The Super Five
Early cars in the Renault 5 mk2 series barely fall within the 30-year veteran car category. They first appeared as a 1985 model and were produced until 1996 - and sold in parallel with the Clio. In the long run, all Renault 5s will become classics. In France, the model is called "Supercinq". They are still a frequent feature on the roads - as utility vehicles. But eventually many have also started to appear at car meets, either in rally cars based on the GT Turbo - or as well-maintained or renovated standard cars. The Super-five is clearly a car that can pay to take care of. As a classic, it is on a par with the Golf 2,
Model history
The Renault 5 received a facelift for the 1988 model year. On the outside, it received, among other things, a new grill painted in the car's color, as well as new bumpers with a spoiler lip both front and rear. The engine program was also somewhat changed. In the main, there was a 1,1-litre engine (47 HP) in the entry-level variants and 1,4-litre engines for the others. The power varied from 60 to 90 horses depending on the type. As usual in French car production, they like to continue producing the old model even after the new one has arrived in the shops. After the Renault Clio came out as a 1991 model, production and sales of the R5 continued, then under the name R5 Campus – a cheaper alternative to the Clio.
Renault 5 GTE
Roof spoiler, widened fenders, Turbo bumper, thick tail pipe and wide tires send signals of something that can move faster than the standard model. 0-100 in 9,3 seconds and a top speed of 185 km/h. The engine is 1,7 liters and produces 95 HP.
About the pictures
The white GTE is pictured at a Cars and Coffee event at Øvrevoll outside Oslo. If I'm not mistaken, it was for sale and probably has a new owner now. The blue 5-door car is a facelifted model. It is pictured in Céret, France. The street-parked red 5-door car was street-parked near the beach in Argelès-sur-mer in France, and the light gray 5-door R5 SL was parked in Céret, France.
R5 with 5 doors
R5 GT Turbo
This variant has contributed to raising the R5's classic status. The engine was the same as in the Renault 11 Turbo – a 1,4 liter engine that produced 115-120 HP depending on the year. On the market in Europe, you may have to pay around NOK 100 - 150 for a good copy. The downside of cars like the GT Turbo is that they may have been subject to amateur rebuilds and modifications. In France, they are popular as hobby cars where you can drive a nostalgic rally - at a leisurely pace in a group or against time along a closed country road or hill race. Many of the remaining R000 are used for this. They are well cared for by their owners.
About the pictures
The car in the large picture was photographed at a car meet in Perpignan, France. The other rally-rigged cars were taken on the occasion of a nocturnal nostalig rally in the same region.
Renault Express
The Renault Express achieved some popularity here at home, but is extremely popular in Southern Europe with as many as 1,7 million produced in the period 1985-91 (first appeared as a 1986 model). A surprising number of them are still on the road and in use by craftsmen, farmers, market gardeners and so on. The cars are well used, dull and dented - but run well. The engine was the same as in the standard R5. The Express also had a diesel option. The Renault Express received 2 facelifts – one in 1991 and one in 1994. Currently, the Renault Express has no value as a hobby car – at least not with a closed box. There is, however, a multi-purpose version with all-round windows – a lifestyle car that might be interesting to preserve.
About the pictures
The gray car with all-round windows is pictured in the mountain village of Oms in southern France. The beige, closed car is photographed in the village of Maureillas-las-Illas in France. It is from the model's first phase, The red car is photographed at a farm near the town of Céret. It is phase 2. The beige car at the bottom – phase 3 – was photographed along the street in Céret.
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Copyright notice
Created a ruckus at Isberg bil
In the mid-80s I worked in the building next to Isberg Bil on Økern. One Friday afternoon, my colleague had been out for a drink when he heard howling, screaming and hints of a scuffle at the city's largest Volvo-Renault dealer. The sales team was to distribute the demo cars for the weekend - a handful of great Volvos and one small Renault 5. The argument was about the car no one wanted - the small Renault.
See
The Five will return
