Hatch Heaven

The 1700cc Renault 11 TXE had a brand new and more powerful 1761 cc engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox that produced 80 BHP reaching a iximim of 106 MPH that got an amazing 54.3 MPG. It came with 175/70 SR 13 tires, front fog lamp and headlight wash, electric front windows, rear wiper, central door locking with remote control, mono trace front seats, folding plot rear seats, alloy wheels and side bump shields, all for just £6,100.

The 1975 Renault 5 was an exciting new development in car design. It is only 11 feet, six inches long. Light to handle, with a turning circle of just 32.5 inches. It was very roomy and was fully equipped with most of the goodies of the time. Roomy, comfortable and safe with exceptional stability. The bodywork was all-steel construction which, combined with a rigid floor, gave it an extremely resistant body structure. It was available in two versions, the 5L with an 845cc engine and the 5TL with 956cc.

The 1969 front-wheel drive Renault 16TA 5-door hatchback was sold as a sedan-wagon. It had a pressure cast aluminum engine block, 5 main bearings, a sealed liquid cooling system that virtually eliminated the need to add anti-freeze and achieved 28 miles per gallon, all for $2,445.

The Renault 6 was launched at the 1968 Paris Motor Show and this 1969 Renault 6 (with an 850cc engine and a 4-speed transmission) is surely a rarity, especially in this condition and in the USA. It is currently available on eBay, and there are many more images to look at in this Shutterfly album. Production and sales in France and most of Europe ended in 1980 with no direct successor, but in Spain and Argentina the car was still produced and sold until 1986.

In 1984, The Encore was Renault‘s application of European aesthetics to the functionality of a hatchback design via its panoramic dimensions of the rear window. The aerodynamics not only produced visual pleasure, it also reached an impressive 52 MPG on the highway and 38 in the city. The independent suspension, power front disc brakes, and electronic fuel injection created  sophisticated handling and performance. The 60/40 split rear folding seat was a real benefit when loading large objects. It was built in the USA by American Motors and had an MSRP of $5,755.

The 1985 front-wheel drive Renault Encore’s unique pedestal seats offered an extra degree of style and rear legroom giving it an amazing perspective on hatchback design. The fold-down rear seats was designed to extend the cargo space convenience. The Encore’s 4-wheel independent suspension with twin coaxial rear torsion bars and power front disc/rear drum brakes results in impressive performance and handling. Choice of engines included the optional 1.7 liter, for increased performance. Electronic fuel injection produced fuel ratings of 40 MPG highway and 34 MPG city. It was built in America and had an MSRP of $5959.

The 1977 Renault 30 TS was among the most luxurious prestigious saloons on the road and with its V6 it easily put most sports cars to shame. Acceleration from 0-60 was achieved in 9.2 seconds and it had a top speed of oner 112 mph. All this while getting 23-25 mpg. Front wheel drive and fully independent suspension gave it an uncannily smooth ride. Seating for five adults was helped by fully reclining front seats and 56″ of elbow room in the back. The rear seats could be folded back, giving you 34 cubic feet of space, more than any car in its class.

Standard fittings included a centralized door locking system, electric front windows and cigar lighter in back and front. An electric sunroof was an optional extra.

If you had £4,725, you could get yourself a 1978 Renault 20 TS. No other luxury car, at that price, had as many features fitted as standard. A few examples included Centralized locking. One press of a switch (or a turn of the door key) and all of the doors either locked or unlocked immediately. Adjustable headlamps. You could raise or lower your headlights to suit the load you were carrying from inside the car. Diagnostic plug. Your Renault dealer could now simply plug into it to find out electronically how efficient the engine was working and helped cut down on service fees. Reclining seats. The front seats (designed under medical supervision) adjusted to any driving position. Hatchback. The rear seats folds away and the parcel shelf is removable. Warning lights. At a glance you could now see if you left your hand brake on, your brake pressure was low or your front brakes pads were worn. It had comprehensive instrumentation, including a rev counter for the enthusiast. Power steering and electric front tinted windows are just a few more.

A 1995cc four cylinder engine, combined with front wheel drive, front and rear anti roll bars, all around independent suspension all contributed to a very smooth ride and the brakes operated by a dual circuit, servo-assisted system with ventilated discs at the front.

With a fuel consumption of 27mpg but capable of 0-60 in 12.2 seconds with a top speed of 104 mph.

Options included automatic transmission, electric sunroof and a radio.

The 1979 Renault Le-Car, which dominated its class in racing in 1977 had front wheel drive, rack and pinion steering, four wheel independent suspension and Michelin steel-belted radials as standard. It achieved 41 MPG highway and 26 MPG city.

The electronically fuel injected, front-wheel drive 1974 Renault 17 retailed for $4,175. It’s fronts seats where richly upholstered, superbly comfortable and fully reclining, and had rear bench like bucket seats. The rear tailgate made getting to your luggage easy. The newly developed rear bumper shield gave it the ability to absorb minor knocks without damage.

The 17TS had a five speed gear box, electronic fuel injection and the 1565cc engine produced a top speed of 112 mph with the ability to stop via its disc brakes on all four wheels. Also included were heated rear window, radial-ply tires, anti-theft steering lock, electric screen-washers and intermittent wiper control, cigar lighter, alternator and on the 17TS, electrically operated windows. You could even get an optional electric sun roof.

During the first 6 months of 1977, LeCar had amassed a total of 57 firsts, second and third place finishes in 52 SCCA races.

The 1978 Renault LeCar got 41 mpg. It was front wheel drive, had rack and pinion steering, four-wheel independent suspension and Michelin steel-belted radials.

The Renault 16 is a hatchback produced by French automaker Renault between 1965 and 1980 in Le Havre, France. The reviewer in the May 1965 edition of the English “Motoring Illustrated” said: “The Renault Sixteen can thus be described as a large family car but one that is neither a four door saloon and nor is it quite an estate. But, importantly, it is a little different.”

The Renault 16 was voted European Car of the Year by a board of European motoring journalists in 1966. It was the third year of the accolade’s existence, and the Renault 16 was the first French winner of the award.

Over 1,845,959 R16s were produced during a production which lasted for some 15 years.

(This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It includes content from this Wikipedia article.)

The Renault 5 Turbo featured a mid-mounted 1397 cc Turbocharged Cléon Inline 4 engine maiking 158hp, and placed behind the driver in mid-body in a modified Renault 5 chassis. The Turbo 2 was less expensive, but had nearly the same levels of performance. You can see an extensive gallery of this car on Flickr, or read the full story on Cartype.

One of the most prolific road rallying cars of its time. This is really the best the 80’s had to offer. A friend of mine has one in red that is in mint condition and this one is second best.

These are hard to come by, and according to the eBay ad, the early version of the Turbo had the wild interior which covered everything inside, unique dash board with lots of instruments, usually aluminum doors, roof and rear hatch, difficult engine cover latches, no electric windows.

The late series cars had the updated dash, steel doors, and electric windows, as this car has. It is a late series R5 Turbo – from 1980 – steel doors and electric windows, plus the updated dash. The engine is mounted behind the rear seats.