It was ahead of its time in many ways. The undercut front with plastic bumpers and combi solution with 3 doors and fold-down seats. Renault was 5 years ahead of the Ford Fiesta and 10 years ahead of the Opel Corsa.
Youthful and friendly
The new concept was not only about the practicality of a small hatchback – it was also about a style that suited young buyers. In the 70s and 80s, such a car could function as a family car for small families. A lot of it was about the right advertising. The marketers created the impression of a car model that was soft and friendly. Until now, young buyers had been tempted by the small station wagons Renault 4 and Renault 6. They are just as practical, but did not appeal as well to young people. Another competitor was the Peugeot 104. In retrospect, the Renault 5's design has stood the test of time well.
Inherited drivetrain from other models
The Renault 5 had the same wheelbase as the Renault 4, and the first cars also inherited the drivetrain from the Renault 4. The well-known 850 cc engine with 34 horses and umbrella gear - where the umbrella-shaped handle goes straight through the dashboard. In contrast to newer cars, the engine was then longitudinally positioned. Eventually, a 1-litre engine with 44 horses and a floor-mounted gearbox became the volume model. Today, early cars with umbrella gears are rare. Other engine options were the R5 LS with the 1.3 engine from the Renault 12 and later variants with the 1.4 engine from the Renault 11 - including the R5 turbo.
Renault "Le Car"
The Renault 5 was marketed in the US and Canada as the Renault Le Car. Among other things, I remember them as exotic features at American rental car companies. The cars were equipped with stronger bumpers, Renault's 1.4 engines and the option of automatic transmission. Despite heavy marketing and sales through AMC dealers, Le Car did not gain much popularity in the United States. I remember mediocre reviews and negative reader posts in the editions of the time Motor Trend og Car & Driver. Le Car by Renault should have been more successful in the Canadian market. Maybe in the French-speaking areas?
Renault 5 Turbo
Several variants of the R5 with turbo were made. Originally an R5 Turbo was made for rally sport. It wasn't just turbo which did the trick, but also that the engine was placed in the middle of the rear, with a widened rear body for better traction and grip. The 1.4 liter turbo engine delivered 158 HP which gave an acceleration of 6,5 seconds. The R5 Turbo was produced in several versions. The first to homologate the series, the second R5 Turbo 2, later in the model program. Renault R5 was also produced with a front-mounted engine, but despite having the same engine, the prices are nowhere near what the R5 Turbo (1) goes for – they go for well over a million kroner!
About the pictures
The main photo of the white car was taken at a monthly car meet at the Carré d'Or shopping mall in Perpignan, France. The photos of the white Turbo 2 variant at the bottom of the post were taken at the same car meet. Of course, such a car is immediately surrounded by onlookers. The photos of the silver-gray TX model were a previous auction item that we have mentioned. The photos belong to the auction web portal Interencheres.fr. The photo of the white car in profile (in front of a maritime poster) was taken in connection with a car meet at the port area in Canet-en-Roussillon outside Perpignan. The white car exhibited together with the new Renault R5 E-Tech was exhibited at the Oslo Motor Show 2025. The photo through the side window shows the Renault "Le Car" that participated in a previous Cars & Coffee at Øvrevoll gallop. The red "Le Car" is also photographed in a large image. The light beige car with black license plates was also photographed at a car meet in Perpignan, 2024. The black Renault 5 Turbo was taken at a car meet at Sjøflyhavna in Fornebu. The red car in profile is copied from an advertisement in Det Beste from 1979.
Click on an image to view in a larger format.Copyright notice
See
