRENOTES and which is surely a ‘must’ forany enthusiast of this much overlookedmember of the Renault family.Moreover, for an abundantly illustrated andvery concentrated history and “Buyers’Guide” on the Renault Colorale family,members with a good knowledge of Frenchare strongly recommended to consult twoexcellent articles appearing in sequentialeditions of the French magazine ‘Gazoline’(No. 166/April 2010 & No. 167/May 2010).Hector Mackenzie-WintleR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E175

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sRodeo 40 th AnniversaryThe Renault Rodeo was a series ofsmall open-top automobilesproduced between 1970 and 1987by ACL, later called Teilhol, forRenault. In total there were fourgenerations of the Rodeo.At first the car was called ACL Rodeo andthe name was changed to Renault Rodeoin July 1976. Car was front wheel drivebut could be ordered also with four wheeldrive technic supplied by Sinpar.Rodeo (1981-1987) Also known as Rodeo5Rodeos were a number of similar ideas forcars, both made as “production” vehicleslike the Plein Air - a 4 seat open topRenault 4,Semi Production like the JP4 - aShortened Plein Air in ItalyThe production dates for the Rodeo wereas follows:Rodeo 4 (1970-1981)A new model with a smaller and entirelynew body replaced the Rodeos 4 and 6 in1981, simply called the Rodeo. A limitedseries of all wheel drive versions werebuilt in 1984 only, called the RodeoHoggar.and low volume specials like those basedon the JP4 were made for the UK market.The original Rodeo 4 was based on theplatform of the Renault 4 van, with an845 cc engine.Rodeo 6 (1972-1981)In 1972, a second model appeared, nowknown as the Rodeo 6. It was still basedon the platform of the R4 van, but withthe 1108 cc engine of the Renault 6. In1979, the Rodeo 6 was improved andadopted the 1289 cc engine of the Renault5. The Rodeo 4 and the Rodeo 6 coexistedfrom 1972 to 1981.The "Trafic" RodeoThe Rodeo name was also used byRenault in Argentina to designate a localvariant of the Renault Trafic (1st.generation), which had a flat rear chassisand a flatbed with dropping sides and rear(similar to a pick-up). The flatbed wasdesigned to be removable, allowingRodeo buyers to use it as a rolling chassisfor mounting specific rear compartments.Production 1970-1987 60,000 producedLength3,660 mm (144.1 in)Width1,589 mm (62.6 in)Height1,595 mm (62.8 in)Kerb weight 645kg 860 kgFollowing on and in parallel to theThese were not marketed as Rodeos andunlike the Rodeo retain the shape, if notthe majority of the panels, that were onthe original vehicle and look like thedonor vehicles that created them. Alsothere was a Renault 5 as a half top.Some were produced simply to use up thelast remaining vehicles when productionchanged or ended.Alasdair Worsley18 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sRenault 20/30 - 35 th AnniversaryBetween 1975 and 1983, Renault In the mid-1980s, the then state-owned largely the same as the R20 GTL.produced its executive class Romanian manufacturer Dacia produced a (october 1978) - Introduction of the R30“grand tourer” models, the “20” small number of Renault 20s under the TX. It had a more powerful Bosch K-and the “30”. The first had a name Dacia 2000, which were reserved Jetronic fuel-injected 144 PS (106 kW)choice of 1.6- and 2-litre petrol, plus a 2.1-litre diesel engine.The second had a 2.7-litre V6 petrolengine. Equipped with power-assistedsteering, independent suspension, seatcombinations, which could providebetween 14 and 49 cubic feet of storage; itoffered four-door central locking with animpact de-activator, internal headlightlevel adjustment, sumptuous seats andcarpeting, six armrests (in the 30), theycould carry five people very comfortablyand were the flagships of the Renaultrange.In 1981 the 20/30 range, for the UK wasmodified. The new 20TX was introducedwhich had a 2.2-litre petrol engine, alloywheels, an updated dashboard , infra-redentirely for the dignitaries and secretpolice of the Communist government ledby Nicolae Ceauşescu. A speciallyprepared Renault 20 Turbo 4x4 driven byBernard Marreau won the Paris-Alger-Dakar Rally in 1982.production figures:R1270: 20/30 Turbo-D - 27,601R1271: 20 L/TL/GTL - 187,001R1272: 20 TS - 201,401R1273 No figures availableR1275: 30 TS - 68,401R1276: 20 TD/GTD - 84,801R1277: 20 LS/TS - 100,401R1278: 30 TX - 40,401R1279: 20 TX - 33,801Timeline:(march 1975) - Introduction of theRenault 30 TS, a large 5-door hatchbackpowered by the 2664 cc V6 PRV engine(developed jointly between Peugeot,Renault and Volvo), with a choice ofeither a 4-speed manual or 3-speedautomatic gearbox. It had power-assistedsteering, two twin round Quartz-Iodide(QI) headlights, electric front windowsand central locking.version of the 2664 cc V6 engine with 5-speed manual or 3-speed automaticgearbox. It offered alloy wheels, allroundelectric windows, electric sunroof,velour upholstery, and all-round headrestraints.(1979) - Revisions to all models: driver'sside rear fog light and rear seat belts. TheR20 TS received a new cooling fan,inertia reel rear seat belts, a newwindscreen wiper switch, and the choiceof a 5-speed gearbox. The R30 TS wasfitted with a more powerful 130 PS (96kW) engine, and small pocket in thedrivers sun visor. Introduction of the R20LS, having the same mechanicalspecification as the R20 TS, but theequipment specification of the R20 TL.(september 1979) - Introduction of theR20 diesel (in TD and GTD forms) withnew 2068 cc diesel (67 PS (49 kW))engine, 5-speed gearbox, negative offsetfront suspension, and larger four-studwheel rims.(1980) - All models were given apantograph driver’s side wiper, and acompletely restyled interior, with newcentral "plip" locking, cruise (November 1975) - Introduction of the dashboard and instrument panel from thecontrol/speed limiter, headlight and rearscreen wash-wipers, remote external doormirror adjustment and four head-rests.Although the 30TX had been unveiled atthe 1978 Paris Motor Show, it, too, had itsspecification up-graded, with additionalsix door central "plip" locking (rear hatchand fuel filler flap), rear passengercourtesy light, 15 seconds interior lightdelay, an “overhead” bulb and doormonitor, disc brakes all around and BoschK-Jetronic fuel injection to feed its V6unit.The new breed of TX were produced foreighteen months only until October 1983,when the 20/30 range was superseded bythe R25. In eight years, approximately750,000 Grand Tourers were created, yetthere are probably less than half-a-dozenworking examples, in the UK andcertainly more in Europe.Andy MitchellRenault 20, in L, TL and GTLspecifications, with the smaller 4-cylinder1647 cc (90 PS (66 kW)) all alloy R16engine and 4-speed gearbox. The L hadvery basic trim and no hubcaps. The TLhad a better equipment level, while theGTL had much the same equipment levelas the TS. Automatic transmission wasoptional on the R20 TL and R20 GTL.Quartz Iodide Headlights optional on allR20 models.(1976) - The R20’s 1647cc engine had thepower rating increased to 96 PS (71 kW).All models received a restyled instrumentpanel visor. The R30 TS’s power droppedfrom 130 to 125 PS (96 to 92 kW).Optional wheels with steel and alloybecoming available with Michelin TRXtyres.(July 1977) - Introduction of the R20 TS.It had a new single OHC 1995 cc engine(rated at 109 PS (80 kW)), with the choiceof a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automaticgearbox. The equipment level remainedRenault Fuego. All petrol models receiveda new type of automatic transmissionoption. The R20 TL/GTL were fitted witha new alternator with built-in electronicregulator and new 3-spoke alloy wheelrims. The R20 TS now had the wheel rimsfrom the R30 TS. The R30 TS/TX wasfitted with a chrome grille surround.(1981) - All R20 models received newdual-circuit braking system and negativeoffset front suspension. The R20 GTL wasdiscontinued.(1981) - R30TS discontinued. A new 2.2-litre engine rated at 115 PS (85 kW) wasintroduced in the new 20 TX. A new 2.0-litre diesel engine rated at 60 PS (44 kW)was added to the R20 range.(1982) - A new turbo-diesel enginedelivering 85 PS (63 kW) and derivedfrom the naturally-aspirated diesel enginewas introduced in the new R30 Turbo D.(1983) - The R20 and R30 ceaseproduction, to be replaced by Renault 25.Alasdair Worsley & Renault resources.R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E195

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sfuego 30 th AnniversaryAt a recent car show, mainlyaimed at the more “modern”cars, it was noted that theRenault 30 on display was allbut unknown to some people there. Whilstsingle model clubs may of course be able todedicate resource solely to one model orgroup, this is often at the loss of the indepthknowledge of the heritage that led toor from their vehicles.Often this heritage can help one to learnwhy one’s car is what it is. So we have theFuego, perhaps an unusual in-betweencoupé, neither an Alpine nor even aGordini but nonetheless a vehicle ofinterest. What is more, it’s probablyconsiderably rarer than most of the othercars, for which the Owners’ Club caters.Now Fuego is not the brother of a famousArgentinian handball star (should that befootball?) but a 1980s Renault (it’s otherclaim to infamy is it’s one of only threeRenaults in the last 30 years to leave meby the roadside - all when they werenearly new rather than classics. In theFuego’s case a fuel pump fault, the othertwo were an 18 when a jack from a lorrywent through the floor and a 9 when aradiator was holed. So, all-in-all, quite agood record bearing in mind now I covernearly 20,000 miles a year, only 1 faultnot accidental.The fuego was a three door (hatchback)with four seats that replaced the 12 based15 and 17 from the 70s. Its floorplanderived from the Renault 18 (saloon). Atthe time it had its own suspension whichit later donated back to the revised 18 andlater, with a few modifications to theoriginal 25.It stayed in production, albeit inArgentina, until 1992 and was exported tothe US although with different (anduglier?) safety features. A soft top wasplanned and a prototype was suggested(primarily for the US market) by Heulliezbut it never made it into production. TheRenault 9 Alliance offered this insteadand perhaps the next real worldwideconvertible was the 19 and then coupéconvertible returned with the Mégane -start to see the heritage?With the Fuego, Renault dropped thenumbers-based system for identifyingcars, used since 1961 and started again togive cars names, as in the times of theDauphine, Ondine, Floride and others.Records include being the first windtunnel-designed car, top selling, two-doorcoupé in the early Eighties, fastest dieselcoupé and first to have keyless entry. As amatter of interest, this system wasinvented by Frenchman Paul Lipschutz(hence the name PLIP remote which isstill used in Europe.) It also had the firststeering column mounted audio systemcontrols (so-called “satellite controls”).Engines included a 1.4-litre, two 1.6s (onewas turbocharged), a 2.0, 2.1 diesel and a2.2-litre. Total sales reached only 265,367and, although a Fuego II was discussed, itwas laid to rest, owing to the company’sfinancial difficulties at that time. It was“replaced” by the Renault 21 range and nodirect line successor was built. ExcludingAlpines, Renault built nothing like theFuego until the coupé versions of theMégane (Mk. 1), although there was athree-door version of the 19, which didnot carry that designation.A facelift in 1984 saw trim, bumpers,front bonnet/grille layout and interiorschanged and another (Argentine) versionin 1990, called the GTA. In 2009, apotential concept Fuego the GTR was alsodrawn up. Watch this space?The launch of the Fuego was covered indetail in the October 1980 AutoWorld,Renault’s in house magazine of the time.I’ve reproduced a few pages in this articlebut have high resolution scans of all the20 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sarticle, if anyone wishes tohave more details.The fuego TurboIt took another three years forthe range to gain a real sportsmodel. The Fuego Turbo,launched in 1983, featured theengine of the R18 Turbo,developing 132 hp @ 3,000rpm. Result: a top speed ofmore than 200 kph and 0-100kph in under ten seconds. The FuegoTurbo boasted a number of obviousstyling innovations , including a “Turbo”logo on the radiator grille, and aluminium“honeycomb” wheels.The Fuego Turbo reached the peak of itssuccess in 1984: it was visuallyaggressive, powerful and even affordable!But Renault had waited too long and itscompetitors had cornered the market. TheFuego disappeared in 1985. Traces of thisvisually striking vehicle remain in thefilm “Mais qui a tué Pamela Rose?” andin two James Bond movies.1980 Renault fuego specification:Wheelbase 2440 mm (96.1 in)Track front 1425 mm (56.1 in)rear1346 mm (53 in)Length4360 mm (171.7 in)Width1692 mm (66.6 in)Height1316 mm (51.8 in)Length:wheelbase ratio 1.79Kerb weight 1010 kg (2227 lb)Fuel capacity 56.8 litres (12.5 Gal)The car was paid an unusual complimentby no less than the mighty Toyota in1993. The Fuego's slippery shape ledRenault's marketing department to inventthe slogan, "L'Aerodynamite" for theTurbo version in 1984. The Britishcampaign included double-page Sundaysupplement ads showing a black carphotographed in a sultry, red-lit studiounder the "Aerodynamite" banner.Nine years later, either through totalignorance or else in the way of saluting agood idea, Toyota's Supra was advertisedin double-page spread splashes, in black,back-lit in electric blue in a darkenedstudio. Underneath, the tag-line read. . ."Aerodynamite".Quoting from Renault’s Collectors site,“Fuego: the commercial flop that peopleliked”.In terms of buying a Fuego now, it is stillbest to peruse the classifieds of websites,Ebay (of course) and the back pages ofmagazine. Being one of the cars theOwners’ Club has covered since birth,there is of course a wealth of additionalmaterial in the archive and experience inthe club. Whilst it moved into thecategory of “classic” a few years back, thespread of these cars means they shouldbecome collectors vehicles if they havenot already done so.In Argentina, where the sales went onmuch longer, there is quite a following forthese cars (albeit in Spanish) andenthusiasts have access to many of theparts, which, over here became limited orhard to find quite a while ago. Spares arestill available for a lot of the main items,as they continued to be used on laterRenaults. Even recently a clear-outbrought to light some front shockabsorbers, quickly snapped up by an eagerowner. If you know of the whereabouts ofany Fuegos, I would be grateful to knowof them.Alasdair WorsleyR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E215

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sPrior to July 2007 I had only everowned one French car, a green1976 Citroen 2CV. That was backin 1985 as my daily driver 1300VW Beetle had seized its gearbox and Ineeded transport to and from my shift workas a maintenance engineer for HammondsSauce Works in Bradford some 15 milesaway from my home village of Thornhill.Said Beetle was my first car and cost methe grand total of £250 in January 1983, theweek after I passed my driving test. Oncethe Beetle was repaired I only sold the 2CVwhen the tax and test expired, as it was somuch cheaper to run than the VW.Moving on 22 years later and a similarscenario occurred. My 1989 VW Jetta GLhad failed the MOT on its power steering.It was going to cost me more than thecar’s value to repair it myself than the£320 VW wanted for replacement parts.The hunt was on for another car andthoughts of getting a Polo GT sprang tomind. One will probably now be awarethat apart from the 2CV my cars have allbeen VWs. (I will admit that I also had aflirtation with a Datsun 260Z in the 1990sbut that’s another story). I did look atsome Polo GTs that were for sale at thetime, but they were just overpriced andtired looking. Today I am rather fortunatethat I can walk to my current job as alocal government officer so I had no realurgency to find another VW, of any kind.A couple of weeks passed and the phonerang. A friend who is a sales engineer hadseen a cheap car for sale parked outside ahouse near Harrogate. It was a Renault 5Campus Prima. Not exactly what I waslooking for but worth a look, as ideas ofhaving a ‘stop-gap’ car to use until Ifound a good Polo GT were beginning tosupercinq sagaspring to mind. Arrangements were madeto see it and to be honest it was not love atfirst sight. A few dents and scratchesmarked the paintwork along with somerust patches here and there. The sunroofwas sealed up with silicone, thewindscreen was cracked and it only had 2weeks tax and 6 weeks test remaining.Nevertheless a test drive was taken and Iwas pleasantly surprised at how perky shefelt to drive. Another surprise was that myoffer of £250 was accepted!Yes folks you can still buy a car withsome tax and test for 250 quid in the 21stcentury.The seeds of a love story had been sownas I discovered that this Superfive wasreally fun to drive and cheap as chips torun. I named her Amandine in honour of awoman I had a brief romantic liaison witha few years ago in northern France. Apartfrom having the windscreen replaced I didnothing to prepare Amandine for theimpending MOT that she passed withflying colours, yet another surprise. MyMOT guy said that if I got a year ’smotoring out of her then I would havenothing to complain about for the price Ihad paid. I must admit that, like HectorMackenzie-Wintle mentioned in the Juneedition of RENOTES, I too prefer to keepan older car on the road as they are easyto work on and do not require any ArthurC Clarke ramifications of computeriseddiagnostic equipment to tell you what iswrong with them as they ‘communicate’with you. Amandine has in her own wayinformed me of failing front wheelbearings and exhaust. Her previous ownerhad cut the brake pad wear sensor wiringwhich does not bother me as every 6000miles I give Amandine a thorough servicecheck in all areas. Modern motors in myopinion equate to being soulless sensorydepravation devices that are so boring todrive to the point of being almostdangerous! There is no danger of fallingasleep at the wheel of Amandine as all hersqueaks, rattles and rumbles let you knowexactly what she is doing on the road orwhat may be wrong with her. Amandinehas Character in Bathtub sized ladleswhen compared to any modernautomobile.In the three years we have been togetherAmandine has never failed an MOT. Lastyear, however, she did receive an advisoryon a slightly worn track rod, minorexhaust leak and pitted brake pipe, all thatI was happy to rectify. Consumables havebeen the usual service items like plugs,filters and oil plus a full exhaust andhaving replacement Michelins fitted on allfour wheels. With her cheap tax andinsurance plus fuel economy of 10 milesto the litre Amandine has more than paidfor herself, so she does deserve a treat ofhaving Michelin tyres fitted rather thansome obscure Chinese made ‘ditchfinders’.Also in our time together we have donenumerous Booze cruises to Calais withAmandine loaded up with beer, wine andspirits along with my mother as a willingpassenger. In fact over the past yearAmandine has been on the Continent fivetimes. We toured Brittany last summer,driving through the night down to Doverfor the early morning ferry across toDunkirk, then several hours driving to thecampsite near Morlaix. Yet another pre-Christmas Booze cruise. Then Februarysaw us on a winter wander via North SeaFerries Hull to Rotterdam then onto BadMeinberg, Germany to visit a dearPlatonic friend of mine. Amandine alwaysstarted in the sub-zero temperatures andnever failed to get through snow-covered22 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sroads, both in Germany and back home inBlighty, unlike other much more ‘wellheeled’ drivers in their traction-controlled,air conditioned ‘gin palaces’. Mother’sDay weekend saw Amandine take bothmother and I for a meander to the Cité deEurope shopping centre near Calais. Thiswas again using North Sea Ferries, but viaZeebrugge. (The joy of being an invertedsnob is when it costs more to ship yourcar on the overnight ferry than what youpaid for it. Insurance ditto!) Finally thisJuly a grand tour of the Nord / Pas-de-Calais region was taken in Amandine withboth mum and I inside plus luggage and adisability scooter too. And yes there wasstill room left to fetch a few bottles ofFrench ‘falling down water’ back with ustoo. I must point out that all the abovetrips to Europe have NOT involved theuse of Sat-navs, as I hate them! It’s OldSchool road maps and a faith in humaninstinct that work for me. Computers donot have feelings or emotions after all.Being 6’ 4” tall is not a problem for me indriving Amandine. It’s only at trafficlights that I have to ‘Stoop down’ to seewhen the lights have changed. However Ihave to disagree with ‘Laurence M’ inJune’s RENOTES as in my opinion theturning circle is better than many‘Superminis’ of a similar vintage and thesteering feels just right too. OK so I takesize 14 shoes therefore cannot quite graspthe meaning of ‘a heavy clutch pedal’. Ido agree that they are highly geared butthe single point fuel injection gives the1390cc Energy engine plenty of torquewhere it’s needed.Amandine has almost been 100% reliableexcept for an episode last October whenone Friday afternoon her n/s ball jointfailed on a mini-roundabout. At first Ithought it was a puncture but with nosteering and ominous scraping noisescoming from the front I thought the worstas Amandine stopped near the pavement.On getting out I saw that oil was pouringout of the gearbox as her drive shaft hadbeen wrenched out and the front wheelwas tucked way underneath. ‘Well the endhas finally come old girl’ I said as I pattedher roof. Within an hour the recoverytruck arrived and I ordered the driver totake us to a retired engineering friend inHuddersfield for tea and sympathy. Saidfriend has a large garage and many tools.After several cuppas it was decided thatAmandine could be saved so the next daythe necessary parts were collected andwork began to repair her. Three hours and£25 later she was back up and running,although she now had a strange wobble atspeeds above 35mph. Further closeinspection revealed a bent drive shaft sothe following week a replacement wasordered via GSF Leeds.My work colleagues though I was madrepairing ‘An old nail’ that owed menothing. Suggestions of weighing her inon the scrappage scheme were mentionedin the office but being the stubbornTaurean that I am I was having none ofthat. I was going to prove that you cannotkeep a good car down and that repairing‘an old nail’ was a much moreenvironmentally sound proposition thanany government scrappage scheme. So afurther £50 and a couple more hours ofmy time and Amandine was back in finefettle. I even took her to work just to shutup all the doubting Thomass with their0% financed-over-3-years moderns thatwere depreciating more in a month thanthe total expenditure I had in Amandineover the years we had been together.The above incident caused me to considerfinding an eventual replacement forAmandine. Besides, her rust issues werenot getting any better so naturally anotherSuperfive was on the agenda. The ideabeing that once Amandine had given upthe ghost she would be cannibalised forspares to keep her replacement going longinto the future. At first, I only came acrossexamples that were just as rusty asAmandine and with silly asking pricestoo. Then in late January, just as the billsfor Christmas came dropping through theletterbox, I saw a beautiful red Superfiveon Ebay. She had a full service historyand a genuine 15,500 miles showing fromnew. I bid up to £700, but did not reachthe reserve. Being a Spiritualist, Imeditated on the situation and that nightthe answer came that I should bid all theway for her. So with a set limit of £1000in my mind I bid … and I won her. Thenext day a higher bid had been placed andI was heartbroken. I had no more moneyto spare, as I had ‘borrowed’ £250 frommy mother to reach my final offer. A closefriend, who is a Reiki master, told me notto worry, as the car would eventuallybecome mine. Indeed with less than 24hours to go the rival bid was withdrawn.Now that WAS a surprise. On St.Valentine’s Day of this year, with the helpof my retired engineering friend, I finallycollected ‘Poppy’. The vendors told meR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E235

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sthat they spent threeyears looking for aSuperfive with suchgood condition andprovenance. She wasonly being sold, as herthen new owner, whosefirst car just happen tobe a Renault 5, waspregnant and wanted abigger car. In fact theday before I collectedPoppy, a motor traderfrom London hadoffered £500 more thanmy bid and wanted mycontact details as he sodesperately wanted thissuper, Superfive. Onceshe was home I lockedher away in the garageuntil the weatherimproved. In themeantime I joined theROC!The first sunny day of the year I pushedPoppy outside to give her a thoroughgoing over. It was then I decided that shewas simply too good to replace Amandineas a day-to-day runabout. ThereforePoppy would become my ‘Sunday bestand Sunny Day’ car.Finding insurance, as a modern classicwas difficult, as, unlike the R5 Turbo, theR5 Campus Prima is not exactly regardedas a classic in insurance circles yet! Stillpersistence paid off and Equity Red Starcame to the rescue. However a few weekslater and I was contacted by Equity, whorequired a valuation from a RenaultOwners’ Club official. Anxiously Icontacted our R5 Registrar, Mike Fawkewho gave a stunning valuation report,based on thephotographic anddocumentaryevidence Iprovided. Poppyand I are ever sograteful to Mikefor his help withthis mostimportant matterof insurancevaluation.Poppy has yet toattend a ROCevent althoughboth Amandineand I had a greatweekend at theRCCC / ROC bash held at the Bubble CarMuseum in June, where we found thegathered throng of Renault enthusiasts amost amiable and enthusiastic bunch. Asfor the future? Well it would be nice tohave Poppy on display at some ROCattended events. Perhaps attend theBruges classic car festival next year, usingthe North Sea Ferries Hull – Zeebruggeroute to keep her mileage down of course.And as for Amandine? Well, if the GoodLord will spare her any grief on her nextMOT, I plan to drive down to myHungarian father’s humble abode on theCosta Calida, Spain in October. Hopefullystopping off at the Lohéac classic cargathering in Brittany along the way. Nextyear a trip to visit family in Hungarycould be on the agenda for Amandine, asmy stocks are getting low of homemadePalinka and wine from the Horvath familyvineyards. Amandine would not be lonelyin Hungary as my cousin, Luczi Jo, owns‘Eva’ a Renault Express parts chaser forhis accident repair business. With over240,000 kms and still going strong, Evashows no signs of failing to provide loyalservice for a good few years yet. Fingerscrossed, Amandine will serve likewiseand Poppy will still be with me when Iretire in 202?Count Richard Ferenc Edgar Horvath24 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sTrafic & master30 th AnniversaryIcame into working with Renaults firstof all via vans. Yes, I was drivingRenault 4s up and down theallotments at a silly age and I was alsodriven around by my dad in variousRenaults throughout my growing years.However, despite a short spell as a carcleaner in the local (Renault) garage (CrossRoads, Abingdon) and as a taxi coordinatorat a weekend golf tournament (inReading), my first real employment, whichinvolved Renault vehicles, was with (longgone) ATT Papworth.This organisation was set up before mytime by a group of people, with the aim ofgiving jobs to TB sufferers awaiting orundergoing a cure. The problem was that,when they had been cured, no one wantedthem. Hence, a village built aroundfurniture, electrics, vehicles and luggage,amongst other trades.Following on from their governmentcontracts with BT, Rail and the GreenGoddesses, they now built major fleetvehicles for BT, the rail, NHS and thePost Office. Now, the TB colony has allbut closed and in its place is a thrivingcommunity.From 1980 to 1997, it manufactured thefirst generation Master.From 1997 until today, the plant has builtthe second-generation Master which hassold more than one million units in 45countries.and external facelift and a lot of the panelwork on the 3rd one is shared - there islogic to this as modern day conversionsrequire detailed type testing and bykeeping elements common their is noneed to retest these elements.The Mark 1 Trafic was sold from 1980 to2000 with a facelift in 1990, and later wassold by Tata and in kit form toWinnebago. It replaced the Estafette.The Mark 2 had at least 3 facelifts.Viewed as workhorses, it is easy to forgetthat they are thirty years old – as old asthe Espace in the UK and much older thanthe very first Clio. As a club, we havementioned some of the newcomers to thescene, but is it not about time that webestowed on these vans the honours,which they rightly deserve?’Orders for New Master – the thirdgeneration of the vehicle willSoVAB (Société des VéhiculesAutomobiles de Batilly) plant is now theone and only production site for the newRenault Master. The plant is located inthe département of Meurthe-et-Moselle,30 km north of Metz, in northeasternFrance.It is on this site, which celebrated its 30thanniversary at the beginning of June, thatthe specialized production of large vanshas been carried out since 1980.progressively replace the current versionwhich is to stop production at the end of2010.Although listed as having 3 generations,the second went through a major internalThe Mark 3 has just been launched.Alasdair WorsleyR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E255

C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R sEspace UK - 25 th AnniversaryThe Talbot Espace concept by but at the cost of the GRP bodies.digit system.Matra at the start of the 80s(prototypes had been discussed In terms of identifying your model or one Date wise:prior to this). Matra had, in the you are about to buy, there are some 1984-1988 Type 1 Phase 1, backwardsmid 60s, bought René Bonnet’s smallracing firm that specialised in Fibre Glass(GRP) bodies on a warmgalvanised steelchassis. These bodies had already beensuccessfully supplied to Matra for smallengined racing cars.simple rules and this also leads to the 4variants (and facelifts) that haveaccompanied the espace.From the chassis number (and this appliesto all Renaults:sloping headlampsAt this point you will spot that I called itthe Talbot Espace. . . . because that iswhat it was. Matra had built a number ofvehicles for Chrysler, in the early 70sMatra entered an agreement to useChrysler’s dealer network to supply theircars through and in return made theBagheera as a Matra Simca model (at thispoint it was Chrysler and the Simcaengine was used).They added estate cars and a 3 seater toreplace the Bagheera (the Rancho andMurena) and at the end of the 70s whenthe now Simca became Talbot (PSA).By the early 80s, the P18 Seven SeaterOne Box was on the cars but Talbot (nowpart of Peugeot did not want to spend themoney on such a radical solution and asMatra held the design rights it was only amatter of time before they were bound tolook for another person to take on theiridea; "such a car has no future" was thePeugeot/PSA response.Who other than through Peugeots archrival Renault. This could have been a verydangerous project, bear in mind in thefirst year of production 1984 NONE weresold in the UK and hence this is the UK’s25th Anniversary and indeed ONLY 217were sold into the UK in 1985 howevernow with the figures toppingThe Matra franchise continued to buildthe Espaces up to 2003. After a less thansuccessful and late launch of theunpopular but now collectable Avantime(which ended up being pitched directly,but maybe not accidently, against the 4door Vel Satis made in house at Renault)the factory closed and at last Renaultcould bring the Espace 4 home to be builtFor say VF8J63C5250R***** etcVF8Vehicle France Matra (VF1:Renault,VF3:Peugeot, VF7:Citroen, VF8:Matra)J63The Model type(in Renault terminologyB = 5 door hatch;C = 3 door hatchD = coupéE = convertible (Top Gear)J = people carrier as ScenicK = estateL = saloon5engine type2 = petrol carburettor5 = diesel6 = petrol injection7 = petrol inject unleaded type8 = V6 petrol)25 gearbox type(manual 5 speed)0 one-letter for model year *Rbuild plantR = RomorantinK = Dieppethe six digit number is the actualproduction number.* For Matra, the one-letter model yearfollows initially:7 = 1977, 8 = 1978, 9 = 1979, A = 1980, B= 1981, C = 1982, D = 1983, E = 1984 etcI and O are not used but all 89-94 arezero.Then they moved over to the current 171988-1991 Type 1 Phase 2 (2000-1)forward lights1991-1997 J63 or Type 21997-2002 Last Matra Type JE or EspaceIII First 5 Star NCAPMatra give up the Espace in exchange forthe Avantime and by 2003 closed.2003-Date Espace 4Alasdair Worsley26 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

m o T o R s p o RT1985 End of the Yellow TeapotsRenault F1 is a Formula Oneracing team that has competedboth as an engine supplier andas a constructor from the late1970s to the present day, with severalbreaks. Renault introduced the turbo engineto Formula One when they presented theirfirst car at Silverstone in 1977. Althoughthe Renault team won races and competedfor world titles, it was as a supplier ofnormally aspirated engines to the Williamsteam in the 1990s that Renault first tastedworld championship success. Renaultreturned to the category as a constructor in2001 by taking over the Benetton team,which was renamed Renault in 2002. Theirfirst championship as a constructor wasachieved in 2005.Renault began its involvement in FormulaOne during the last five races of 1977with Jean-Pierre Jabouille in its only car.The Renault RS01 was well known for itsRenault-Gordini V6 1.5 L turbochargedengine, the first regularly used turboengine in Formula One history. Jabouille'scar and engine proved highly unreliableand became something of a joke during itsfirst races.It didn’t take long for the media to find anamusing nickname for Renault’s firstattempt at an F1 car. It may have featuredtechnology that was revolutionary in F1circles, namely a turbocharger, but itpuffed, whistled and blew its top enoughto earn the moniker of ‘The YellowTeapot’ from its very first race atSilverstone in 1977. At the heart of thebeast was a 1500cc V6 engine, with asingle turbocharger, designed under theleadership of Bernard Dudot and with thesupport of Elf. Power levels reached 500bhp when the turbo was on song… andbarely 150 bhp when it wasn’t. But thosefaltering first steps were enough toconfirm the team’s early hopes and thefirst race proved to be the first in a longseries that, thirty years later, includessome remarkable Formula 1 successes. In390 Grand Prix starts, Renault’s cars andengines have won 113 races, and scored154 pole positions. They have scored 299podium finishes and completed more than250,000 km in Grand Prix races. And,most importantly of all, they have wonseven drivers’ championships (1992, 93,95, 96, 97, 2005, 06) and eightconstructors’ crowns (1992, 93, 94, 95,96, 97, 2005, 06). Those performances areeloquent proof of Renault’s competitivespirit.The following year was hardly better,characterized by four consecutiveretirements caused by blown engines, butnear the end of the year the team showedsigns of success. Twice, the RS01qualified 3rd on the grid and whilefinishing was still something of an issue,it managed to finish its first race on thelead lap at Watkins Glen near the end of1978, giving the team a 4th place finishand its first Formula One points.1979 saw the RS10 and the smiles werewiped from faces and the jokes andlaughing quickly stopped. Althoughreliability still suffered, the yellow Teapotwas on the podium at the top by theFrench Grand Prix. Everyone saw the riskand were out developing Turbos as fast asthey could.Expanding to two drivers with ReneArnoux joining Jabouille in 1979, theteam continued to struggle althoughJabouille earned a pole position in SouthAfrica. By mid-season, both drivers hadnew ground-effect cars, the RS10, and atDijon for the French Grand Prix the teamlegitimized itself with a brilliantperformance in a classic race. The twoRenaults were on the front row inqualifying, and pole-sitter Jabouille wonthe race, the first driver in a turbo-chargedcar to do so, while Arnoux and GillesVilleneuve were involved in an extremelycompetitive duel for second, Arnouxnarrowly getting beaten to the line. WhileJabouille ran into hard times after thatrace, Arnoux finished a career high 2nd atSilverstone in the following race and thenrepeated that at the Glen, proving it wasn'ta fluke.Arnoux furthered this in 1980 withconsecutive wins in Brazil and SouthAfrica. Jabouille continued to haveproblems with retirements, but in his onlypoints finish he emerged victorious inAustria. At the end of the year Jabouillecrashed heavily at the Canadian GP andsuffered serious leg injuries, whicheffectively ended his career as a GrandPrix driver. Alain Prost was signed up for1981. In his three years with the team,Prost showed the form that would makehim a Formula One legend and theRenaults were among the best in FormulaOne, twice finishing third in theconstructors championships and secondonce. Prost won nine races with the teamwhile Arnoux added two more in 1982.Arnoux left for rival Ferrari after 1982and was replaced by American EddieCheever for a season. When Prost leftafter 1983, the team turned to PatrickTambay and Englishman Derek Warwickto bring them back to prominence.Despite a few good results the team wasnot among the elite anymore, with otherteams doing a better job with turboengines, some of which came fromRenault themselves. As a result, Renaultshut down the works team to concentrateon engine manufacturing.This final year provided another F1 first,as the team ran a third car in Germanythat featured the first in-car camera whichcould be viewed live by a televisionaudience.This sadly meant that the Teapots werenever to win a championship althoughthey achieved a few seconds in thechampionships and a good number ofpodiums.Alasdair Worsley & Renault F1R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E275

m o d E R NIn 1990, the Clio was born, with it,came a marketing legend. Who canforget the antics of Nicole (EstelleSkornik, who actually could not infact drive) and Papa (Max Douchin) withthe entourage of mistresses, comedians(Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves) and thespoofs that came from it.Surveys by Channel 4 and ITV award theseries as the most popular caradvertisements ever made. In 1996, onesurvey found that Nicole was recognisedby more Britons than Prime Minister JohnMajor, Bob Hoskins or Chris Evans.Cliomaniaprecision stunt driver and televisionpresenter took the places of both NicoleAND Papa.An all-new second generation RenaultClio was launched in 1998 and, with it,came the finale of Nicole's Provençalestory.Much publicity and speculationsurrounded the question of whom Nicolewould marry. Socialite and 'it girl' TaraPalmer-Tomkinson noted, "I can'tunderstand what she is doing gettingmarried. I mean, she is giving upeverything. She is one of the mostbeautiful, stunning, eligible girls around.She must be off her rocker. I mean, shehad everything going for her, drivingaround the country in her Renault Clio, allat Daddy's, or rather Papa's, expense. Ishould be so lucky. "AF0137-Renault Owners Landscape:Layout The finale was 1 itself 22/2/10 a spoof of 13:08 the film Page 1For the driving scenes, Penny Mallory, a “The Graduate”. Wearing a dress byDeborah Milner and a hairstyle by NickyClarke, with her ring designed by StephenWebster, Nicole was led down the aisle tothe as-yet-unseen groom. Played duringthe advertisement break betweenCoronation Street on 29 May 1998, anestimated 23 million viewers watchedNicole leave Vic Reeves at the altar andstart a new life with Bob Mortimer in hisnew Renault Clio.Throughout the entire series, only fivewords were spoken: Papa, Nicole,Maman, Bob, and 'YES!'.I’m as passionate about Renaults as you are, which iswhy I think you’ll love our insurance deals.Adrian Flux Insurance Services hasbeen built around the enthusiastmarkets and understands thatpeople who are passionate abouttheir cars take good care of them.Because we share your enthusiasmwe offer fantastic, tailor-madeinsurance deals based on yourown personal driving history andrequirements. Call us today toobtain a no obligation quote foryour Renault.FREEPHONE0800 089 0035Quoteline hours:Mon to Fri 9am-7pm | Sat 9am-4pmadrianflux.co.ukAuthorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.RachelleRachelle. Adrian Flux Retained Business Team Manager.Passionate about insuranceModifiedLuxury Classic Van 4x4 Standard ImportsPerformanceSpecialist28 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

m o d E R NClio 20 th AnniversaryIn 1990, Renault introduced the the trim at the lower edge of the tailgatereplacement for the Renault 5 remained unchanged.Superfive. Although the latter was tocontinue into production until the midNineties, this newcomer was destined to bethe flagship supermini for Renault(although it has yet to be in production forlonger than the 5/Superfive and it has someway to go. ) The Clio was introduced atthe Paris Motor Show in June 1990.The Renault Clio has been through threegenerations, with at least three faceliftsfor the Phase 1, at least three for thePhase 2 and, so far one for the Phase 3.This does not include the minor tweaksfrom model to model, such as refinedgrilles.In March 1993, the Phase 2 model waslaunched, with small updates to theexterior and interior of the Clio. Mostnoticeable was the change in the frontgrille from two metal ribs to a singlecolour-coded slat grille.many components made of unusualmaterials to save in weight and on repaircosts.The interesting thing with the Clio is that,like the Espace, we should not becelebrating, well, not quite yet. The Clioactually came to us in the UK in March1991. There are records of Clios in thecountry registered as 1990 but these maybe left hand drive imports or the demofleet models, which then got sold off.Either way the number of these 1990oddities had dwindled to just six by 2007.At launch, the engine range availableincluded 1.2 L and 1.4 L E-type "Energy"petrol 1.4 engines (first seen in the R19)and 1.7 L and a 1.9 L diesel (both basedon the F-type unit) engines. In 1992, thepetrol engines all received an electronicfuel injection system in place ofcarburettors in order to conform to newanti-pollutant emission regulations.A minor trim facelift occurred after only ayear of being on sale. A new "smooth"version of the Renault diamond badge(the previous "ribbed" badge was beingphased out at the time) and a new frontseat design were the only changes. Theoriginal model specific badging script onIn 1996, with the arrival of the Phase 3facelift Clio, the 1.2 L Energy engine wasreplaced by the 1149 cc D7F MPi (MultiPoint Injection) DiET engine first used inthe Renault Twingo. For some markets itwas greeted with versions available withthe older 1239 cc "Cléon" unit from theoriginal Twingo. The cylinder head designon the 1.4 L E-Type was also slightlyaltered for the Phase 3 models in a bid forbetter fuel economy. The Phase 3 Clioshad a slightly more noticeable update thanthe Phase 2s. The Phase 3 has different,more rounded headlights, incorporatingthe turn signal in the unit with theheadlight. The bonnet curved more aroundthe edges of the lights.In 1992, Renault launched the ClioWilliams with a limited run of 500, forracing homologation purposes. The carwas named after the then RenaultpoweredFormula One team WilliamsF1,though Williams had nothing to do withthe design or engineering of this Clio.The second generation of the Clio waslaunched in the Autumn of 1997 , withconsiderably more rounded and bulbousstyling than its predecessor. Part of theradical concept of the new Clio wereA facelift occurred in the spring of 2001which saw the exterior restyled.An all-new third generation Clio wasunveiled in the UK in 2005. An earliervariant, with manufacturers code BB05was marketed in other European countriesas the Mk III in 2004. This variant wasnot sold in the UK at all. The Mk III usesa platform co-developed with Nissan thatis shared with the Renault Modus.It was voted European Car of the Year2006 and was considered by the judges tobe the car which will set the benchmarkfor quality, safety and style for a car inthis class. So is there going to be a ClioIII Phase 2 or maybe a Clio 4.? I wonderwhat that could look like?Alasdair Worsley - Clio RegistrarR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E295

m o d E R NDuring Louis Renault’s reign,Renault had a significantpresence in the luxury carmarket and the marque was aserious competitor to the greats – Rolls,Hispano, Mercedes, Bugatti and others,with major coachbuilders being prepared todemonstrate their artistic flair on Renaultchassis. Post-WW2, it has been rather adifferent story, but, by reviewing theFrégate, the Rambler, the Sixteen, theThirty, the Twenty-Five and the Safrane, itis clear that Renault has really not beenabsent from the top end of the market sincethe early Fifties. Whether the company’son-going presence in that sector has beenfinancially viable or not, is quite anothermatter, which it is not proposed to addresshere.Renault’s turn-of-the-century challengerin the luxury car market, the Vel Satis,was launched at the March 2001 GenevaMotor Show and it was the talk of thetown. Vel Satis majored on life aboard –outstandingly comfortable seating,swathes of headroom and a quality offinish to drain the colour from the faces ofthe German opposition. But the luxobargemarket is bedeviled byconservatism and even Vel Satis’s daringcould not shake that ideology.To start with, let us laud the good thingsabout Vel Satis. Taking as read that itsshape is an acquired taste, it is the insideof the car which is outstanding, for noother car in its class offers such grace andambiance, such airiness, such spaciousA brief look back atRenault’s Vel satisdimensions and such a commanding viewof the road. To truly appreciate theseluxurious features, it is imperative thatone is chauffeured around in the relaxingrear compartment. A cynic might say thatVel Satis is a supreme example ofministerial transport and certainly manyexamples are currently in use ingovernment circles in France.But the Vel Satis’s very internalspaciousness dictated the car’s externalshape, the CX of which approximated to abarn door (or to a ‘Norman wardrobe, ’ asour Gallic friends say) and this, coupledwith the additional weight, which luxuryentails, ensured that the engines had towork hard and that the fuel consumption,even of the diesel versions, consequentlysuffered in comparison to competitors,powered by more modern engines andenclosed in more aerodynamicallyefficient silhouettes. The Vel Satis rangeoffered petrol engines of between 170 and245bhp and diesel counterparts with from150 to 180bhp.The most coveted versions are the 2-litredCi 150bhp Privilege and 2-litre dCi175bhp Initiale (automatic) and those toavoid (for various reasons) are the 2-litreTurbo 170bhp (petrol), the 3.5-litre V-6Automatic (petrol) and the 3-litre V6 dCi180bhp. There has also been a history oftemperamental electronics, quirkyelectrics, unexplained engine failures(such power units were usually replacedunder warranty and without furtherexplanation) and a generally patchy buildquality. Repair costs can be stratosphericand, in the coming years, these willprobably exceed the residual value of thecars, a growing problem with the range’sstablemate, Avantime.The range was commercialised inSeptember 2001 and the shape had itsonly facelift in April 2005 (changes tofront grille, bonnet and lights, plus amakeover of the rear light clusters). Therange sold slowly in the UK and, indeed,the revised model never reached ourshores. No further orders for thisSandouville-built range were acceptedafter 08 September 2009 and it wasofficially deleted from Renault’s homesales range at the end of the same year.World-wide sales over its eight year lifeamounted to 62,201 units (noauthenticated sales figures are availablefor the UK market alone), whereasMercedes sells around 200,000 units of itscompeting E-Class - every year. . . . .Does Vel Satis’ disappearance mean thatRenault will desert this market segment?Yes and no. Renault will launch aSamsung SM5-based Renault Latitude in30 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

m o d E R Nthe near future and further details will bemade available, as and when the newrange is released. Latitude is likely to besold only into targeted markets – Africa,China, Russia and throughout the PersianGulf – but it is unlikely to be sold inWestern Europe, where the luxury carmarket is either stagnant or declining,which makes it an unattractive andunprofitable sector for most carmanufacturers in these difficult times. It isprobable that the top versions of Lagunaand Fluence will keep the Renault flagflying in such contracting marketsegments.Hector Mackenzie-WintleAnd Looking Forwards?Latitude. In addition to its balancedproportions, generous exteriordimensions, large boot and front-endlooks which mirror the powerful enginesin the new range, the newcomer boastselegant styling.Based on an architecture that is widelyacclaimed for its strength and efficiency,Renault's new saloon rounds off thebrand's international high-end range andwill appeal to customers who are lookingfor status, quality and comfort in all of itsforms.Renault Latitude will get its first publicairing at the Moscow Motor Show at theend of August, while European motoristswill be able to gettheir first closeupview of the carat the 2010 ParisMotor Show inOctober.In addition to itsgenerous exteriordimensions(length: 4.89m /width: 1.83m /height: 1.49m),Latitude boastselegant looks. The contours of the grilleare flanked by distinctive bi-xenonadaptive directional headlights, whilechrome detailing give the car anunmistakable impression of dynamismand status. Its rear design incorporatesample boot space, and the new car caneffectively claim one of the biggest bootsin its class. The rear lighting signatureemploys LED technology and harmonisesperfectly with the chrome rear strip whichbears the new model's name.Based on the samearchitecture as NewSM5, which wasrecently launched inKorea, Latitudeprofits extensivelyfrom Renault'sengineeringexpertise.Occupants benefitfrom a comfortable,quiet ride, as wellas a precise chassisand a choice ofpowerplants that aresure to give it adecisive edge overits rivals. Forenhanced qualityand reliability,Renault Latitudecomes with anumber of featuresdeveloped andassembled to theAlliance's higheststandards andwhich benefitdirectly from theexcellent resultsobtained by Lagunaon these two fronts.The complete equipment list, which willbe revealed at a later date, places theemphasis on innovation and travellingcomfort, including a dual-mode air ioniserwith double fragrance diffuser, triple-zoneclimate control, a massaging driver's seat,Bose Premium audio and Renault handsfreecard.A decision on the possible UK launch ofLatitude has not been made yet. However,potential international customers will beable to discover more about the car atwww. renault-latitude. com.Alasdair Worsley $#/ /,-6)#+# )6!,),+3#+1',+))6 +&' '1#" 2'1 )# $,/ )) #&'!)#05!##"0 #.2'/#*#+10 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E315

m o d I f I E dmy Renault - modified 19 16vHow she looked the day I started.Trial fitting of the oil catch tank andunder bonnet heat proof paint.All 4 injectors fitted, they look nice andchunky ideal for what I want them for theonly draw back was that the fuel mappedhad to be upped as the pump kept shuttingdown because of the bigger injectors. Thepressure kept going away, but with a bitof mapping its all sorted.The stripping down of the engine to bemodded.Oil catch tank in place but needs turningas it fouls the header tank.Head back on with new gaskets and a bitof skimming and porting. Note the roverinjectors look factory fit.Iggy module and brake reservoir.Parts stripped of for painting and a bit ofporting on the inlet.Ashley manifold and front pipe. Wellsought after mod as no one else makesthem now. Manifold is 4-2-1.Rover 620t injector.32 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

m o d I f I E dShe’s a bit more built up now with just afew bits left to do. It also has 2litre f7rcams from a Williams engine in there too.Nice set of prima racing wheels hiding theRenault 21 brake upgrade. the brakes havebeen upped from 256mm to 285mm, withextender brackets.Menacing.Finished product.Brake extender bracket. Its a quite easyconversion if you know how. A set ofRenault 21 TXI discs (these discs are 4stud fitment unlike the two litre which is a5 stud fitment), set of Renault 5 GTT padscarriers, set of 19 16v pads and the 19 16vcaliper. Job done.My son Seb who is only 3, well into cars,just having a nose at what we have done(he helps with bits and bobs and as I saystart them young).FCS 10 sticker.Well needed accessory. Fire extinguisher.Jason Ford - Modified Secretary.Build in stages, looking more like a carnow.Rockingham sticker with oval exhaustshot.As a quick note, please make sure if youcarry out any non-factory modificationthat you let you insurers know and if youare not 100% certain of what you aredoing please seek assistance. Please alsosee the disclaimer on page 2. -R. O. C.R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E335

m o d I f I E d4x4 + 6x5 + 6x4+ 6x10 = 750 sort of....Over the years, there have been anumber of conversions carriedout on Renault vehicles tomake them more practical forparticular end users. Still today we see(mainly commercial) vehicles convertedinto ambulances, police vehicles, utilityvehicles and hearses. At the end of theirlife, often these can be picked up at fairlylow prices, as there is little demand for thevehicles when their usefulness has expired.However, after a long period of time thevehicles may become interesting againand some collectors go out of their way tofind or even recreate them.A very early example of this would be theTrans-Sahara three axle - twelve wheel “,which, in 1924, became the first wheeledvehicles to cross the desert expanse.However from tour club members’ pointof view, this is a little early. One couldmake a further mistakeby thinking of the Fourwheel drive Scenics(the RX Series),Kangoos (the Trekkavariants), and vans ofmore recent times .However, all thesewere/are availabledirect from themanufacturer so hardlycount as conversions.So where does on from here? Well, in1980, Sinpar took a standard Renault 4and 18 Estate to make a 4 wheel drivepick up, van and estate. Originally thesewere only available in France andSwitzerland but theopportunity came upfor them to be sold inthe UK and Eire earlyin the 80s. Priorversions wereavailable in the 60s asspecials and on othermodels but not as“approved”conversions.In order to obtain suchvehicles, one had to goto the sole agent (Inveralmond of Perth -who co-incidently sold me my Clio) andone had to buy and to register therequisite vehicle to start with, whereafterit then went off to beconverted for anadditional princely sumof £1650.What one received inexchange was anadditional 128lb ofweight (on the 4) and100lbs (on the 18) andin return the ability toclimb 1 in 2 hills (or 1in 1.5 for the 18).Unusual was that theset-up from ones oldcar when it expired and fitted to one’snew one. Provided, of course, the modelwas still in production.So, what is next? More wheels. Let’s startwith a Renault 5TS and then add a 6-wheel drive system with Sinpar,hydrostatic transmission. But those 6wheels need support.The Leotard R5 differs from the standardmodel, by using a reinforced frame withtwo square tubes mounted in parallel onthe side rails, which results in a higherweight (980 kg v 800 kg) and, of course,length (Greatest at 4.21 m v 3.5 m).The hydrostatic transmission type, patentLeotard, matches the principle used ontractors, half-tracks and the constructionequipment, which allows greater34 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

m o d I f I E dflexibility than mechanical transmission.in the realms of “because I can”.The boot capacity increases to 2.4 m3. Interms of handling, the manufacturerbelieves that the handling is improved by70% and braking, with six discs, by 33%.In turn, the four rear wheels are lesssensitive to the effect of drift.Christian de Leotard explained moreseriously about his creation. "It is in theinterests of safety that I created this car.The technique of the six wheelsrevolutionizing a sedan in handling andbraking, but especially in the payload.”The car happily supports 700 kg of loadfor a consumption of 10/11 litres per100km (about 26mpg).So, that’s the 5x6 sorted? Well, it shouldbe except that Renault brought out abetter car to play with in 1980 (30 yearsold this year!) The 5 GT Turbo. That cargives far more scope for fun (althoughprobably defeating all the main reasonsfor doing it at the same time.)For that, we need a turbo (or two). TheChristian de LeotardBut this was not Christian de Leotard’sfirst foray into six-wheels, as he originallystarted with Range Rovers). For that wecan at least look to the Renault 4, againusing the same Sinpar system. In thiscase, most of the “specials” are like theRenault 5 Turbo, more for the interest ofthe owner than the practicality of perhapsa Renault 4 Van or Renault 5TL.But we have wandered away from thepracticality of the six-wheeled car.However, with the birth of anotheranniversary car, there was the chance toput this technology back onto apotentially commercial footing.This then leads on to an even older carand the last one in our mathematicalequation, the 750. This lends itself well toa six-wheel and even a two engineconversion, as each gearbox, engine andsubframe assembly is pretty muchcompact and self supporting. This allowsthe rear wheels to be close together, sothere is little scrubbing on corners and thesuspension allows a little twist to help.It’s also a compact car so the finishedarticle will not be so long that one can’tpark it.At this point the 4CV lads will probablybe having kittens wondering w,hat’s beendone to all those old 4CVs passingthrough our hands. Don’t worry it’s nothappened yet but perhaps someone isthinking about it. After all, this car wasrecently on French Ebay and it’s not faroff reaching the limits of a Renault 4CVmodifications. Yours for 6500 Euros, Isuppose the one partial good thing is thatit may have produced some spares for therest of us?4CV joke of a spare engine in the boot isactually true here, for it really has twoengines, one in the front and one in theback.Amicale Automobiles des Tissier havetaken the principle and applied it not onlyto Citroën’s CX but also to the Espace(another anniversary car). In this case tomake a “stretch ambulance.This maybe allows us to go backwards alittle bit in terms of models but a little bitforwards in conversions. This is definitelyAlasdair WorsleyR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E355

B o o K R E p o RTAu coin du livre(The Book Nook, where you can read about the bestbooks on Renault)New books of interest to theRenault enthusiast have beencoming thick and fast recentlyand, at the moment, it isimpossible to review just a single new titlein each edition of RENOTES. Moreover,older titles, which have not previously beenreviewed here, have been coming to lightand they, too, are worthy of ourconsideration.The most interesting new title has beensomewhat difficult to locate, but the searchhas been well worth the wait. In fact, theoutline of the book appeared as a superblyillustrated article in “Gazoline” (May2005), the magazine arm of Pixel Press,who, in May 2008, published RobertBosvin’s “La 4CV Bosvin-michelspéciale”in its ‘Mémoires Automobiles’series, as a self-laminated 82-pagepaperback [ISBN 2-917038-04-8] at theseries’ usual price of 18 Euros.It is the story of a totallydedicated, dyed-in-thewoolpetrolhead, CamilleBosvin, who developed fora client friend, GuyMichel, a performancemachine, which started lifeas a Renault 4CV saloonand graduallymetamorphosed into asingle-seater barquette,which competedsuccessfully in club, innational and ininternational motorsportevents between 1950 and1955, where, betimes, itbeat better-known (andsometimes larger-engined)machines.Photographs of this elusiveRenault (for it was onemachine, which alwaysappeared in ever updatedform) peppered the Frenchmotorsport magazines ofthe period and, at last, the remarkable sagaand its characters, are revealed by thecreator’s son. Now retired, but trained as anautomobile engineer to take over hisfather’s business, he spent most of his lifein commercial banking, because cancerclaimed his father’s life too early and whileRobert was still too young to fulfil hisintended destiny.Historically informedreaders will remember the1955 Le Mans tragedy andits aftermath, whichtemporarily blightedFrance’s motorsport scene.This event co-incided withthe premature death ofCamille, thus robbingMichel of his car’scompetitive development,which sealed its fate.Happily, the car hassurvived and is now in the hands of anenthusiast in South West France, who hasdisplayed it at recent classic sportscarshows.There is much French text, but the splendidb & w photographs convey perfectly an eraof continuing automobile penury, when atalented enthusiast, operating on ashoestring budget, could create, developand maintain a vehicle capable ofcompeting with and often winning againstthe best in its class. This book is thoroughlyrecommended to any 4CV enthusiast, buttracking a copy down in the UK is likely tobe difficult, even at specialist motoringbookshops, so the internet may be the onlyalternative.The next title is “AlbertVanierschot : 500 victoires etpodiums avec l’A110” by RogerDejaeghere, a member of theAlpine Club of Belgium, which wasprivately published in the 1990s by MediaPublications of Zellik.Strictly speaking, this is not a brand newpublication, but our review copy was, infact, mint (see later). This 24-page A4booklet (no ISBN), printed on good qualityart paper, is full of data, French text and b& w + colour photographs, mostly ofAlpine A-110s and it relates the remarkablecareer of Belgian motorsport icon, AlbertVanierschot. He also drove a wide varietyof other makes, often ably abetted by his36 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

A R o U N d T H E C L U B sequally talented compatriot, BennyRaepers, the pair virtually monopolising thelocal and adjacent areas’ motorsportsilverware for many years with theirDieppe machines.Tangentially, ROC members may recallthe name of John Wheeler, English archAlpine enthusiast, CAR member and thepower behind the creation of the MonteCarlo A-110, an English (rhd) closereplica of Jean Rédélé’s masterpiece, butbased on Tim Duffee’s Davrian/Darrian‘tub’. John bought and has restored one ofthe 16-valve Benny Raepers’ berlinettesand, by a remarkable co-incidence, anarticle on this very car (the ‘Vialle’painted one) appeared in ‘Berlinette’ (No.39/June-July 2010). Small world, innit?Another co-incidence occurred in ourobtaining the mint copy of this bookletthrough the welcome co-operation of AnneTribolet, a long-standing, enthusiasticmember of the Belgian Renault Club andthe Belgian Alpine Club (thank you for thiskindness, fellow enthusiast!). Anne nowworks for the ‘Mahymobiles’ car museumat Leuze-en-Hainaut (with Tournai andAth), which is the most extensive suchundertaking in Belgium. It houses the lifelongcollection of automobiles andautomobilia of the late Ghislain Mahy, and,besides many other makes, it includes over70 Renaults from 1900. Back in the 1960s,before the founding of our esteemedcolleagues, the Renault Frères Club, theROC catered for Renaults of all eras andwe knew all about those vehicles throughcorrespondence with (the late) Mr. Mahyand our then V & V Section Co-Ordinator,although the cars were not then housed intheir super new home. One should make apoint of visiting this museum, if anopportunity presents itself.Did we mention possible availability of thisinformative work? Well, it will be verylimited and one will probably only obtain a(second hand?) copy through the internet,although it will be worth the effort.‘Renault 8’ by Julio de Santiago, is thefifth title in the series ‘ColleciónVehícolos de Siempre’ published byEdicions Benzina [ISBN 84-8128-081-X], of which ‘Renault 4/4’ (alias ‘750’or ‘4CV’), reviewed some time ago inRENOTES, was the third in the sameseries. Originally published in 1998, theprint run of this later book was a mere 1500copies, so it is somewhat of a rarity and,yes, the text is in Spanish. However, muchof the reproduced technical data is verysimilar to, if not a Spanish equivalent of theFrench original, with which any Eightenthusiast will be familiar in its Englishincarnation.The major attraction of this 102-page,square format, self-laminated hardback isthe minutiae of the FASA versions of the 8,the 10 and the 8TS (remember that 8TSwas the original French designation chosenfor the 8S), and there are some excellentphotographs (b & w and colour),reproduced on art quality paper, to whet theappetite of those partial to Renault’s finalrear-engined car range. In passing, do notforget that the French run-out market forRenault Eights was supplied with FASAmanufacturedcars (complete with drumbrakes at the rear). A brief outline ofRenault’s history in Spain from the earlydays is an appreciated bonus, as is a goodcoverage of La Copa Nacional Renault 8TS(the Spanish equivalent of France’s CoupéGordini).In summary, this is not ‘just another bookabout the 8’ (of which there are preciousfew, anyway), but it is an interestingdiversion into a now somewhat overlookedclassic model bearing the Renault losange.The problem is likely to be locating a copy(the review copy was found for E25 in asecond hand motoring bookshop in France),so ‘techies’ should power up theircomputers now to scour the internet . . . .Asecond-hand French bookshopyielded a very tatty copy of the192-page self-laminatedpaperback entitled ‘AfricanTurbo’ by Bernard & Claude Marreau,which was published by Bréa Editions[ISBN 2-903198-19-5] for Frs 49 (!) in1982.The French text focuses on the brothers’trials and tribulations in preparing for andeventually winning that year’s Paris-Algiers-Dakar Rally with the well-knownyellow, black and red Renault 18 TurboenginedRenault 20 (the so-called Renault20 Turbo). Because of this long out-of-printhistory’s French text, this book is not forlinguistically challenged faint-hearts, butthe vivid recall of the blood, sweat andtears necessary to win this gruelling event,not to mention the good illustrations (somein colour), make it a rewarding read for thedetermined Renault enthusiast.Unfortunately, one cannot buy a copy atWHS down the road, so this is yet anothertitle most likely to be found on the internet,although the price will probably not be akiller.Hector Mackenzie-Wintle(Editor - as an aside, if you visit thefollowing webpage: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=wV9iO0a1sYA yOne can see an on line video of the event;and on:http://www.renault-sport.com/en/propos/historique/news.php?news=25520.htmlRenault have details of the Marreaubrothers’ achievements.R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E375

H E R I TA G ERENAULT 25 YEARS AGOThis year is a bad one for Renaultand truly only its nationalisedstatus saves the group from goingbankrupt. Although pre-taxrevenue is up (from 1984’s FRF106,911m)at FRF111,382m, its net annual loss reachesFRF10,925m (against last year’sFRF12,555m loss), and investment falls toFRF7,774m. The head of Renault, BernardHanon has to pay the price and, undergovernment pressure for the company tochange its policy direction, he resigns on 21January, to be replaced by Georges Besse,who implements a radical re-organisation.Aimé Jardon becomes Renault’s NumberTwo. In these turbulent times, the departureof head stylist Robert Opron passes almostunnoticed and Gaston Juchet, whose officestill remains under the jurisdiction of theDirection des Études, replaces him.The product range starts with the Renault4 (now over twenty years old, but still asolid seller) and passes through theRenault 5 and its Rodéo derivative, thenewly introduced Renault Superfive (salesof which now top the half a millionmark), the Renault 9 ‘three boxer’ and itshatchback sister, the Renault 11, theRenault 18 saloon and its stablemateEstate, the 18-based Renault Fuego coupé,the Renault 25 (which becomes theofficial car for the civil service and for theministries), the Matra-inspired RenaultEspace (which receives an award forinnovation), the Alpine GTA V6 (Atmoand Turbo), the Jeep CJ-7 and Cherokee(made by Renault’s North Americansubsidiary, American Motors [AMC] anddistributed by Renault in some Europeancountries), the Renault Trafic and RenaultMaster until reaching the RVI-Mack rangeof heavy goods vehicles.The group manufactures 1,962,207vehicles worldwide, of which 1,689,575are cars (including AMC), 200,139 areLCVs and 72,493 are RVI and MackHGVs. Excluding RVI vehicles, 702,406are assembled outside France, to whichtotal Spain contributes 224,915 units,Belgium 145,852 units and USA 111,039units.Renault exports 1,018,805 vehicles(excluding RVI). Although the sales of theAMC Alliance (aka Renault 9) and Encore(aka Renault 11) reach 111,039 on the USmarket, the launch of Espace into NorthAmerica proves impossible, because ofthe high cost price of the vehicle(compared to steel-bodied, van-derived,home-grown competitors) and of the nonavailabilityof a V6-engined version.It is estimated that Renault has around30% excess production capacity, so thereare plans to end the policy of growth at allcosts. This is to be coupled to a drasticcost reduction regime under the slogan “afranc is a franc”. The workforce stands atjust over 196,000 and, theoretically, eachemployee produces 10. 4 cars (using aRenault 5 as a base line) every year, withthe average quality rating (AQR) stilllanguishing at 127(target = 140). There willhave to be a slimmingdown of the workforceby some 21,000 over twoyears, to be achievedthrough early retirement,through lay-offs andthrough repatriation aidfor foreign personnel.Tension grows betweenmanagement and unionsand strikes break out atthe main plants, LeMans, Billancourt andChoisy-le-Roi, from 09through 21 October, butthe CGT union’s call toaction is largely ignoredand this setback marks apivotal point in thecompany’s industrialrelations.The heavy vehiclesdivision, RVI (RenaultVéhicules Industriels)needs a financialtransfusion of half a million francs inJanuary and the first steps are taken torecapitalise Renault, to which the statecontributes FRF8 billion. Despite this,RVI announces 2,550 redundancies.Renault sells its Mexico City office andits prestige building in Paris’ Champs-38 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

H E R I TA G EÉlysées and Georges Besse announcesthat, for the company’s current Frenchmarket share, which has fallen from 40%in 1981, to the current 28.7%, the Renaultsales network is too extensive and thatthis will entail some downsizing. Despitethe PR invention of the ‘Renault : desvoitures à vivre’ (‘There’s more to lifewith Renault’) slogan, the long-standingRenault-Publicis PR co-operation comesunder scrutiny, as part of the essentialcost-cutting exercise. Likewise, theproposed take-over by Renault of Matra’sautomotive division, is cut back to aminimum sales agreement for 54,000Espaces over five years only.On a brighter note, a major marketingcampaign focuses on the new Superfivewith 9,000 cars available throughout thedealership network and half a million testdrives taken up. Furthermore, orders forthe Renault 25 reach 550 units per day,which is some consolation for the runnerupin this year’s COTY (won by GMC’sOpel Kadett).In sporting events, Renault has a busyyear. In Formula 1, there are four teamsusing Renault’s V6 engines – the factoryteam of Renault-Elf 60s (Tambay &Warwick), Team Ligier (de Cesaris &Lafitte), Team Lotus (de Angelis &Senna) and Team Tyrell (Brundle, Beloff& Capelli). Lotus gains eight polepositions and takes three wins (Portugaland Belgium for Ayrton Senna and SanMarino for Elio de Angelis). In theManufacturers’ World Championship,Lotus finishes third, Ligier fifth andRenault sixth. On August 27, Renaultannounces its withdrawal from Formula1, but pledges to continue the supply ofits engines to the Lotus and Ligier teams.Although Peugeot becomes World RallyChampion this year, Jean Ragnotti winsthe Tour de Corse and the Tour de FranceAuto in a Renault 5 Maxi Turbo, whileAlain Oreille (Renault 11 Turbo) chalksup five Group N wins. Marc Madiotpedals his way to victory for the Renault-Gitane team in the Paris-Roubaix event,but, on July 25, Renault announces itswithdrawal from cycling.The enforced close scrutiny of all aspectsof Renault’s business leads to majorinternal re-organisations and to thewithdrawal from many non-coreautomotive involvements. The bicyclebusiness of Micmo-Gitane and theagricultural-focused AGRALE are shutdown. Renault sells its stake in Renix (theautomotive-focused electronics business)to Allied, the (hitherto separate)agricultural machinery division isincorporated into Renault Agriculture andthere is a freeze on further investment inCeratech (a ceramics research initiative).From its involvement with its AmericanMotors Corporation subsidiary, Renaulthas learned much about automotivecatalytic converters, but, with the fullsupport of PSA, it seeks to delay thecompulsory introduction of low-pollutingexhaust systems in France, because suchfitments will affect the selling price ofvehicles unfavourably, which willinfluence the current financial recoveryadversely. The European Court of Justicedemands lower fuel prices and theEuropean Commission grants a ten-yearexemption for selective car sales throughdealerships. On 01 July, free pricing onnew cars comes into effect in France.The silver screen’s money earners areSydney Pollack’s “Out of Africa”, JohnHuston’s “Prizzi’s Honor” and AgnèsVardat’s “Sans toit ni loi”. The must-readFrench novel is Yann Queffélec’s “Lesnoces barbares” and France’s ClaudeSimon receives the Nobel Prize forLiterature. Noteworthy, too, is the “Lagloire de Victor Hugo” exhibition inParis’ Grand Palais. In science, the EECtechnology programme ‘Eureka’ islaunched.In France, on 12 February, the US dollarbreaches the FRF10 bar (US$ =FRF10.61) on the exchange markets,Coluche starts the ‘Restos du Coeur’initiative, which seeks to assist thehomeless, and SOS Racisme starts itsanti-discrimination campaign ‘Touche pasà mon pote’ (‘Leave my mate alone’). TheRainbow Warrior scandal breaks and theFrench Defence Minister resigns.On the international scene, FrenchmanJacques Delors becomes president of theEuropean Commission, the USSR’sKonstantin Chernenko dies, MikhailGorbachov launches far-reaching changeson reform (perestroika) and openness(glasnost). The vacuum left by thewithdrawal of Israeli forces from thesouthern part of Lebanon is promptlyfilled by the outbreak of violence betweenopposing local factions. In Brazil,Tancredo Neves, the first non-militaryhead of state since 1965, is killed on theday before he is due to take power. Thetrial of the Argentine military rulers takesplace and, in Mexico, a major earthquakeleaves 20,000 dead.This was Renault in 1985.Hector Mackenzie-Wintle(This article was compiled frominformation to be found in the RenaultOwners’ Club archives).R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E395

A R o U N d T H E C L U B sAround the ClubsFrom the Renault CarClub – South Island/New Zealand, wereceived two editions of its “LaRenaultsance” (it just depends how thepostal cookie crumbles). The April 2010edition reports on club members’participation in the annual (March)National Classic Car Rally at Gisborne,where a member’s lhd Canadian ‘Le Car’(original) 5 and a convertible (rhd) dittowere present (amongst 70 odd cars,including other Renaults [5 ‘Le Car’Turbo, 4 van and R10]) and were suitablyillustrated, as well as on a ‘Night Out’ atthe Café de la Gare (in Rangiora) for theBaajens, Smith and Polden families (i. e.the majority of the club’s officers!).Articles on Renault’s forthcoming ZEvehicles and the Renault-Nissan Alliance+ Daimler co-operation are also featured.The June 2010 edition of this samemagazine spotlights the forthcomingDacia Duster, Renault’s new EfficientDual Clutch (EDC) system and theexpected Renault Latitude (alias RSMSM5 and replacement for Vel Satis onspecific markets). There is a report on theclub’s (May) AGM 2010 and the storm ina teacup is reproduced. This wrangleconcerns Renault’s possible naming of itsforthcoming Zero Emission car as Zoe.‘Zoe’ is the Greek word for ‘life’, butvarious Zoe Renaults [no relations] aremiffed at having a car stuck with the samename as themselves and they threatenlegal action against Renault. Some peoplereally need to get a life. . . . . .The No. 35/July 2010 edition of theRenault Classic Car Club’s “La Renault”carries comments on and pictures of carsat the April Mantes La Jolie annual event,illustrated reminiscences on 4CVs ingeneral, on a 6TL (as an everydayrunner), on a Midlands Meeting atWoburn (best stand prize won), on thecontinuing restoration of a 16 and on the(unfortunately wet, wet, wet) SpringRenault 4 event, all topped out with somefurther technical ramblings on mattersRenault rear-engined by Dave Wheelerand a listing of forthcoming events.The Spring 2010/Issue No. 95 of theRenault Owners’ Club of North America(ROCoNA) maintains its interestingdiversity – a 1963 ‘minisimus’ Dauphine(an open doorless, 2-seater with awheelbase like a Smartcar), acomprehensive report on the ‘RenaultFrères Concentration’ in Mexico City(organised by three of the MexicanRenault/Alpine clubs, enticing 130 (!)participants, many of which are featuredon four pages crammed with full colourphotographs), the story of a René BonnetDjet racer imported from Belgium, aDevin sports car glassfibre/plastic shell(these were widely used in California inthe late 50s/early 60s) powered byRenault out back, a Renault rear-engined(Dauphine) H-mod streamlined racer fromthe late Fifties, which is still competing, aRenault Gordini (807-20G)-poweredLotus Europa S1 competition car, anarticle on the Renault 11s used in theJames Bond film ‘A view to kill’, anexplanation of the various countries’livery colours in internationalcompetition, a value guide on RenaultFuegos (they’re on the up!), a clubman’slife with Renaults through the years, areview of Renault’s new ‘Wind’ (whichsome Yanks dream of owning, despiteRenault’s continuing absence from the USmarket), a pictorial account of therestoration of the 4CV belonging toSharon Desplaines, the club’s treasurerand new membership secretary, who wasrecently involved in an unpleasantaccident in the car, but who is nowthankfully well on the way to recovery(Best Wishes from the ROC, Sharon!)and, finally, some pictures (including anEstafette and a 1909 [AX Runabout?])and a short commentary on a recentmeeting of the local Renault Club inJohannesburg, South Africa. A cornucopiaof rare Renault treasures enclosed in 28pages.The CAR des Pays Bas’ “Renograaf”maintains its high standards of content,production and illustration and No. 189reports on the annual get-together atOmmen (’Oh, oh, Renault Ommen’), on aTechnical Meeting for Renault ‘oldtimers’at Amersfoort (20/03/10), on therestoration of a 1939 Renault Novaquatre,on two Renault-featuring shows, attendedby club members – Groningen (NL) andReims (F) – on a technical article onmetal parts’ cleaning and on the club’sspare parts’ storage facility. All this istopped off with an extensive ‘Vente –Achat’ section (very interesting – a 197212TL, a trailer made out of the back halfof a 4 Fourgon, a 1972 15TL, a sixvolume [complete] set of the rare‘Dossiers Chronologiques Renault’ and a1961 4CV to whet the appetite. . . . ) Aseparate announcement (with agenda) ofthe club’s forthcoming (June) AnnualGeneral Meeting also forms part of thisedition.Adverting to comments made in the lastedition of this section, we are delighted toreport that the recent demise of ‘RenaultReport’, the long-standing, qualitymagazine of D’ARC, the German Alpineand Renault Clubs, overseen by therecently retired Rainer Hübner, has beenmitigated by the launch of a new suchmagazine, ‘Rhombus’ (Magazin desBundesverbandes Deutscher Alpine undRenault Clubs = Magazine of theAssociation of German Alpine andRenault Clubs), which has taken over theimportant task of drawing together thereports on events undertaken by thevibrant network of amateur Renaultenthusiasts in Germany. The new team isheaded up by Andreas Conrad (“I am alittle bit mad to take on this job, inaddition to my full-time job with Renault”he admits), who, like Rainer before him,works for Deutsche Renault-Nissan inBrühl. As hitherto, Sabine Krause-Holtermann (from Gelsenkirchen) willcontinue to take care of the everydaytasks of this large association. We wishthem both continued ‘bon chance’ (sorry –‘Viel Glück!’) and thank them forsupplying to us for the ROC archives acopy of the first edition of the newmagazine (through the kind co-operationof Rainer Hübner). Besten Dank,Freunden unseren!Once again, our thanks to all the Renaultclubs taking part in this mutuallybeneficial exchange of information.Hector Mackenzie-Wintle40 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

C L A s s I f I E d sADVERTISERSPLEASE NOTESmall adverts in Renotes are free to membersadvertising their personal sales and wants (i. e.non-profitmaking).All other advertising is charged at thefollowing rates. All trade classifieds must bepre-paid.Classified (25 words) £101/4 PAGE (mono) £251/2 PAGE (mono) £45FULL PAGE (mono) £85Rates for colour advertising available onrequest.Cheques should be made payable to theRenOwners Club Limited and sent with theadvert to: Renotes, Mayhill House, LondonRoad, Addington, West Malling, Kent ME195AN.The ROC cannot warrant cars or partsadvertised in these columns.forum and WebsitePlease remember the most up-to-dateadverts are found on the forum andWebsite (www. renaultownersclub. com)and often these sell before they ever makeRenotes (often on the members site). Forexample a Floride recently went within aday of the advert appearing.for sale1966 Renault 10. round eye. 1108cc.Maroon in colour. 76,000 miles on theclock. Look at the number plate, anyLyn's out there. . Reg; LYN382D ( worth£800)Free Tax on this vehicle. A true classiccar. £1200.00 o. v. n. oAlso:1963 Renault 8 Total re-build 3 yearsago.wings and doors replaced as with newboot floor.Full respray.all new chromework and tyres.Interior all original as with the rubbermats and in good clean condition. I havenoticed a small surface rust area on thebottom of the o/s front wing by the sill.there is a small rust spot on the bottomedge of the near side rear door. the roofmoulding at the back edge of the roof hasgot rust on it.All rubber window seals anddoor rubbers have been replaced .This is a very clean original car. I am surethe 1st to see will buy. Mileage is 25,509Genuine taxed and mot'd until June 2011£ 3,500. Drives superbly.Also:Renault 6; phase 2 1108cc 197427,000 miles, above average condition. alloriginal. You can drive this car now andalso drive to shows. It will have 12monthsmot . Just needs very light attention tobring up to A1 standard.Price £1950speedwayrob@hotmail. comRenault 5 flair. Ern is a 1984 model,registered 13th February, mileage I haveto confirm, but around 75k (you may beable to see the exact mileage on the videolink I've listed below). He was owned bymy neighbour from brand new as aValentine's present from her husband, buta familiar story, she had a baby and mymum bought me Ern as my first car in1990/1991 - have to confirm the exactyear.I adore him and have always looked afterhim well, MOTs/services every yearincluding all welding needed done etc tomake sure passes each MOT- bizarrely enough he has passed when ourprevious car, a BMW, failed, much to mydelight and my husband's dismay! Ern isroad worthy as I've always driven himaround and looked after him, but since wehad our baby I have SORNed him, so hehas been off the road for about a year, butTom (husband) started him and gave hima good chug over outside our garage foran hour about 3 weeks ago and I didn'trealise he took a little video - see:http://vimeo. com/12780258 so have alook and see what you think. You will seewhere the seat cover has come down fromwhere Tom was sitting in the driver's seatthat the driver's seat is not 100%. I made aseat cover for him years ago to protect theseat as it was starting to wear a little.Small repairs required to wings,structurally sound and solid, underside isas clean today as when it left the factory,the interior is in excellentcondition(black) and the original rubbermats are all there. 2 previous owners. Thiscar is suitable for everyday driving andfor shows.Will have a new 12 months mot, oncesold. Once again a very good example ofthis rear engined model.For any of these cars, please ring Robwith any questions or to arrangeinspection 01395 271116 evenings 01395263381 daytime. or email;Ern still reaches 70 miles per hour on agood day, but no more, but I think that'sgood for an old chap! He is verytemperamental and is a very funny car todrive - I'm not joking, but when Tominsults him, he stops driving - I actuallymade Tom get out once and apologise toErnie and kiss his roof and he startedstraight away after that! He really is adear little car. I also took him to one ofR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E415

INF2367/10C L A s s I f I E d syour shows years ago when Melvyn Gentwas still the Chairman (did you knowhim?) we got all the way down there withhim and just as we got into the field hestopped and we coasted straight to theRenault stand and he refused to start again!Think he felt he had done what he wasmeant to do and that was that! I've gotsome great photos of him in front of thestand and will scan them and send themover if you want to see them, he looks verysmart.Price in the region of £2000. GenuineEnthusiast preferred. Please email:nicola@gsa-associates. co. ukRenault 9 Turbo £300 onoNotable Points:No Tax or MOTD-regOverall condition is goodIts got some scratches but little rustTurbo is missing.Previous owner removed some trim butI've sourced and included these parts -Please ask for details. Side skirts are notattached but are included. Interior is ingood condition with so tears etc. Has51000 miles, but is being sold as a nonrunnerand therefore needs towing.This car is far to rare and good to scrap, itwould only require a small amount ofwork. Please contact me for furtherdetails/pictures/to view as I'd like this carto go to a good home - 01925 67 5605vgt902@yahoo. co. uk1982 Renault 18 TurboTo help fund another purchase I havedecided to sell my beloved 18 Turbo.This is a 1982 model with 43000 mileswhich are believed genuine. I know it wasoff the road for many years and I haveMOT certs up to 1996 .I purchased it in 2006 and recommissionedit and I believe that it is probably one ofthe most original 18 Turbos left. It is showready as indeed I have brought it to manyshows both this and last year, but as myattention span on cars is as short as mydriveway and I have been seduced by thecharms of another car, then I'm afraid itwill have to go. I just do not have the timeor resources any more to maintain a fleetof Classics.In that time I have done thebrakes,exhaust,clutch,tyres,fuel lines,fuelpump,carb,service,sorted electricalgremlins(its french)and the small bit ofbodywork that was required. In light of thequality cat that it is I am asking 3950 eurofor it.If interested my number is 00353863673301email- JTFITZGERALD@EIRCOM.NETCar is in Ireland but still on UK plates.WantedRenault 9 1983 Non Adjustable RightHand Headlamp 7701029116. Pleasephone: 01189 304 180.Looking for the PAS pipe that passes underthe radiator. Please email:alanandedna@tiscali. co. ukImpoRTANTVosA NEWsFrom the 15 August 2010 all V5C's thatare issued by the Driver and VehicleLicensing Agency (DVLA) will have anew look. The new V5C will make it clearthat the registration certificate is not proofof ownership and will provide details ofwhere you can get advice on buying a usedvehicle.The ‘scrap’ box has also been removedbecause all cars, light vans and threewheeledmotor vehicles- excluding motortricycles, must be taken to an AuthorisedTreatment Facility, who should issue aCertificate of Destruction (CoD). Vehiclesother than those already mentioned, shouldstill be taken to an ATF to ensure they aredestroyed to environmental standards.Anyone keeping the vehicle but breaking itup for parts, etc, should make a Statutoryoff Road Notification (SORN) to letDVLA know that the vehicle is being keptunlicensed and off the road.Anyone with the existing blue versionneed not do anything as both types ofdocument are still valid.DVLA’s ‘Buyer Beware’ message advisesthat the V5C is only one of the things thatbuyers of used vehicles need to check. Bymaking buyers aware of the risks, our aimis to help them to protect themselves andreduce the risk of getting caught out bycriminals.For more information on the V5c, go towww. direct. gov. uk/buyerbewareThe Vehicle e RegistrationCertificate (V5C)is changingFor more information and advice on buying a used vehiclego to www.direct.gov.uk/buyerbeware.uk/buyerbewareOldNewRenault safrane 2.5 1997 Variablepower steering.Both documentsarevalid42 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

L I f E s T Y L E R E N A U LTParts for current Renaultsclassic models, we can supply parts forthe current range at big discounts. Inbuy the parts from us and pay carriagethan buy locally.Phase 3 Cliospotlamp kitDiamondkey rings£3Inc UKp&pOfficial agentsforApache quad bikesBlack RS softshellreplica team jackets,light, warm,waterproof& really smart.£66.00Inc UK p&pcomplete, only£30.00Inc UK carriageR E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E435

CLUB SHOPTHE RENAULT OWNERS’ CLUB OFFICIALMERCHANDISE 2010Stainless Steel keyring with engravedROC logo in a black presentation box.ROC ballpoint pen.ROC Tax Disc Holder.How about the full set for onlyROC window stickeravailable to stick on inside of windowor outside for bumpers etc. State whichtype required when ordering.ROC baseball cap - available in Black,White, Yellow or Renault Blue.£3.75 including p&ponly £1.00 each including p&ponly £1.00 each including p&p£5.00 including p&p£1.75 each including p&p£8.00 each including p&pROC T shirt - available in Black, White,Yellow or Renault Blue and in all sizesfrom small child to large adult.Adult sizes £12.00 including p&pS, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXLChild sizes £9.00 including p&pPlease state child's age when ordering.New Diamond Design T ShirtsAvailable in S, M, L, XL, XXL and child’s sizes (state age when ordering)Available in White/Blue and Yellow/BlackAdult Sizes £12 inc p & p,Child Sizes £10 inc p & pWe have compiled a DVD Set (2 DVDs)for the PC which contain material fromvarious sources including concept cars,the centenary, videos and other events.£10.00 including p&pAlso available GB Stickers and Tabards. Please phone for detailspurchase online at www. renaultownersclub. com, email order toshop@renaultownersclub. com or post order toRoC shop, 26 Capel street, Capel-le-ferne,folkestone, Kent, CT18 7LZCheques made payable to RenownersClub LtdTelephone Enquiries to 01303 894392