Renault Brochure 1978

[Richard_FM]

Here's a selection of pages from the 1978 Renault Brochure.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/richard16378/albums/72157713764612266 has the full set of scans.

 

[Skizzer]

I’ve got this brochure somewhere - it’s a whole book, with some alarming pictures in a section in the middle of asymmetrical R12 prototypes from the late 60s.

The Boutique options pages are pretty special too - lots of go faster stripes and mad 70s alloys. 

[Skizzer]

2 minutes ago, Skizzer said:

asymmetrical R12 prototypes from the late 60s.

Like this, but there were worse.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

1 minute ago, Skizzer said:

I’ve got this brochure somewhere - it’s a whole book, with some alarming pictures in a section in the middle of asymmetrical R12 prototypes from the late 60s.

The Boutique options pages are pretty special too - lots of go faster stripes and mad 70s alloys. 

In fact this, along with my Motoring Which 1970 Yearbook are my two favourite books . If Lauren Laverne  forced me to choose it would be a tough decision

[Richard_FM]

5 minutes ago, Skizzer said:

I’ve got this brochure somewhere - it’s a whole book, with some alarming pictures in a section in the middle of asymmetrical R12 prototypes from the late 60s.

The Boutique options pages are pretty special too - lots of go faster stripes and mad 70s alloys. 

I've put the prototype pictures in the monochrome pictures thread, the forward control Dauphine is weird.

 

There are also here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/richard16378/albums/72157713764612266

 

[chaseracer]

I have one of these, picked up (along a couple of scale models, which I also still have somewhere) from the Renault dealer in Powick, between Malvern and Worcester, when I was about 12.  

The buildings - from the time when the A449 was still a main route from the Midlands to south Wales - survived until fairly recently, but there's now a 'glass box' Skoda retailer on the site.

[Richard_FM]

14 minutes ago, The Mighty Quinn said:

I know they were a bit rubbish, but I do like the 14. I can still remember the insistent gear whine.

They were a bit odd having the Peugeot "suitcase" engines, which Renault jointly developed but only ever used on the 14.  By the time the 9 & 11 came along they had worked out how to use their existing engines with a transverse gearbox.

[Skizzer]

I like 14s too, very much, and don’t get the pub fact* that they were rubbish. You’re right about the transmission whine, but that doesn’t make a car crap, or people would have to sneer equally at Range Rovers, Minis and every Citroen prior to the XM.

The styling was unusual at the time, but has aged well and become normalised by the sundry rounded shapes of the 1990s. It was simply well ahead of its time.

They could rust, but no worse than most late 70s contemporaries - Fiat 127, 128, Mirafiori? Capri? Mini again? XJ6? Alfasud? 2CV? None of these is considered rubbish even by blokes in pubs.

They sold well enough to be a common sight here, and were well received by reviewers.

CAR GBU from 1978/9 (under ‘Interesting’) said:

For: Room, zip, versatility  
Against: Transmission noise  
Sum-up: Softer, more comfy Golf

[Richard_FM]

I remember one of my Mum's friend's had a 14, which was followed by a Citroen Visa and later an AX.

 

 

[Richard_FM]

There's a 14 in the background of this picture from Your First Car, taken in about 1990 when they were becoming a bit rare.

I was impressed that the Allegro lasted until 1999

.

[Skizzer]

5 minutes ago, Richard_FM said:

As an aside, what on earth kind of a shop was Sophie’s Choice?

”Hey, let’s have a brand name from a Meryl Streep movie about murdering children in concentration camps. Way to go!”

[Richard_FM]

3 hours ago, Skizzer said:

As an aside, what on earth kind of a shop was Sophie’s Choice?

”Hey, let’s have a brand name from a Meryl Streep movie about murdering children in concentration camps. Way to go!”

It’s a restaurant in sidcup that’s still around, I looked it up to see where this picture was taken.

[Shep Shepherd]

The 1978 Renault brochure is a truly fabulous thing. I've had a scanned copy of it for years 

[Alusilber]

I have the 1979 (“finalised for printing on 31st January 1979”) edition of this, acquired from a local dealer at the time. Quite similar but no R6 by then. Interesting that, instead of the usual fuel and temperature gauges, Renault provided fuel gauge and voltmeter on all their models, with only the bigger cars getting temp gauges. 
 

 

[Richard_FM]

I think Renault just had a light to show when the engine was getting too hot.

[Sir Chocolate Teapot]

That renault 30 brings back memories 

Back in late 70's or maybe 1980 my dad was stationed in germany and bought a brand new R 30 in metallic brown.

I remember 3 things vividly:

Velour interior

V6 noise

It broke down badly in 1 st time in italy towing caravan. It got sold soon after.

Dad moved back to Volvo 240s.

If only he was car hoarder.

 

[Richard_FM]

1 hour ago, Sir Chocolate Teapot said:

That renault 30 brings back memories 

Back in late 70's or maybe 1980 my dad was stationed in germany and bought a brand new R 30 in metallic brown.

I remember 3 things vividly:

Velour interior

V6 noise

It broke down badly in 1 st time in italy towing caravan. It got sold soon after.

Dad moved back to Volvo 240s.

If only he was car hoarder.

 

I remember 20/30s didn’t seem common by the 1980s certainly I don’t remember that many around by the time I started to observe cars.