The Renault 5 (also called the R5) was a supermini A supermini is a British car classification term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as Subcompact in North America produced by the French France (pronounced /ˈfræns/ or /ˈfrɑːns/; French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, pronounced: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the automaker Renault Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, buses, tractors, and trucks. Due to its alliance with Nissan, it is currently the world's 4th largest automaker. It owns the Romanian automaker Automobile Dacia and the Korean automaker Renault Samsung Motors. The French-Lebanese Carlos Ghosn is the current CEO. The company's most successful in two generations between 1972 and 1996. It was sold in many markets, usually as the Renault 5 and in North America North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocean; South America lies to the as Le Car, from 1976 to 1986. Nearly 5.5 million Renault 5s were built.[1]

Contents

First generation (1972–1984)

Renault 5 (first generation)
Production 1972 - 1984 (1983 For North America)
Assembly Billancourt, France France (pronounced /ˈfræns/ or /ˈfrɑːns/; French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, pronounced: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Valladolid Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the province of Valladolid and of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon, Spain Spain /ˈspeɪn/ (Spanish: España, pronounced [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), or the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.[note 6] Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north by France, Mariara, Venezuela Venezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea. Venezuela possesses recognized borders with Guyana to the east of the Essequibo river, Tehran Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran, and the administrative center of Tehran Province. Tehran is a sprawling city at the foot of the Alborz mountain range with an immense network of highways unparalleled in Western Asia. The city is famous for its numerous ski resorts on the Alborz slopes, large museums, art centers, and palace, Iran Iran (Persian: ايران [ʔiˈɾɒn] ), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persia until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf, northwestern shore of the Gulf of Oman, and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. Both "Persia" and "Iran& Novo Mesto, Slovenia Slovenia /sloʊˈviːniə/ , officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: Republika Slovenija, listen (help·info)), is a country in Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. The capital of Slovenia is Ljubljana
Body style(s) Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production, while others are of historical interest only. These styles are largely independent of a car's classification in terms of price, size and intended broad market; the same car model might be available in multiple body styles (or model ranges). For some of the 3-door hatchback Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window. The vehicle commonly has two rows of seats, with the rear seat able to fold down to increase cargo space 5-door hatchback Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window. The vehicle commonly has two rows of seats, with the rear seat able to fold down to increase cargo space
Layout In automotive design layout specifies where on the car the engine and drive wheels are found MF layout
Engine(s) The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidiser in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases, that are produced by the combustion, directly apply force to a movable component of the engine, such as the pistons or turbine 0.8 L I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft. Where it is inclined, it is sometimes 1.1 L C-Type I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft. Where it is inclined, it is sometimes 1.4 L C-Type I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft. Where it is inclined, it is sometimes 1.4 L C-Type I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft. Where it is inclined, it is sometimes Turbo A turbocharger, or turbo, is a gas compressor used for forced-induction of an internal combustion engine. Like a supercharger, the purpose of a turbocharger is to increase the density of air entering the engine to create more power. However, a turbocharger differs in that the compressor is powered by a turbine driven by the engine's own exhaust
Transmission(s) Using the principle of mechanical advantage, a transmission or gearbox provides a speed-torque conversion from a higher speed motor to a slower but more forceful output or vice-versa 5-speed manual A manual transmission (also known as 'stick shift', 'straight shift', 'standard shift', or sometimes '5-speed') is a type of transmission used in automotive applications. It generally utilizes a driver-operated clutch operated by a pedal or lever, for regulating torque transfer from the engine to the transmission, and a gear-shift either operated 4-speed manual 3-speed automatic An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually. Similar but larger devices are also used for heavy-duty commercial and industrial vehicles and equipment
Wheelbase In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel, and the center of the rear wheel. At equilibrium, the total torque of the forces acting on the car is zero, and thus the wheelbase is related to the weight on each tire by the following formula: 96 in (2,400 mm) (approx average of l & r)
Length 138 in (3,500 mm)
Width 60 in (1,500 mm)
Height 55 in (1,400 mm)
Fuel capacity 41 L (10.8 US gal; 9.0 imp gal)[2]

The Renault 5 was introduced in January 1972. It was Renault Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, buses, tractors, and trucks. Due to its alliance with Nissan, it is currently the world's 4th largest automaker. It owns the Romanian automaker Automobile Dacia and the Korean automaker Renault Samsung Motors. The French-Lebanese Carlos Ghosn is the current CEO. The company's most successful's first supermini[citation needed], and its most prominent feature was its styling by Michel Boue (who died before the car's release), which included a steeply sloping rear hatchback Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window. The vehicle commonly has two rows of seats, with the rear seat able to fold down to increase cargo space and front dashboard. Boue had wanted the taillights to go all the way up from the bumper into the C-pillar An A-pillar is a name applied by car stylists and enthusiasts to the shaft of material that supports the windshield on either of the windshield frame sides. By denoting this structural member as the A-pillar, and each successive vertical support in the greenhouse after a successive letter in the alphabet (B-pillar, C-pillar etc.), this naming, in the fashion of the much later Fiat Punto The Fiat Punto is a supermini produced by the Italian manufacturer, Fiat, since 1993. It is currently in its third generation and Volvo 850 Estate / Wagon The Volvo 850 is a compact executive car produced by Volvo Cars from 1992 to 1997 and designed by Jan Wilsgaard. Available in sedan/saloon and station wagon/estate body styles, the Volvo 850 was notable as the first front-wheel drive vehicle from this Swedish manufacturer to be exported to North America. It is often considered the vehicle that, but the lights remained at a more conventional level.

First generation, rear view

Underneath the skin, it borrowed heavily from the Renault 4 The Renault 4, also known as the 4L , is a hatchback economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1994. It was the first front-wheel drive family car produced by Renault, using a longitudinally-mounted engine driving the front wheels with torsion bar A torsion bar suspension, also known as a torsion spring suspension or incorrectly torsion beam, is a general term for any vehicle suspension that uses a torsion bar as its main weight bearing spring. One end of a long metal bar is attached firmly to the vehicle chassis; the opposite end terminates in a lever, mounted perpendicular to the bar, suspension. OHV An overhead valve engine, also called pushrod engine or I-head engine is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft in the cylinder block (usually beside and slightly above the crankshaft in a straight engine or directly above the crankshaft in the V of a V engine) and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder head to engines were borrowed from the Renault 4 The Renault 4, also known as the 4L , is a hatchback economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1994. It was the first front-wheel drive family car produced by Renault, Renault 8 The Renault 8 and Renault 10 are two small family cars produced by the French vehicle manufactuer Renault in the 1960s and early 1970s. The 8 was launched in 1962, and the 10, a more upmarket version of the 8, was launched in 1965. Both ceased production and sales in France in 1971. They were produced in Bulgaria until 1970 (see Bulgarrenault),, and Renault 16 It sold well in most of Europe, winning praise for its spacious and comfortable interior. Equipment levels were also high for the price. Initially, Renault sold the R16 with just a 1.4 L gasoline engine in GL specification; then followed the 1.6 L I4 TS which could top 100 mph . An automatic transmission version, designated the Renault 16 TA, was, and ranged from 850 to 1400 cc.

Early R5s used a dashboard-mounted gearshift (the gearbox is in front of the engine), but this was later dropped in favour of a floor mounted shifter. Door handles were formed by a cut-out in the door panel and B-pillar. The Renault 5 was one of the first cars produced with a plastic bumper bar that has since become standard on most cars.

The engine was set well back in the engine bay, above and half behind the gear box. This made it possible for the spare wheel to be stowed under the bonnet/hood, an unusual arrangement which attracted press comment at the time and freed up more space for passengers and their luggage in the cabin. [3]

Other versions of the first generation included the Renault 5 Alpine (Gordini Later Gordini worked with Renault as an engine tuner and finally sold his firm to Renault which entered Renault-Gordini cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1962 until 1969 in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with), Alpine/Gordini Turbo The Renault 5 Alpine or Gordini was one of the first true hot hatches, produced by French automaker Renault between 1976 and 1984. By the time the Volkswagen Golf GTI came on the scene and became established, the R5 Alpine looked a little slow. Renault launched the Renault 5 Alpine Turbo in 1982. In England, the car was sold as the Renault 5, and a four-door sedan version called the Renault 7 The Renault 7 is a 4-door saloon version of the Renault 5 supermini, produced and sold in Spain by Renault's subsidiary, FASA-Renault from 1974 to 1984 and built by FASA-Renault of Spain Spain /ˈspeɪn/ (Spanish: España, pronounced [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), or the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.[note 6] Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north by France,.

Renault Le Car

"Le Car" version sold by AMC

The American introduction of the Renault 5 did not occur until 1976. The Renault 5 was marketed Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. The term developed from the original meaning which referred literally to going to market, as in as the Le Car in the United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the by American Motors American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history, valued at US$198 million ($1.44 billion in 2006 dollars). When declining sales and the competitiveness of the United States auto (AMC) through its 1,300 dealers A car dealership or vehicle local distribution is a business that sells new cars and/or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. It employs automobile salespeople to do the selling. It may also provide maintenance services for cars, thus employing automobile mechanics, stock and sell where it competed against other front-wheel-drive subcompacts such the Honda Civic The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact/compact cars manufactured by Honda. In the United States of America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's (which was introduced in 1972) and the newly introduced Volkswagen Rabbit.

The tiny and economical Renault 5 was dubbed Le Car by an ad agency launching a marketing campaign in the U.S. built on it being Europe's best selling car and the millions of satisfied owners.[4] The Le Car name was ridiculed among Francophones[citation needed], as it literally means "the coach In British and Australian English, the term coach is used to refer to a large motor vehicle for conveying passengers. To differentiate from other types of bus, a coach has a luggage hold separate from the passenger cabin. Also, whereas other buses are primarily used to transport commuters relatively short distances within the same city, coaches".

The U.S. version featured a 1397 cc I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft. Where it is inclined, it is sometimes engine that produced 55 hp (41 kW), and a more conventional floor-mounted shifter was substituted for the dash-mounted unit. In 1977 it dominated the Sports Car Club of America "Showroom Stock Class C" class.[5]

The LeCar was offered in 3-door hatchback form from 1976-80. For the 1980 model year, the front fascia was updated to include a redesigned front bumper, grille and rectangular headlights. A 5-door hatchback body style was added for the 1981 model year. Imports continued through 1983, when the car was replaced by the Wisconsin-built Renault 11-based Renault Encore.

Chronology

Engines

Sporting versions

Renault 5 Turbo

The Renault 5 in its 1.4 litre Alpine version was raced in Group 2, its most notable result was a second and first in the 1977 Monte-Carlo rally despite a serious handicap in power against other works cars.

For 1978, a rally Group 4 (later Group B) version was introduced. It was named as the Renault 5 Turbo, but being mid-engined and rear wheel drive, this car bore little technical resemblance to the road-going version. Though retaining the shape and general look of the 5, only the door panels were shared with the standard version. Driven by Jean Ragnotti, this car won the Monte Carlo Rally for its first race in World Rally Championship. The 2WD R5 turbo soon had to face the competition of new 4WD cars that proved to be faster on dirt, however it remained among the fastest of its era on tarmac.

The Renault 5 Turbo was made in many guises, eventually culminating with the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo. This car had up to 400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS), all produced from a slightly enlarged and highly modified version of the original 1397 cc Renault 5 engine.

Many confuse the different versions of the Renault 5 Turbo, often grouping them all under the common moniker "Renault 5 Turbo". The "Renault 5 Gordini Turbo", referenced above, is the front-engined predecessor to the "Renault 5 GT Turbo". The "Renault 5 Turbo", "Renault 5 Turbo 2" and variants are the mid-engined versions with the wide wheel-arches (which are so often copied with poor-quality bodykits on second-generation Renault 5s).

Global markets

The original Renault 5 continued in production in Iran by SAIPA and Pars Khodro, as the Sepand. In 2002, the Sepand was replaced by the P.K, a car that adopted a styling reminiscent of the second generation, but still using the slightly-modified original bodywork. The P.K has been replaced by the New P.K which is a little changed in body style.

The Renault 5 was one of the first French-made cars to achieve sales success on the British market. Between 1972 and 1984, 216,199 examples of the Renault 5 were sold. However,very few Mk1 Renault 5s in Britain survive to the present day; a survey by AutoExpress Magazine found that the Renault 5 Mk1 was the fourth most-scrapped car in Britain in 2006, with just 499 still in working order anywhere in the UK.[citation needed].

Second generation (1985–1996)

Renault 5 (second generation) "Supercinq"
Production 1985–1996
Assembly Billancourt, France Valladolid, Spain Mariara, Venezuela Novo Mesto, Slovenia
Body style(s) 3-door hatchback 5-door hatchback
Layout FF layout
Engine(s) 1.0 L C-Type I4 1.1 L C-Type I4 1.4 L C-Type I4 1.4 L C-Type I4 Turbo 1.7 L F-Type I4 1.6 L F-Type diesel I4
Transmission(s) 3-speed automatic 4-speed manual 5-speed manual

The second generation Renault 5, often referred to as the Supercinq or Superfive, appeared in 1985. Although the bodyshell was completely new (the platform was based on that of the Renault 9/11), the classic 5 styling touches were left unchanged; styling was the work of Marcello Gandini. The biggest change was the adoption of a transversely-mounted powertrain taken directly from the 9 and 11, plus a less sophisticated suspension design, which used MacPherson struts.

Second Generation Renault 5 with 5 doors Second Generation Renault 5 with 3 doors

The second-generation R5 also spawned a panel van version, known as the Renault Express. It was commercialised in some European countries as the Renault Extra (UK) or Renault Rapid (mainly German speaking countries). This car was intended to replace the R4 F6 panel van, production of which had ceased in 1986.

A "hot hatch" version, the GT Turbo, was a car beloved of boy racers through the 1980s and 1990s. Sporting 115 PS (85 kW; 113 hp) in the Phase 1, the Phase 2 GT Turbo later brought 5 extra horsepower to the table, a slightly altered torque band and higher reliability. Coming from a simple 1397 cc OHV engine, this was considered quite a feat. Due to strict emission demands in certain European countries, the GT Turbo was not available everywhere. Because of this Renault decided to use the naturally aspirated 1.7 L from the Renault 19, which utilized multipoint fuel injection. Under the name GTE, it produced 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp). Although not as fast as the turbo model, it featured the same interior and exterior appearance, as well as identical suspension and brakes.

The model was starting to show its age by 1990, when it was effectively replaced by the more modern and better-built Clio, which was an instant sales success across Europe. Production of the R5 was transferred to the Revoz factory in Slovenia when the Clio was launched, and it remained on sale as a budget choice called the Campus until the car's 24-year production run finally came to an end in 1996. The Campus name was revived in 2005 with the Renault Clio II. The Renault Clio II remains in production alongside the Renault Clio III, as the R5 did with the first Renault Clio.

Chronology

With the launch of the Renault Clio, production of the Renault 5 was transferred to the Revoz factory in Slovenia, and it remained on sale as a budget car until the model's 24-year production run finally came to an end in 1996.[6]

Engines

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page.

Collectibility

The Renault 5 has achieved, like the original Mini, a cult status.[7] The "Renault Owners Club of North America" provides support, parts and various resources for Renault owners and enthusiasts.[8]

References

Inline
  1. ^ Pleffer, Ashlee. "Renault 5: it’s french for good" Cars Guide (Australia) 10 March 2008, retrieved on 1 August 2008.
  2. ^ Daily Express Motor Show Review 1975 Cars: Page 41 (Renault 5TL). October 1974.
  3. ^ Daily Mail Motor Show Review 1972 on 1973 Cars (London: Associated Newspapers Group Ltd): Page 41 (Renault 5). October 1972.
  4. ^ Advertising techniques ADA Publishing, 1979, page 26-28, ISSN: 0001-0235
  5. ^ SportsCar Magazine by the Sports Car Club of America, 1977.
  6. ^ "Renault 5 GT Turbo" Modern Legends, konceptZERO, 30 November 2006, retrieved on 1 August 2008.
  7. ^ Sparrow, David (1992). Renault 5: Le Car. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1855322301.
  8. ^ Renault Owners Club of North America official home page, retrieved on 14 April 2009.
General

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Renault 5
Renault car timeline, 1940s–1980s —
Type 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Economy car 3 / 4 4
Supermini 5 / 7 Super 5
Small family car 4CV Dauphine 8/10 6 14 9/11
Large family car Juvaquatre 12 18 21
Executive car Frégate 16 20/30 25
Gran Turismo Torino
Coupé 15/17 Fuego
Roadster Caravelle
Off-roader Rodeo 4/6 Rodeo
— Renault car timeline, 1980s–present
Type 1980s 1990s 2000s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
City car Twingo Twingo II
Supermini 5 / 7 Super 5 Clio I Clio II / Thalia Clio III
Small family car 14 9 / 11 19 Mégane I Mégane II Mégane III
Alliance
Large family car 18 21 / Medallion Laguna I Laguna II Laguna III
Executive car 20 / 30 25 Safrane Vel Satis
Leisure activity vehicle Kangoo I Kangoo II
SUV Koleos
Mini MPV Modus
Compact MPV Scénic I Scénic II
Large MPV Espace I Espace II Espace III Espace IV
Coupé Fuego Avantime Laguna Coupé
Roadster Spider
Nash Motors, American Motors, and Jeep-Eagle timeline of captive import cars, United States market, 1950s–1980s —
Type 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Sports Nash-Healey Fuego
Subcompact Metropolitan LeCar (R5) Summit
Compact 18i/Sportwagon Medalion

Categories: Renault vehicles | Subcompact cars | Front wheel drive vehicles | 1970s automobiles | 1980s automobiles | Hatchbacks | 1990s automobiles | Vehicles introduced in 1972

 

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