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Renault 5, a daring challenge

The do-anything, multi-function city car

The Renault 5 was agile and maneuverable in town, yet safe, comfortable and sprightly on the open road. It was compact on the outside yet roomy inside, with a capacious trunk. And it was ingenious and versatile to the extreme.

Tradition and innovation

The Renault 5 borrowed its engine from the Renault 4L, which in turn had descended from the 4CV. The central vehicle structure was designed for rugged resistance, to keep the passenger compartment intact under impact. The front of the car, on the other hand, was designed to crumple, which was very much a novel feature at the time. Another major innovation was the wrap-around guard in armored plastic, instead of the traditional chrome bumper. These front and rear units were designed as an integral part of the bodywork.

Nonconformist design

Though the prevailing school of thought declared the three-door car doomed to failure, the Renault 5 proved everybody wrong and revolutionized the motoring world, much aided by a very strong personality. Key design features included a cute rounded profile, snub-nose bonnet, and, above all, a superbly practical hatch for accessing the luggage compartment. The glove box and imitation velvet ceiling had gone, giving way to a simple open cubby, genuine plastic linings, and square instrument dials. There was green, orange and red: visible is the word! Appeal, too: the Renault 5 stood for style, originality and fun.

The Renault 5 starred as a comic-strip heroine in a high-impact advertising campaign perfectly matched to the car’s personality. This proved instrumental in getting the Renault 5 lifestyle image across to the public.

The car’s huge charm proved especially irresistible among younger motorists, and with women. Success exceeded Renault’s expectations. The Renault 5 was considered the quintessence of Renault achievement. The challenge had been pulled off.

The Renault 5 claimed 5% of the French automotive market the year it was released in 1972, and had risen to the top of the sales charts by 1974, with 11%. In the aftermath of the first oil crisis, its low fuel consumption won many converts, and by 1977 the Renault 5 was leading the European market.
The Renault 5 was France’s biggest-selling small car for more than 10 years. And release of a five-door model in 1979 would rocket it to nothing less than second place worldwide! To consolidate this impressive market performance, Renault developed a full spectrum of variants, offering motorists the broadest possible choice.

Renault 5 Alpine: Three-spoke steering wheel, leather-covered gearshift and chrome pedals. Standard bodywork outside, but sports performance under the bonnet, with 1397cc engine, special hemispherical light-alloy cylinder head, and five-speed gearbox.
Renault 5 Turbo: Beefed-up version of classic model. First four-stroke engine with turbocharger. Racetrack and rally achievements, followed up by strong market take-up.
Renault 5 Van: Popular company-car version, selling 200,000 units. Rear bench removed, rear windows replaced by panels, and special finish.
Renault 5 LS and Renault 5 TS tourer versions: Foam-filled steering wheel, night-day rear-view mirror, rear wiper, emergency warning lamps, etc.
Renault 5 Automatic: Responsive automatic gearbox derived from the Renault 16 unit. Comfortable new seats with headrests.

The Renault 5 innovated in design and value to become a cult car alongside the likes of the 2CV, the Beetle and the DS. By the time it was discontinued, production had topped 5,325,000

The Renault 5 was a phenomenal success, and Clio owes it a great deal.