R E N O T E S. E V E N T R E p o RT s. R E N A U LT A N N I V E R s A R I E s. m o d I f I E d R E N A U LT s. RENAULT Histoire & Collection

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1 R E N O T E S T H E m A G A Z I N E o f T H E R E N A U L T o W N E R s C L U B I s s U E 3 s E p T E m B E R E V E N T R E p o RT s R E N A U LT A N N I V E R s A R I E s m o d I f I E d R E N A U LT s RENAULT Histoire & Collection

2 C o N T E N T s CLUB OFFICERS Secretary: Sebastian O Halloran 33, Park View, Western Park, Leicester. LE3 6SJ secretary@renaultownersclub. com Tel: Treasurer: Malcolm Bailey Mayhill House, London Road Addington, West Malling Kent ME19 AN Tel: treasurer@renaultownersclub. com Membership Secretary: Damien Bailey address as Malcolm Bailey membership@renaultownersclub. com Editor, Events and Webmaster: Alasdair Worsley Scawby Road, Scawby Brook, Brigg, N. Lincs. DN20 9JX editor@renaultownersclub. com Club Shop Michael Fawke Tel: shop@renaultownersclub. com Modified Secretary: Jason Ford jayvxr@msn. com COPY DATES Next issue of Renotes is due December 2010 All contributions for that issue must be received by November 1th Please send to the Editor: Alasdair Worsley at address above Subsequent issues will be December 2010 and March 2011 Renotes is published by the RenOwners Club Limited MEMBERSHIP FEES full UK and EEC 2 full Non EEC 30 senior Citizens and Unemployed (includes students) 20 Additional for New members over normal membership. 2-3 Contents and Letters to the Editor 4 Club Events 6-11 Event Reports 12 Classic and Collectors - 2/30 Renault Turbo & GT Classic and Collectors - 60th Colorale Anniversary 18 Classic and Collectors - 40th Rodeo Anniversary 19 Classic and Collectors - 3th Renault 20/30 Anniversary Classic and Collectors - 30th fuego Anniversary supercinq saga 2 Classic and Collectors - 30th Trafic & master Anniversary 26 Classic and Collectors - 2th UK Espace Anniversary 27 motorsport - End of the Turbo Charged Era modern - Cliomania 29 modern - Clio 20th Anniversary modern - News from Renault and the End of the Vel satis? modified - my Renault - modified 19 16v 34-3 modified - 4 x x + 6 x x 10 = Au Coin du Livre - Book Reviews Heritage - Renault 2 Years Ago 40 Around the Clubs Club parts, Classifieds and Club shop Front Cover: This is a collage of the original sales photos from vehicles celebrating their anniversaries this year. The vehicle at each of the 4 corners is still in production. To see your car on the front cover, please send me either a photo or a good quality electronic file (jpg > 1MB is best). The opinions expressed in Renotes are not necessarily those of either the Editor or the Committee of the RenOwners Club Limited Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission DISCLAIMER 1. "Any person receiving any technical assistance from any member of the RenOwners Club Ltd shall hold harmless that adviser from any and all claims for damages, losses, expenses or costs arising out of the provision of that technical assistance and any person receiving such technical assistance shall waive any claims that it might have or might pretend to have against that person arising from the provision of the technical assistance. " 2. "A party receiving any technical assistance from any member of the RenOwners Club Ltd shall not be entitled to rely upon that advice as given by the RenOwners Club Ltd. For the avoidance of doubt no advice given is by the RenOwners Club Ltd and no person has authority to hold themselves out as giving advice backed by the RenOwners Club Ltd. " 2 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

3 L E T T E R s T o T H E E d I T o R Letters to the Editor In the June 2010 issue of RENOTES the comment was made in the RENAULT 0 YEARS AGO article that The Ultimate Achievement of Advanced Electrical Engineering and Compact Automotive Design, " the Henney Kilowatt was a true forefather of today's hybrid and electric cars. You may be interested to know that this design is referred to as a parallel hybrid. The electric motor and the internal combustion engine work together or independently as required. This allows the engine to be downsized because the electric motor can provide the missing grunt as and when required. Which is not all that often usually, just as well as the batteries do not last long. Most current production hybrids are, sadly, of this design. But there is another way, called series hybrid, where the engine drives a generator/alternator which creates electricity which either goes into the batteries or to the motor, or both. This concept, the true forefather of all hybrid vehicles, was first developed by Ferdinand Porsche (Ferry s father) in 1901, not as a way to make petrol engines better but to make the then fashionable electric motors better! The advantage of this system, used on diesel electric trains the world over, is the engine can operate at one load/speed point, its most efficient obviously, and only when required. No HC fuel need be consumed around town if there are batteries for, say, 80 km of driving (80% of all car trips are 80km or less), and as little as 1.8 l/100 km on the highway is possible in a series hybrid adaptation of current vehicle designs. The Chevrolet Volt and a few other more forward looking designs are series hybrids. This is the future in my view. Lawrence Glynn Member Renault Owners Club Canberra Australia Iwould like, at some time in the future, to purchase a series 1 Twingo with basic spec. (no power steering, electric windows, air-con or ABS for me thanks just good old minimalist motoring just like my R Campus twins Amandine and Poppy There was a dedicated website for the Series 1 Twingo with tips about legalising 'em for the UK with such as how to convert the digital dash to read in MPH from KPH. Rear foglight and headlamp issues. Sadly I think the site is now defunct. I just want a little feedback about the +ve and -ve aspects of living with a Series 1 Twingo here in Blighty. Dank U! Please reply via editor or the forum. Count Richard Ferenc Edgar HORVATH Greetings from the Czech Republic, I would like to introduce my Mégane. I bought it in 2008, was manufactured in Mégane has is silver metallic, including bumpers, door handles and mirrors. It is the equipment: fog lamps, remote central locking, 4 airbags, AC, power mirrors and front windows, radio with CD and controls on the steering wheel, height-adjustable driver's seat, the seats are partially covered with skin. The car is roomy, comfortable, well-controllable V engine gives the car a very good acceleration and maximum speed. Consumption is also satisfactory, average 7l/100km. I would be honoured if you my view the Mégane. More Pictures on the Forum. New members Rik Kova - By Thierry sybord (managing director Renault UK) Clare Wharton Neil Buskey Jason Turner Christopher forrest Adam Lounds david pounder - safrane simon Bateman Howard dixon dave Warner - Renault 19 Alan davies And from Japan いらっしゃいませ Egawa masayuki R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 3

4 E V E N T s CLUB EVENTs 2010 / 2011 The club is putting on a number of events in I have listed those we currently have below. Any additions will appear throughout the year and ALSO on the website. This is an important resource as we can use it to give up to date information on additions and alterations. If you need to check anything, please contact the Events Secretary ( events@renaultownersclub. com) or the Secretary ( Secretary@renaultownersclub. com). Addresses and telephone numbers are on page 2. Club Events are marked (C). Some events will be for club members only and may be tailored round a theme. please NoTE most CLUB EVENTs REQUIRE pre- BooKING THIs YEAR As NUmBERs ANd ENTRIEs NEEd posting To organisers WELL BEfoRE THE EVENT Renault World series (C) Silverstone 18th to 19th September 2010 Contact: Seb secretary@renaultownersclub. com Tel: NEC Classic Car show (C) 12th, 13th and 14th November We have applied for a stand on this and welcome enquiries. Please let us know if you want to apply or can offer help, space is LIMITED to 6 cars and preference will be given to cars that match the shows requirements most closely. editor@renaultownersclub. com or Phone for details EVENTs It is early days yet to get most of the dates in but for 2011 the following events are expected to take place. AGM (April) French Car Show Bromley Pageant Kent Run (May) Renault Clubs Open Event (June/July) Tatton (August) Crich (probably for the August Bank Holiday) World Series Renault We also strongly suspect there will be an event to celebrate the 0th Birthday of the start of production of the Renault 4. The Club also plans to run the French Run again, details will be also included in a separate letter but we are looking for ideas. Should we run a similar weekend one (about 200 per person), extend it to a 3 day event over a bank holiday (noting costs will rise) or take it out to a full day event, perhaps attending one of the main runs on the continent. if the numbers work out we could look at a day event for 1000 per couple. This may seem high but it works out at 100 per person per day, would include dinner bed and breakfast, access to a couple of museums and a couple of Chateaux as well as possibly a couple of buffet lunches, the rest would be for individuals to decide on. A mix of free days and local road runs. Please events@renaultownersclub. com to let us know your thoughts. All these are prototype Renault 4s. Which one became the production shape? 4 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

5 A d V E RT I s m E N T Cars for Sale Live Stage Restoration Autojumble Over 1000 Cars & 100 s of Bikes Parts & Services Dream Rides Automobilia Accessories Club Exclusive Ticket Deal! Advance Offer Book today- Save s & beat the queues! Club Single 1.00 Quote code CLUBS10 Club Family 34.0 Quote code CLUBF10 Book by phone or web now... Sponsored by In association with Official partner The place to share your passion for cars NOV Book online or call the ticket hotline Classic Motor Show tickets also allow FREE entry into The Classic Bike Show AND the MPH Show (excludes Top Gear Live Theatre). Offer applies to Sat13th/Sun14th November 2010 only. Club Single ticket offer limited to 2 tickets per member. Club Family ticket admits 2 adults and up to 3 children (-16yrs) and is limited to one family ticket per member. Club Single tickets save.00 off the Sat/Sun door price. Club Family tickets save up to off the Sat/ Sun door price compared to buying individually! Offer applies to advance bookings only. Hand your special ticket stub in to your club on their stand at the show and your club can earn 1.00 commission! See website for all information. All bookings are subject to a single transaction fee. All information is correct at time of publishing. R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E

6 E V E N T R E p o RT s FRIENDS This years Powderham vehicle gathering took place on July 10th & 11th The weather leading up to the show had been really great and we were all keeping our fingers crossed for good weather over the weekend. I had decided that I would try to get my cars there on the Thursday evening after work leaving Friday free for setting up the stand and memorabilia tent. This is where friends come into action. Melvin who works at my accident repair centre volunteered to drive the recovery truck with 2 cars on board, The R1 & R17. These weren t taxed so couldn t be driven to the show. Melvin had quite a hairy trip, as on his way to Powderham, there was a problem with the brakes on the truck and for a moment, had no brakes. I think this rather frightened him as he was a bit pale on arriving at the showground (But I couldn t smell anything and no brown stains) It was a seized calliper which has now been fixed. My old work mate John drove the Renault 10. My mate Becks and his son Mark drove the Renault Caravelle. My brotherin -law Rodney took my Renault scenic towing the memorabilia trailer. Rose drove the Renault 8 and I took the 12 Estate. Chris took over his own R turbo On arriving we found that we had been given a different site this year under a huge tree, but we thought if it s really hot at least we will have some shade. Once we had dropped the cars off and had a chat, Rose, Rodney and John went home in the Scenic. The rest off us all went in the recovery truck to a place called Ashcombe, between Dawlish and Haldon to pick up a 4CV a car used for sprint and hill climbs with a R16 engine in it. Early on Friday morning I took the R6 with John over to the show and Becks, Event Reports Mark and Rodney who had all taken the day off from their various work places came on over to help with setting up the stand, positioning the cars in all the right places and putting up the memorabilia tent, (tall people are very useful for this). This done it was time for me to take them all to the pub for a well earned carvery and a pint. My poor wallet!!!! Back in the afternoon it was mostly unpacking the memorabilia. Later in the day my wife Rose and daughter Sarah arrived to complete the setting up making sure everything was well displayed. This took at least a couple of hours. Chris turned up with his R21turbo 4 wheel drive (Editor - Quadra). Gary was next to arrive, all the way from Lincoln, he was staying for the weekend in a local hotel. I lent him the R12 estate for transport as his wife was using their car for her needs. We left around about 8'o clock and were glad to get home and in the shower. I was looking forward to the weekend. Saturday morning arrives and John and I set out just after 8a. m. to wipe over the cars and greet Richard Hockin who arrived in his Dauphine. The day went very well with lots of interest. At Rose and I went off to do our bit for the club, manning the back gate for an hour, when we got back to the display, Rose cooked up some food on the B. B. Q.. Enjoyed by all. During the day I was given leads and phone numbers for other cars and memorabilia. After a successful day we closed up the tent, locked all the cars up and headed home for a well earned rest and a couple of Bacardi and cokes. Sunday morning, a repeat of Saturday, but also Rodney coming along with me and John. Rose and Karen (Rodney s wife) came along late morning. Between 9 & 10 other members arrived with their cars, Brian Hunt with his R4 GTL from Falmouth, Andy & Sally with their R30TX from Southsea and Bernard Caddy with his Safrane from Bristol. After introductions and all getting to know one another the show was open we had a parade of Renaults in the ring. The organisers commented on our impressive stand and collection of cars which they are happy to accommodate in future year and also that it is nice to see Renault cars back on the scene after a long absence, which I was proud of as that was my intention. We fired up the B. B. Q. again along with some drinks for us all to enjoy. Another great day with more contacts. After the presentation ceremony we started to pack everything away and I was amazed at how many people were willing to help. In no time at all everything was boxed up and ready for me to pack into the display trailer. I would like to thank everyone for their help and for giving up their time to make this a successful and growing show. I was given an idea about next years show by Brian that next year is the R4 0th anniversary and maybe we could use this as a theme. Incorporating other models. I put this to Gary Creighton and he thought it would be a good idea. He mentioned it on the R4 forum and within a short while he had 2 positive replies of R4 owners to be included. I have also mentioned this to the Renault Owners Club and this will be a joint venture for both clubs. Put the date of July 9th & 10th 2011 in your diaries if you would like to attend this event. Celebrating the R4 anniversary. Any enquiries please contact me. Rob Doran or ; speedwayrob@hotmail. com Lastly today I received a card and photo thanking me from Andy & Sally saying they had a fantastic day and I think they really enjoyed the show and that they are already looking forward to next years show. 6 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

7 E V E N T R E p o RT s Thanks Robert "Roll on July 2011" Rob Doran French Car Show- Rockingham. Sunday 13th June 2010 Sunday 13th June 2010 dawned as a dull day following the sustained activity of Saturday when car shampoo, hoses and polish had been lavished on our cars not to mention the vacuum cleaners and alloy wheel treatments. The Kent based contingent comprised my brother driving my 18GTS, son Damien in his Clio Williams with me in the Renaultsport Mégane 22. While Damien and I left from West Malling, my brother came through from Maidstone having left a little earlier and we joined up near the top end of the M11 before taking the A14 for Rockingham. Access was easy and we were quickly on the allotted area for the club and unloading assorted kit we had brought with us. In the weeks prior to the show I had managed to blag some redundant display equipment from my local dealership, Davis of Sevenoaks, who kindly gave us a pair of demountable poles and bases which could be placed under car wheels for stability. The poles were provided with eyelets and we fairly quickly erected the Renault banner and a Renault flag also given by Davis of Sevenoaks together with the club banner obtained by Alasdair. If you have a good relationship with your local dealership why not ask if they have any display material that they no longer need as we are keen to collect as much equipment as possible for future shows. If you get anything one of us will be able to store it The rest of the contingent were either there before or just after us and comprised Valerie Worsley in her magnificent 1909 AX, Jim Worsley in his splendid Avantime, Alasdair with probably the only commercial vehicle at the show with a Trafic van, Andy Mitchell in his 30 plus the three cars from Kent. Our display was probably unique in that we had a range of cars spreading over a century of Renault motoring with more unusual vehicles and all of them original. Star of the show was the AX which attracted a lot of attention, as did Andy s 30 and the Avantime. I also had various people curious to know what the 18 was. Damien s Williams also attracted interest not only because of its relatively low mileage, but also its originality. My 22. probably went almost unnoticed on account of the fact that there was so many of them at the show. Whilst we were not talking to visitors it was possible to visit the many other car club displays many of which had most interesting mechanical and bodywork modifications including a Five with an Audi five cylinder engine. For some, the star of the show was Frank Williams original Clio Williams badged No 1 and another absolutely pristine Williams which had been completely rebuilt and won two classes of the Meguiars competition. For others it could have been the Adrian Flux Babes who visited all the stands and graced the upholstery or adorned the bodywork of the cars while their photos were taken. In between times you could watch enthusiasts having their cars tested on a mobile rolling road or watch the more intrepid lapping the speedway circuit, some producing ominous smoke of various colours. Altogether it was a great day. Although we had a couple of very short rain showers they were insignificant. What would have made it even better would have been being able to use the whole of our allotted area as we could have easily fitted in some more cars. So if you fancy a good day out with other petrol heads, why don t you consider coming to one of the shows which the club attends. Malcolm Bailey Scenic Tour 2010 Like many Australians we love coming to France and discovering more about this amazing and beautiful country, which luckily for UK residents is so nearby and accessible the only downside for us is the 24 hours or so of being stuck inside a plane to get there. A bonus though is that Renault have a scheme for non EC residents who can book a brand new car on short term lease, so when we arrived in Nice in April we were able to pick up a new Scenic 1.9dci with all the best options including leather, sunroof and GPS. The first day with the car we went to Monaco for lunch, wonderful atmosphere as preparations were underway for the Grand Prix in May, with spectator stands being erected and lots of banners going up. We found a little place at the harbour front appropriately named the Caravelle Café to take in the atmosphere. Nice to walk in the tunnel that the GP goes R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 7

8 E V E N T R E p o RT s through the footpath is right above the seafront with waves crashing below, and a stiff sea breeze blowing in, you don t get any impression of this watching the race on TV with the sound of F1cars roaring by. We then headed North to Reims to take in the ROC s Rallye to Reims as part of our 2010 Scenic tour travelling anti clockwise right around France. Our last ROC event was the Club s 0th anniversary at Beaulieu in 2002, so it was good fortune to be able to attend another event, in this case one that offered not only good company, interesting locations and Renaults, but French champagne as well! Leaving Nice for our first full day on the road, we easily completed 600km, allowing a more leisurely second day with sightseeing and quite a few stops, then an easy run into Reims on the Saturday morning. After just 4 days in the new Scenic, mostly on the highway, the rather small lift to the underground car park at the Reims Holiday Inn was a good test of manoeuvrability for man and machine, before joining Mike Fawke and the happy ROC crew that had driven down from Calais. This event has already been well reported in the last RENOTES, suffice to say we enjoyed it very much, the arrangements and company were first class, and after checking out the old circuit at Reims we said our farewells and headed to Normandy where we had booked accommodation at a farmhouse very close to Monet s garden. This allowed us to be amongst the very first visitors to arrive at the gardens on the Monday morning, where we were able to take in the beauty of this famous place, admire the new Spring growth and enjoy the surroundings. This was to be a theme of out journey over the coming weeks being in advance of the tourist season meant that there was little problem with queuing or finding accommodation and the new blossoms and green grass was truly impressive compared to the dryness that prevails in many parts of Australia. Further South we visited the Chambord Chateau in the Loire Valley and then travelled down to Limoges from where we embarked on a discovery tour of many historical villages ( ) all the way down to Carcassonne, including a stop at Millau to see the wonderful road viaduct. Here Deirdre purchased a high quality leather handbag from one of the many local makers to add to our shopping tally. The weather in the South was as good as the Spring growth, day after day was sunny with temperatures ranging from 18 to 23 degrees, perfect for motoring holidays. Village markets offered magnificent produce including all manner of meat products, cheeses, nougat and magnificent macaroons. One of our friendly hoteliers assured us April and May was one of the best times to visit as we would not like it down there in the Mt. Ventoux middle of July and August because it was far too hot and the place was overrun with tourists! Apart from the occasional very narrow village street with barely room to pass oncoming traffic, all was going well and the new Scenic was performing effortlessly and recording a constant 6.9kl/100km, very acceptable for a mix of brisk driving and lots of tourist stops with a boot load of luggage. As well as checking out a huge variety of cafes and restaurants, a month on the road provided a great variety of hotels and B&B s of all shapes and sizes, some of our favourites included several characterful farmhouses, La Residence Hotel in Limoges and the wonderful Safari Hotel and L Hibiscus Restaurant at Carpentras, close to Mt Ventoux. Here the weather was warmer, and after visiting a colourful Sunday morning village market featuring a vintage tractor display we were able to drive up to the snow at the summit of Mt Ventoux in perfect sunshine, and then back down for a dip at the pool back at the hotel where it was 27 degrees ( ) making it all a most memorable day. Our last days on the road were the reverse of this year s Tour de France cycling event, through North East France into Belgium for the Renault World Series at Spa, then on to Brussels via the new Herge Museum, and then on to Rotterdam. At our last night s accommodation, booked on the internet, we found our IBIS Hotel was adjacent to the large Dorzo Renault dealership at Vlaardingen, an excellent set up that displayed a 4CV and 1966 round eye R10 inside the front entrance of their large showroom, which also featured an Avantime as well as all the new Renault and Dacia range. The next day, after weeks and 6,100km of incident free motoring we reluctantly left our new Scenic at Amsterdam for the next part of our holiday. My thanks go to Deirdre for her excellent navigation, keeping us on track for the trip and also finding some of the most beautiful villages in France to complement my motoring and technical agenda. And indeed to the ROC for an enjoyable weekend and showing us that the Club really gets out and about and visits interesting places - bring on more French events! 8 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

9 E V E N T R E p o RT s Trevor Wise Renault 4 International Rally. 17th - 18th July 2010 Following our foray on to French soil in April, with the Rally to Reims in our Renault 4 GTL, the little car had got a taste for the continental journeys. So when I got news of the Renault 4 International gathering at Thenay in the Loire region of France, plans were drawn and the scenery was at its best. I wish now that I had lingered a bit longer and taken in more of the views, as I thought it was a beautiful place. After checking in at the venue and paying for my pitch, I set up camp and met and chatted as best I could with other Renault 4 owners. My French is not good but I managed somehow. My neighbour was Italian, so that added to my confusion, but what a car he had, it was built for transcontinental expeditions and a tribute to Histoire and Collection had brought along some of the famous expedition cars of the 60s as seen on Renault TV (Sky 883). It was for me a complete eye-opener, as I had no idea of the following the Renault 4L, known as La Quatrelle by its many fans on the continent, has, and I now up. My partner Rita didn t wish to go this time, must be my driving, but that was OK, it might be fun navigating my way around France solo. I planned to camp, so all the kit was gathered together and tickets for the ferry were bought. The rally was on the weekend of 17th 18th July but I reckoned it would take me a couple of days to get there and get back, so I left Plymouth for Roscoff on the Wednesday afternoon ferry. I cheated a bit here and booked into a small hotel for the night in Roscoff as the ferry didn t get in until 10:00pm. After a good night s sleep and a nice breakfast, I was on my way. The Renault 4 is quite happy at around 60mph, it s amazing how much ground you can cover at a nice steady speed, and after a bit of motorway and a lot of D roads, some of then arrow straight, I arrived at my overnight stop at La Flèche (The Arrow). The next day was spent driving along the Loire valley from Saumur through Tours to my destination at Thenay. The day started a bit damp but, the further east I travelled, the better the weather was, and as I passed through Tours, the sun was out his skills. The a fellow Brit arrived, Simon Lethbridge from Salisbury in his mideighties R4-F6 van, we hadn t met before but hit it off from the start, and he spoke good French, useful. Next morning, the arrival of R4s seemed endless, such a variety of them, it was so much to take in. I then spotted a very modified, bright orange, Renault 12, I wonder who that might be, a certain Mr Flavell. It was nice to meet up with Derek and his family. I think Becky was pleased to see her old 4 again and their kids were great. The Renault 12 was in good company, as, over the weekend quite a lot of early cars turned up at the event, a 4CV, a Frégate, 6s, 8s, 10s and some very sporty jobs too. Saturday was spent just looking at the fantastic array of cars, some in original condition, some very much concours and others, well very modified. The Renault know what an icon this little car is. We spent some time at the auto-jumble, all those hard to find parts in the UK, right under our noses. One or two bits were bought. I got a couple of 1-43rd scale models for my collection. We met a young couple from Exeter, Brendon and Amanda, pity they weren t in a 4, but it was nice to meet them and also a gentleman called Tony Latchford. His 4L was also at home at his holiday pad south of Thenay. He needed a replacement starter motor for it which he managed to get. The highlight of the weekend was a line up of all the 4s for the Guinness Book of Records. As far as I can remember I think the number of cars was 74, what a sight, wall to wall Renault 4s. The evening was spent enjoying a few beers, kindly supplied by Tony, watching the fireworks, a huge bonfire and listening to a French rock band killing some songs. Next morning, after a damn good fry up, a run was organised to go and visit the mushroom caves, but it all went a bit wrong, even the French were getting lost, what hope for us. So back to the event, to R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 9

10 E V E N T R E p o RT s take in more Renault atmosphere. All weekend there had been lots of stuff going on but of course you can t watch it all, too many cars to drool over, but I don t think we missed much and all too soon it was over. I was very kindly offered a bed for the night and a good meal at Tony s place, so after saying our goodbyes, we all went our various ways. A quick dash 12km south to a small picturesque town of St-Benoît-du-Sault. After a good meal, and a good nights sleep, we managed to get Tony s L going, so had a quick lap around the block. All too soon I had to take my leave and hit the road and 48km later saw me arrive at my last stop, a super campsite near Dinan, up in Brittany. Talk about a Grand-Tourer, who needs a modern car, the Renault 4 is just fine. Next day I was in Roscoff, picking up, shall we say, supplies. It s amazing how a few bottles of wine can improve road holding. I think the little car was beginning to groan under the weight. But we made it home and the round trip was just over 1000 miles. Simon and I had the only two British registered R4s at the event, and the French folks we met were impressed we made the effort to attend and made us feel very welcome. So come on you Renault 4 owners out there, next year is the 0th Anniversary of La Quatrelle, I m sure it will be an even bigger event and not to be missed, so see you there. Brian Hunt French Classic and Performance Cars at the Ace Cafe London Early August I received a nice note and some photos from a French Car Meeting that one of our members, Peter Bell, went to on in July. I have copied it below as it is hopefully an event we can look to attend again in the future. Enclosed are 3 photos taken at the Ace Cafe in July, at the French Classic and Performance Night. If any member has not been to this venue, it is a great place to visit and join in the fun of the night. Having travelled down from Cheshire, I arrived early, as you can see from the next photo. I had a nice meal and it was not long before other Renault Owners started to arrive. From the next photo, you can see 2 lovely alpines to the left of my 197 Renault 12TL and two 21 Turbos to the right. LOOKING FOR DISCOUNT RENAULT PARTS? Then you ve just found your answer!!! We provide quality replacement parts from major European component companies, including many of the original parts suppliers to Renault Purflux - Air, Oil, Fuel and Cabin filters Valeo - Clutches, Lighting, Braking, Cooling & Wiping Dayco - Timing & auxillary belts TRW - Brake discs, Pads, Shoes & Cylinders. Marelli - Lighting, Pumps & Electrical. Delphi - Diesel filters & Diesel related products NGK - Spark plugs, Glow plugs & Lambda sensors Specialists in Pierburg EGR valves GREAT PRICES EXTRA DISCOUNT FOR CLUB MEMBERS WINDOW REGULATORS REAR DISC ASSEMBLIES SERVICE KITS v COILS TIMING BELT KITS A FAMILY RUN BUSINESS FOR 26 YEARS Current Club Code for EXTRA % Discount roc76481aa (in lowercase) 10 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

11 E V E N T R E p o RT s Across the car park, in the next photo, you can see a fine collection of s and Clios, within an hour of the 6 O clock start, the car park was full with up to 6 cars, and what a great display it was. All I can say for members is, Get down there and get with it. A great night out and a great time had by all. Peter Bell Editors note. This year has seen a marked increase in the variety and number of events members have gone to. As I pen this, although before it is received, we will also have Tatton and Crich. After this, and before the next, we will have the NEC. We would be interested to know if anyone has local rallys to go to that they may feel would appeal, either as official or unofficial events. Next year we already have Crich, hopefully if it goes well, the NEC, Kent run for the 0th Anniversary of the launch in France of the Renault 4, Powderham is going to be a full joint event aimed again at Renault 4s but with all welcome (remember the birth of the 4 saw the nail driven into the coffin of the French line that made the 4CV). French Car Show and perhaps the addition of some of the above, what would you like to see for French Run 2, maybe carry on the theme of the 4 and visit the French at Thenay is going to be busy but also it s good preparation for in 2012 the club hits 60 CLUB 2011 Calendar Years of Age. The second oldest Renault Club in the World - The First being our down under cousins. For the 0th we saw a large gathering at Beaulieu and with a fair wind, good weather and the motor munchkins pulling together we can have a party to be proud of. Sadly this year circumstances got the better of Wroughton, as the whole show went down.tatton and if you want it Glamis should also be on the cards. What we do need though is an events Secretary. This is a very simple job, send the forms to the show organiser asking for space, send the entry forms to the members, when the space is known, tell the members if they have a space or not. The forms are already done as are any odd things they call for like risk assessments and the committee can help move show material around and advice. Do not worry if you have ne , the system will take s for you and post paper entry forms to you. At most an hour or 2 a month. please THINK seriously on THIs. YoUR CLUB NEEds YoU! This year we have discussed the idea of producing a club calender based on some of the photos we have received this year but not used. Associating pictures with a month so for example April may be a Reims photo as that was the Reims Rally month. We still welcome photos for any month by the way and these can be anything Renault. We have come up with a supplier that can produce and post out single or multiple calenders at what we hope will be a reasonable price. We can also post abroad but please be aware there may be a delay and extra postal charge. For the UK these can be ordered on-line at the shop webpage or via Mike Fawke. We suggest if you would like them by Christmas then you need to order by VERY early November as there is a 3 week print and post time. The photos here show the style of the calender but the photos are not finalised. Cost is 6.0 for a desk version (approx 210mm x 100mm) or 10 for a wall version (Approx A4 per sheet - A3 unfolded). full details on line or please call. If you wish to order multiples, also call for possible discounts. Available until 01/10/2011 purchase online at www. renaultownersclub. com, order to shop@renaultownersclub. com or post order to ROC Shop, 26 Capel Street, Capel-le-Ferne, Folkestone, Kent, CT18 7LZ Cheques made payable to RenOwnersClub Ltd Telephone Enquiries to R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 11

12 C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - R E N A U LT T U R B o Renault five Turbo - 30 Years five GT Turbo - 2 Years All the other cars celebrating anniversaries here have been to celebrate the launch of a whole new model rather than just a variant of a model. Indeed had we covered every possible variant s birthday then we would be covering literally hundreds of models. Hardly a year has gone by that has not seen at least 10 new variants launched. New models generally are far rarer. led to the first Renault Turbo being called retrospectively, the Turbo 1) was to be succeeded by the Clio Williams and on into the Sports Renaults we see today. A breed was born. 'The original Turbo has been modified in many different ways over the years and As with everything, there must be an exception. There was one variant that in itself was unique, unlike types like the Gordini (where we have seen everything from Dauphines to Twingo variants) or simple Turbo versions (21s or 18s as an example), the Renault Turbo saw a whole new approach, a custom body, power plant location and a legend about to be born. The Turbo featured a mid-mounted 1397 cc Cléon turbocharged engine placed behind the driver in a modified Renault chassis. In standard form, the engine developed 160 PS (118 kw; 18 hp). Though it used a modified body from a standard Renault, and was badged a Renault, the mechanicals were radically different. 400 were produced in order to comply with homologation for Group 4 so they could be used for racing. The first version was called the Renault Turbo; the successor, the Turbo 2 was more basic but had nearly the same performance at launch (as an aside, this During its first ever race in the world championship, driven by Jean Ragnotti, at the Monte Carlo Rally, the result showed the prospects for the car. It won. It remained one of the fastest two wheel drive vehicles throughout its life, only being displaced by the four wheel drives when the going got loose. By the Maxi Turbo it was hitting 30 BHP but with much modified engines. In total, production only ran for 4 years from 1980 to 1984 and in this time production was limited. However from it was born another anniversary special - the GT Turbo! The GT Turbo looked like a, felt like a, but had bolt on body panels and possibly a little too much in the way of performance for such a little car. It was at best a little difficult to drive, to start when hot and turbo lag was also an issue. But when it all came together correctly it was an extremely fast car. Not without reason within two years, there was a Phase II. Extra cooling, some new panels, more revs and power and even more fun. Add to that, when EBS did the run of 1400 convertible s...14 were Turbos. When, in 1991, production finished, it bolt-on kits are (still) available to make bog standard s look like Turbos. The iconic mid-engined cars still appear for sale and a recent Ebay offering was snapped up by a workmate, who pounced on another one for parts. With whole Renault Front ends new from the factory going for only just over 100 and many panels available, rebuilding these is not as hard as it could be made out to be. Watch out though to make sure that what you are buying is one of the originals and has not got too much hidden crash damage. Alasdair Worsley 12 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

13 A d V E RT I s I N G f E AT U R E Your antifreeze could be damaging you, your car and the planet You might not know it but almost 100 per cent of the antifreeze used in modern cars, vans, buses and trucks contains ethylene glycol. That might not mean much to you, but there is a growing campaign including petitions presented at Downing Street for ethylene glycol to be banned in all antifreeze and replaced by propylene glycol. Why? More and more people are becoming aware of the fact that ethylene glycol is a toxic poison which can be harmful and even fatal to both humans and animals. There are often cases of domestic animals being killed by walking through puddles and then licking their paws, or drinking water contaminated with antifreeze. In fact, as little as 30ml of ethylene glycol can be fatal in adults and it is lethal at a level of just 4 to ml per kg for dogs (equivalent to just one teaspoonful), and an even smaller amount at 1 to 2 ml per kg for cats. As you might expect, ethylene glycol isn t particularly kind to the planet either. The Environment Agency actually classifies ethylene glycol as hazardous waste. What s more, if they find evidence of improper disposal, they can impose heavy fines and possible prosecution. As the Environment Agency points out, antifreeze containing ethylene glycol should never be poured down the drain as it can also cause death to marine life and wild animals. As if all this wasn t enough, some formulations of ethylene glycol can even damage the vehicles they re designed to protect. It damages car paint and just 0. to one per cent of ethylene glycol in a vehicle s oil can cause rapid failure of the main bearings causing the engine to shut down. There are three main reasons why antifreeze or more specifically glycol is mixed with the water in the engine and cooling system: 1. It stops the water in the engine s cooling system from freezing when the outside temperature is low 2. It helps the engine stay cooler when it s hot outside by raising the boiling point 3. It also contains an inhibitor that stops the corrosion of the internal components of the engine. In short, a glycol antifreeze coolant protects the engine s components and casing. That s the idea, but not all antifreezes on the market do it that well it depends on the type of inhibitor used. For example, ten years after the new long-life antifreeze was introduced, car and truck owners continued to complain that the coolant corroded and clogged radiators and radiator caps, eroded water pumps, rotted radiator hoses and caused chronic overheating and engine damage. The new long life (OAT, HOAT, NOAT) (Organic Active Technology) was driven by the manufacturers and lasts for five years versus the two years for the old blue stuff (IAT-Inorganic Additive Technology). A major problem with the new long life OAT is that it is unsuitable for most vehicles manufactured before As the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs state in their Newsletter Number : It does remain a rather confused picture, but the important facts to remember for historic vehicle owners are: use only Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT) products according to the manufacturers instructions and take great care with any liquid containing ethylene glycol. Is there a safer alternative? Thankfully, there is an alternative to antifreeze containing ethylene glycol. By adding just one extra carbon atom in the chemical structure, propylene glycol is created, which has very different chemical and biological properties. Propylene glycol is a low toxicity liquid which has been given the generally regarded as safe (GRAS) designation by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is widely used in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. It freezes at a similar temperature to ethylene glycol, but it transfers heat much more effectively and it s not harmful to the engine s main bearings. Propylene glycol has also been the safe alternative for vehicle antifreeze coolant in the USA and France for many years. Propylene glycol-based antifreeze coolant is offered by a number of suppliers around Europe and the USA, as a less toxic alternative to ethylene glycol-based products. But no major vehicle manufacturers currently use propylene glycolbased products in their vehicles. However, PG-based products are more widely used in Austria and Switzerland where there is legislation that restricts retail sales of hazardous products. One PG-based antifreeze coolant available in the UK is AAA Classic Coolant ( which is distributed by AAA Solutions Limited. According to Derek Harris, managing director of the company, We have a simple mission statement, which is to see toxic ethylene glycol coolant/antifreeze replaced with safer propylene glycol in all vehicles. Editors Note: Ten reasons why AAA Classic Coolant with its unique inhibitor package developed specifically for propylene glycol is better for you, your vehicle and the environment: 1) GRAS and low toxicity. It will not harm or kill an animal that accidentally licks up a small spill on the garage floor or in the car park 2) Fuel economy, heat transfer and other key performance characteristics are not compromised, and in some cases enhanced 3) Is sold as a pre-mix to avoid water and mixing problems 4) Will not damage paint ) Will not damage main bearings 6) Does not break down into corrosive elements, and can be used for many years to give excellent aluminium protection and prevent lime scale 7) Inhibitor package contains 11 inhibitors (versus - 7), was developed specifically for the characteristics of propylene glycol, and surpasses requirements for BS680 8) By adding an inhibitor that provides both a physical and electrochemical barrier over all the metals in the system, it addresses the heavy metal internal contamination problem. By maintaining this barrier as directed with BNT, fleets have reported they were able to sewer dispose their spent antifreeze (you might like to check with the local water authority for limits and restrictions on disposal) 9) Doesn t persist in the environment and is readily consumed by micro-organisms 10) Propylene Glycol Is sustainable as it s now being produced as a byproduct of bio-diesel R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 13

14 C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - C o L o R A L E Colorale 60 th Anniversary 2010 sees the 60th anniversary of the launch of one of Renault s least known range of models certainly as far as anglophone markets are concerned the Colorale family. Indeed, there is some confusion about its proper nomenclature. Colorale (an amalgamation of Coloniale and Rurale, which is selfexplanatory) is the range s family name (surname) and Prairie, Savane, Taxi and others are the model names (given/christian names, as it were). By chance, the range might have been named Pastorale or Tropicale, but the eventual choice of Colorale had a pleasant ring and a tenuous sound association with the American world corral (an enclosure into which [generally] cattle are herded), which is a tangental compliment to the vehicle s organic ancestor, the station wagon of the American mid West farming way of life. History records that there were two passionately defended faiths espoused by, on the one hand, the Louis Renault-reared old guard and, on the other, the more open-minded, state-appointed youngsters of the newly-created RNUR (Régie Nationale des Usines Renault), of which PDG Pierre Lefaucheux was the prime example, over the commercial viability of the Colorale range. Those managers, who had served under the authoritarian Master of Billancourt (and, indeed, many of the remaining pre-war Renault sales agents, too) were heavily influenced by the unequalled and extensive pre-war Renault model range, which allowed them to offer a Renault model to virtually any possible type of customer, and they were unable (or did not want) to countenance making and selling a very narrow range of comparatively inexpensive vehicles, which was, in reality, all that the majority of an impoverished and war-weary general pubic could afford at the time. Briefly, Pierre Lefaucheux decided to go for broke with the 4CV and the rest, as they say, is history. However, he was not totally blind to the dangers of a monomarque culture (which later very nearly scuppered Volkswagen and its Beetle) and he was aware that the RNUR neither offered a car to Renault s pre-war rural customers still cruising around in their ancient and unburstable Vivaquatres and Novaquatres nor to business and trades people, for whom the 300kg Juvaquatre-based van was too small and the 1000kg asthmatic but indestructible van was too big. There was, indeed, room for something in between but was it a viable market for the newlyfounded RNUR? The old guard believed that there was such a market and, championed by Albert Grandjean and Gilbert Lescoat from the company s inner circle, it was suggested, as far back as 1946, that a station wagon - type vehicle should be studied, using a maximum of bits from the extensive Renault spare parts bin to minimise investment costs. The appearance of the original prototype was very similar to the contemporary Plymouth, with woodie (called canadienne in French) bodywork. Pierre Dreyfus, who was to become PDG of the RNUR upon Pierre Lefaucheux untimely death in 19, was one of those vigorously opposed to the project as being non-viable and Woodie backward-looking, not to mention that development resources would be diverted away from essential work needed to address the urgent necessity of developing a larger saloon, that is to say the then current rear-engined Project 108. This was aborted, late in the day, in favour of the Frégate range - also to be ultimately disappointing. However, his fears were overruled by the commercial arguments put forward by the Colorale s supporters. The necessity to minimise unwarranted development costs led to the adoption of the pre-war, indestructible 8 (from its 8mm bore). This was a fainthearted petrol engine first seen in the 1936 Primaquatre, which every mechanic in France could overhaul blindfolded, and of which well over a quarter of a million examples had been manufactured thitherto. Likewise, the choice of the sturdy, but heavy, chassis of the 1000kg small commercial would ensure solidity, as would the semi-elliptically sprung one-piece axles front and rear. The latter were assisted by J. -A Gregoire s variable flexibility correctors for tropical markets. For the body design, Renault took advantage of the pertinent expertise of 14 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

15 C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - C o L o R A L E the large industrial concern, Chausson. The eventual, co-operative metal-bodied second prototype allowed a maximum of versions to be offered with a minimum of alterations. To make it look like a member of the Renault family, Robert Barthaud and his team reworked the front to resemble the 4CV. The interior was comfortable but simple and somewhat rustic. Three could sit up front (thanks to the steering columnmounted gear lever), on a two-place bench and a foldable third seat, with a three bench seat behind. Moreover, one could fit a crosswise seventh seat behind the second row, or remove the back seat altogether, thus offering a huge load capacity. In fact, the Prairie was arguably the first ever, mass produced voiture à vivre, offering roominess and versatility. A glazed tailgate, of which the top half hinged upwards and the bottom half downwards, could be held horizontally by means of retaining straps or otherwise swung down to lie completely flush against the back of the vehicle, thus facilitating loading or the carriage of extra long objects. Although one or other or a combination of some such features were offered subsequently from time to time by other manufacturers (who have often quite wrongly laid claim to have built the first multispace vehicle), the Colorale range s polyvalency was way ahead of them all and was only properly trumped by Renault s commercial interpretation of Matra s Espace suggestion in the early Eighties. The Colorale range was launched in the Bagatelle Park in May 190 in three versions. The first was the Prairie, which was to prove the most widely sold variant and which was a three-light, five-door, six/seven seat model. Then there was the Savane, a four-light, three-door, six-seater, on which the rear side windows were absent and the openings could be covered with roll-down canvas side curtains located by Dzus fasteners. Moreover, this model offered a top-hinged opening windscreen (the wipers on all Colorales had spindles on the front bulkhead) and was clearly aimed at the tropical francophone colonial market (in the days before vehicle air conditioning!), although a notable number found agricultural or artisanal customers on the home market. The last variant at launch, was the Taxi 8, which was a Prairie with the necessary modifications to compete in its targeted market. All these models were Type R2090 vehicles. At the following October s Paris Salon in the Grand Palais, three further models were launched. The first was a Pick-up, a conventional such vehicle, with two smallish rear-of-cab square windows on the cab s closing panel, rigid flatbed sides and a drop-down tailgate, offering a natty little folding step on its inner face. When vertically lowered, this made climbing on to the load surface easier. The second was an 800kgs Fourgonnette, which looked like the Savane, but the rear side quarters were solid panels and there were only three front seats a two-place bench and a foldable single seat, which could offer additional carrying capacity if and when desired, be it either in weight or extended length terms. The back door was a right-hand hinged single piece component. The last variant was the Chassis-Cab, similar to the Pickup, with the cab ending immediately behind the two side doors. The shut panel was horizontally contoured and sported the same little windows to allow rearward sight, to which structure the many contemporary commercial coach builders added their own (or their clients suggested) bodywork. All of these latter variants were designated as Type R2091. A significant factor in the pricing must have been that, in order not to interfere with Billancourt s pell-mell production of the 4CV, it had been decided to sub-contract the stamping out of the body panels and the assembly thereof into complete bodyshells to whom? To Chausson at Gennevilliers, of course, as that company was, at that time, the only external French subcontractor possessing the industrial capability to produce Colorale shells at the projected rate of 10 units per day, at which point the project would have broken even. The unpainted body shells were transported vertically to Billancourt for final fitting out, eight at a time (four on each side) on specially constructed articulated trailers. In April, additional final assembly was also undertaken at Renault s factory at Haren, in Belgium and, already in its first full season (191), the Prairie De Luxe was joined by a Prairie Normale, which was a spartan version, the price of which approached more closely that of the opposition. To continue the publicity, a Savane and a pickup took part in the Mediterranean-Cape Rally and finished 7th and 11th, which was not a fine result, but it kept the new range in the public s eye. However, after the first six months, the range s success could be estimated and it was not favourable. For sure, the Prarie was selling into the financially comfortable clientele of the larger agricultural undertakings in the Paris basin and the north, where its rusticity, reliability, comfort and adaptability were appreciated, but the necessity to row it through the gears, led to poor economy, which was not to customers liking. R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 1

16 C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - C o L o R A L E In short, the intended markets for the Colorale variants turned out to be more of a niche market than had been predicted and the range was not winning market share from its more economical and less expensive niche competitors. Critics were not slow to voice their opinions and so the factory had to seek remedies, such as other niches in the market, which could be exploited without too-costly adaptations, and by the fitting of a more economical but yet more powerful engine. 192 saw a substantial advance in prices across the board (this was true of the whole motor industry at the time) to keep pace with inflation and, even so, the company lost money on every Colorale it manufactured. The year also saw the launch of the 4 x 4 versions, the Type R2092, which were available in Prairie, Savane and pick-up format, although the overall weight of such vehicles advanced to almost 1900 kilograms. These versions promised additional markets in forestry and public works, as well as in the less developed colonial empire. The layout included a steered front axle, with the wheels driven via Bendix-Tracta homokinetic joints and a transfer box, which fed both front and rear axles, the driver choosing to engage or disengage power to the front one. But even these new additions did not lift the overall sales figures. It is worth making a slight digression at this point to examine some particular versions in the range and some variants. For example, the Taxi 8 is often overlooked. Renault s prewar KZ11 Vivaquatres still represented a major part of the taxi business, especially with the Parisian G2, G3 and G7 companies, and one would have supposed that the newcomer would have been welcomed, especially from the maintenance point-of-view, as it had the same basic engine as the pre-war cars. However, the high initial cost coupled to the heavy fuel consumption of the Taxi 8 deterred them all and this indifference spread to other major French cities. On the other hand, it had a successful overseas career, with 480 units produced in 191, of which 60 were exported to Greece and others to Spain and to Denmark. The coachbuilder Carrier of Saint-Ouen fettled one such version for Madrid with two-tone paint, chrome body strakes and a good quality interior and another, of different aspect and interior finish, for Greece and yet another for tropical markets with oversize tyres, a roof rack, which bore the displaced spare wheel, and a windscreen visor to mitigate solar glare. Indeed, a one-off Spanish catalogue in colour was produced for the taxi market alone. Hardly a best seller, 19 such units were built in 192, 11 in the following year and it was not until December 19 that the last one rolled off the production lines. Unlike Peugeot, who catered directly to the ambulance and hearse market with a builtup version of its 203, Renault deliberately eschewed such outlets, leaving them to coach builders, such as Surirey and, again, Carrier, who offered models on converted Prairies (often a standard black vehicle with suitable funereal ornamentation) or Savanes or, according to clients more specific wishes, on Colorale chassis-cabs. Expanding this review, it is to be noted that other coach builders, such as Driguet, made specialised adaptations of the various Colorale models for grocery delivery, for milk delivery and others. Conversions were also offered by a range of coach builders for plate glass carriage, for cattle/sheep/pig transportation, for mobile shops, for scaffolding movements, for Tour de France publicity creations, for television broadcasting (with a roof-mounted platform for the cameraman and his equipment, the transmission being effected within the Prairie s (ex-)passenger area) and many others. Guilloré, who also clothed contemporary Bugattis and Delages, offered a limousine conversion on a Prairie basis. The interior sported an ivory coloured plastic steering wheel and it was completely retrimmed in velveteen cloth. Since a somewhat clumsy boot was grafted on the back (exit the twopiece tailgate), necessitating the extension of the dumpy rear wings, the main rear bench seat was moved rearwards and three (forward-facing) foldable seats ( strapontins ) were located behind the front bench seat. Externally, apart from the obvious boot and rear wing extensions, the cars had chrome strakes along the bottom of the body, heavily contoured and chromed bumpers (with overriders) at back and front, with a fillet to the bodywork, two small front lights below the headlights (for flashing indicators? for parking lights?) and oversize tyres on standard rims. How many of these variants were manufactured is not presently known, but is presumed to have been small. However, even such versatility, coupled with the increasingly diverse model, sometimes as Sinpar or Herwaythorn alldrive conversions, which were destined for the police, the gendarmerie, the armed forces, the postal and telegraphic companies and the other public utilities, did not prevent the ColoRale range s production from slipping gradually. Even the replacement in 193 of the feeble 8 engine by the new ohv 1997ccs Etendard engine of the Frégate did not check the slowing of sales, for, although the more modern engine was more powerful, it produced its power at higher revolutions and it lacked the low down slog of the pre-war unit. However, in order to take advantage of the improved power, the engine had to be worked harder so the economy was only marginally improved. Nor was it that the Colorale range was not a good one. Yes, the appearance was dumpy, the performance was not scintillating and the economy was poor. But it was extremely robust, it was comfortable and it was easy to repair in case of an accident, as there was a mechanic in every habitation, who had repaired such engines times without number in the past. The simple fact was that the clientele, which the sales network had avowed was there as it had been prior to the hostilities was, owing to demographic changes and the ravages of war, no longer sufficiently large 16 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

17 C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R I E s - C o L o R A L E to ensure a profitable business. Moreover, throughout the range s life, examples featured in all sorts of expeditions to unlikely places all over the face of the earth, especially throughout the African continent, so the vehicles were kept in the public s eye over an extended period of time. However, Pierre Lefaucheux eventually had to admit to his colleague, Pierre Dreyfus, that he had been wrong in signing off the Colorale project and that the RNUR should better concentrate on the mass production of a vehicle, which could be sold to a wider general public in great numbers. Additionally, not only had the development of the 109 prototype (the future Dauphine) intervened during the Colorale s lifespan, the unexpectedly poor sales figures of the Frégate range caused minds to be focused in that direction, too. However, the Colorale range could not be excised peremptorily, because the RNUR had a contract, which had to be honoured, with their subcontractor, Chausson, so one just had to soldier on for a little while. Unsurprisingly, new models were few and far between, but there were revisions for the overseas markets and there was an order for forty units of a 4 x 4 Savane version (R209) with dual foot controls for the Dutch army s driving school. By the end of 194, annual production had fallen to 628 units. During the next two years, the Colorale range faded away. Examples were assembled from the stock of already fashioned body parts, in order to utilise them and a Prairie Service, a completely basic model, was shown at the Paris Motor Show in October 194. But the range s death knell had been sounded strangely echoing Pierre Lefaucheux own untimely death in February 19 and that year s production had slowed to 4966 units. Little promotional publicity was undertaken and motoring press road tests of the latest Colorale versions were virtually absent or, at best, guardedly diplomatic. Eventually, daily production dwindled to less than 1 units and, as the contract with Chausson drew to a close, so production wound down, the last R2093s, two Prairies and a Savane, being assembled on 13 February 196, followed by two final Prairie Service models (R2094) two days later. From 190, a total of 3880 Colorale vehicles had been built and it took nearly a further year before the Renault network had no further new units to sell by the beginning of 197. In closing, it is pertinent for us to consider the range in anglophone (primarily right hand drive) markets. It was certainly offered on the UK market, as photographs in the ROC s archives show, amongst other Renaults, a Prairie on Renault Limited s stand at the 192 and 193 Earl s Court Motor Shows. At the time of writing, no known examples have survived on this market. The entire range also featured ( Coming soon! ) as an 8 Estate Sedan (the Prairie), as an 8 Panel Van (the Fourgonette), as an 8 Taxi (idem), as an 8 Utility (the Pick-up) and as an 8 Cab & Chassis (the chassis-cab) on the pages of the Introducing a new neighbour full colour brochure, produced in 191 by Sydney-based Ira L. & A. C. Berk Pty Limited to celebrate the opening of their new North Queensland showrooms in Brisbane in April of that year, when the company was the official concessionaire and vehicle assembler in Australia for the RNUR (documents also in the ROC archives). It is believed that a single example may have survived in that country. Although it appears to be doubtful, it has not been possible to determine presently whether the range was also offered on the New Zealand and/or South African markets nor, indeed, how successfully it sold in those markets, nor further whether any such have survived. The Colorale range sold widely into French colonial Africa and its robustness and simplicity permitted such vehicles to work there tirelessly if slowly for some decades. What some of us, who have traveled in France in recent years, can confirm is that a surprising number of these stubborn if docile workhorses have survived in their homeland, some of them having been converted into tow trucks with a crane on the rear floor and liveried in Renault s contemporary white, yellow and black and having worked well into the Eighties dans la France profonde, before being retired round the back of small, out-of-the-way Renault agents premises. Nowadays, there is a growing affection for them, particularly amongst French classic commercial vehicle enthusiasts, who are taking the necessary steps to restore them for their own pleasure and for posterity. Long may that continue! In closing, we are indebted to author, Marc-Antoine Colin, and to his publisher, ETAI, for some of the information, originally appearing in the book La Renault Colorale de mon père [ISBN ] of 2001, which has been reviewed in a past edition of RENOTES and which is surely a must for any enthusiast of this much overlooked member of the Renault family. Moreover, for an abundantly illustrated and very concentrated history and Buyers Guide on the Renault Colorale family, members with a good knowledge of French are strongly recommended to consult two excellent articles appearing in sequential editions of the French magazine Gazoline (No. 166/April 2010 & No. 167/May 2010). Hector Mackenzie-Wintle R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 17

18 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s Rodeo 40 th Anniversary The Renault Rodeo was a series of small open-top automobiles produced between 1970 and 1987 by ACL, later called Teilhol, for Renault. In total there were four generations of the Rodeo. At first the car was called ACL Rodeo and the name was changed to Renault Rodeo in July Car was front wheel drive but could be ordered also with four wheel drive technic supplied by Sinpar. Rodeo ( ) Also known as Rodeo Rodeos were a number of similar ideas for cars, both made as production vehicles like the Plein Air - a 4 seat open top Renault 4, Semi Production like the JP4 - a Shortened Plein Air in Italy The production dates for the Rodeo were as follows: Rodeo 4 ( ) A new model with a smaller and entirely new body replaced the Rodeos 4 and 6 in 1981, simply called the Rodeo. A limited series of all wheel drive versions were built in 1984 only, called the Rodeo Hoggar. and low volume specials like those based on the JP4 were made for the UK market. The original Rodeo 4 was based on the platform of the Renault 4 van, with an 84 cc engine. Rodeo 6 ( ) In 1972, a second model appeared, now known as the Rodeo 6. It was still based on the platform of the R4 van, but with the 1108 cc engine of the Renault 6. In 1979, the Rodeo 6 was improved and adopted the 1289 cc engine of the Renault. The Rodeo 4 and the Rodeo 6 coexisted from 1972 to The "Trafic" Rodeo The Rodeo name was also used by Renault in Argentina to designate a local variant of the Renault Trafic (1st. generation), which had a flat rear chassis and a flatbed with dropping sides and rear (similar to a pick-up). The flatbed was designed to be removable, allowing Rodeo buyers to use it as a rolling chassis for mounting specific rear compartments. Production ,000 produced Length 3,660 mm (144.1 in) Width 1,89 mm (62.6 in) Height 1,9 mm (62.8 in) Kerb weight 64kg 860 kg Following on and in parallel to the These were not marketed as Rodeos and unlike the Rodeo retain the shape, if not the majority of the panels, that were on the original vehicle and look like the donor vehicles that created them. Also there was a Renault as a half top. Some were produced simply to use up the last remaining vehicles when production changed or ended. Alasdair Worsley 18 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

19 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s Renault 20/30-3 th Anniversary Between 197 and 1983, Renault In the mid-1980s, the then state-owned largely the same as the R20 GTL. produced its executive class Romanian manufacturer Dacia produced a (october 1978) - Introduction of the R30 grand tourer models, the 20 small number of Renault 20s under the TX. It had a more powerful Bosch K- and the 30. The first had a name Dacia 2000, which were reserved Jetronic fuel-injected 144 PS (106 kw) choice of 1.6- and 2-litre petrol, plus a 2.1- litre diesel engine. The second had a 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine. Equipped with power-assisted steering, independent suspension, seat combinations, which could provide between 14 and 49 cubic feet of storage; it offered four-door central locking with an impact de-activator, internal headlight level adjustment, sumptuous seats and carpeting, six armrests (in the 30), they could carry five people very comfortably and were the flagships of the Renault range. In 1981 the 20/30 range, for the UK was modified. The new 20TX was introduced which had a 2.2-litre petrol engine, alloy wheels, an updated dashboard, infra-red entirely for the dignitaries and secret police of the Communist government led by Nicolae Ceauşescu. A specially prepared Renault 20 Turbo 4x4 driven by Bernard Marreau won the Paris-Alger- Dakar Rally in production figures: R1270: 20/30 Turbo-D - 27,601 R1271: 20 L/TL/GTL - 187,001 R1272: 20 TS - 201,401 R1273 No figures available R127: 30 TS - 68,401 R1276: 20 TD/GTD - 84,801 R1277: 20 LS/TS - 100,401 R1278: 30 TX - 40,401 R1279: 20 TX - 33,801 Timeline: (march 197) - Introduction of the Renault 30 TS, a large -door hatchback powered by the 2664 cc V6 PRV engine (developed jointly between Peugeot, Renault and Volvo), with a choice of either a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic gearbox. It had power-assisted steering, two twin round Quartz-Iodide (QI) headlights, electric front windows and central locking. version of the 2664 cc V6 engine with - speed manual or 3-speed automatic gearbox. It offered alloy wheels, allround electric windows, electric sunroof, velour upholstery, and all-round head restraints. (1979) - Revisions to all models: driver's side rear fog light and rear seat belts. The R20 TS received a new cooling fan, inertia reel rear seat belts, a new windscreen wiper switch, and the choice of a -speed gearbox. The R30 TS was fitted with a more powerful 130 PS (96 kw) engine, and small pocket in the drivers sun visor. Introduction of the R20 LS, having the same mechanical specification as the R20 TS, but the equipment specification of the R20 TL. (september 1979) - Introduction of the R20 diesel (in TD and GTD forms) with new 2068 cc diesel (67 PS (49 kw)) engine, -speed gearbox, negative offset front suspension, and larger four-stud wheel rims. (1980) - All models were given a pantograph driver s side wiper, and a completely restyled interior, with new central "plip" locking, cruise (November 197) - Introduction of the dashboard and instrument panel from the control/speed limiter, headlight and rear screen wash-wipers, remote external door mirror adjustment and four head-rests. Although the 30TX had been unveiled at the 1978 Paris Motor Show, it, too, had its specification up-graded, with additional six door central "plip" locking (rear hatch and fuel filler flap), rear passenger courtesy light, 1 seconds interior light delay, an overhead bulb and door monitor, disc brakes all around and Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection to feed its V6 unit. The new breed of TX were produced for eighteen months only until October 1983, when the 20/30 range was superseded by the R2. In eight years, approximately 70,000 Grand Tourers were created, yet there are probably less than half-a-dozen working examples, in the UK and certainly more in Europe. Andy Mitchell Renault 20, in L, TL and GTL specifications, with the smaller 4-cylinder 1647 cc (90 PS (66 kw)) all alloy R16 engine and 4-speed gearbox. The L had very basic trim and no hubcaps. The TL had a better equipment level, while the GTL had much the same equipment level as the TS. Automatic transmission was optional on the R20 TL and R20 GTL. Quartz Iodide Headlights optional on all R20 models. (1976) - The R20 s 1647cc engine had the power rating increased to 96 PS (71 kw). All models received a restyled instrument panel visor. The R30 TS s power dropped from 130 to 12 PS (96 to 92 kw). Optional wheels with steel and alloy becoming available with Michelin TRX tyres. (July 1977) - Introduction of the R20 TS. It had a new single OHC 199 cc engine (rated at 109 PS (80 kw)), with the choice of a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic gearbox. The equipment level remained Renault Fuego. All petrol models received a new type of automatic transmission option. The R20 TL/GTL were fitted with a new alternator with built-in electronic regulator and new 3-spoke alloy wheel rims. The R20 TS now had the wheel rims from the R30 TS. The R30 TS/TX was fitted with a chrome grille surround. (1981) - All R20 models received new dual-circuit braking system and negative offset front suspension. The R20 GTL was discontinued. (1981) - R30TS discontinued. A new 2.2- litre engine rated at 11 PS (8 kw) was introduced in the new 20 TX. A new 2.0- litre diesel engine rated at 60 PS (44 kw) was added to the R20 range. (1982) - A new turbo-diesel engine delivering 8 PS (63 kw) and derived from the naturally-aspirated diesel engine was introduced in the new R30 Turbo D. (1983) - The R20 and R30 cease production, to be replaced by Renault 2. Alasdair Worsley & Renault resources. R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 19

20 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s fuego 30 th Anniversary At a recent car show, mainly aimed at the more modern cars, it was noted that the Renault 30 on display was all but unknown to some people there. Whilst single model clubs may of course be able to dedicate resource solely to one model or group, this is often at the loss of the indepth knowledge of the heritage that led to or from their vehicles. Often this heritage can help one to learn why one s car is what it is. So we have the Fuego, perhaps an unusual in-between coupé, neither an Alpine nor even a Gordini but nonetheless a vehicle of interest. What is more, it s probably considerably rarer than most of the other cars, for which the Owners Club caters. Now Fuego is not the brother of a famous Argentinian handball star (should that be football?) but a 1980s Renault (it s other claim to infamy is it s one of only three Renaults in the last 30 years to leave me by the roadside - all when they were nearly new rather than classics. In the Fuego s case a fuel pump fault, the other two were an 18 when a jack from a lorry went through the floor and a 9 when a radiator was holed. So, all-in-all, quite a good record bearing in mind now I cover nearly 20,000 miles a year, only 1 fault not accidental. The fuego was a three door (hatchback) with four seats that replaced the 12 based 1 and 17 from the 70s. Its floorplan derived from the Renault 18 (saloon). At the time it had its own suspension which it later donated back to the revised 18 and later, with a few modifications to the original 2. It stayed in production, albeit in Argentina, until 1992 and was exported to the US although with different (and uglier?) safety features. A soft top was planned and a prototype was suggested (primarily for the US market) by Heulliez but it never made it into production. The Renault 9 Alliance offered this instead and perhaps the next real worldwide convertible was the 19 and then coupé convertible returned with the Mégane - start to see the heritage? With the Fuego, Renault dropped the numbers-based system for identifying cars, used since 1961 and started again to give cars names, as in the times of the Dauphine, Ondine, Floride and others. Records include being the first wind tunnel-designed car, top selling, two-door coupé in the early Eighties, fastest diesel coupé and first to have keyless entry. As a matter of interest, this system was invented by Frenchman Paul Lipschutz (hence the name PLIP remote which is still used in Europe.) It also had the first steering column mounted audio system controls (so-called satellite controls ). Engines included a 1.4-litre, two 1.6s (one was turbocharged), a 2.0, 2.1 diesel and a 2.2-litre. Total sales reached only 26,367 and, although a Fuego II was discussed, it was laid to rest, owing to the company s financial difficulties at that time. It was replaced by the Renault 21 range and no direct line successor was built. Excluding Alpines, Renault built nothing like the Fuego until the coupé versions of the Mégane (Mk. 1), although there was a three-door version of the 19, which did not carry that designation. A facelift in 1984 saw trim, bumpers, front bonnet/grille layout and interiors changed and another (Argentine) version in 1990, called the GTA. In 2009, a potential concept Fuego the GTR was also drawn up. Watch this space? The launch of the Fuego was covered in detail in the October 1980 AutoWorld, Renault s in house magazine of the time. I ve reproduced a few pages in this article but have high resolution scans of all the 20 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

21 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s article, if anyone wishes to have more details. The fuego Turbo It took another three years for the range to gain a real sports model. The Fuego Turbo, launched in 1983, featured the engine of the R18 Turbo, developing 132 3,000 rpm. Result: a top speed of more than 200 kph and kph in under ten seconds. The Fuego Turbo boasted a number of obvious styling innovations, including a Turbo logo on the radiator grille, and aluminium honeycomb wheels. The Fuego Turbo reached the peak of its success in 1984: it was visually aggressive, powerful and even affordable! But Renault had waited too long and its competitors had cornered the market. The Fuego disappeared in 198. Traces of this visually striking vehicle remain in the film Mais qui a tué Pamela Rose? and in two James Bond movies Renault fuego specification: Wheelbase 2440 mm (96.1 in) Track front 142 mm (6.1 in) rear 1346 mm (3 in) Length 4360 mm (171.7 in) Width 1692 mm (66.6 in) Height 1316 mm (1.8 in) Length:wheelbase ratio 1.79 Kerb weight 1010 kg (2227 lb) Fuel capacity 6.8 litres (12. Gal) The car was paid an unusual compliment by no less than the mighty Toyota in The Fuego's slippery shape led Renault's marketing department to invent the slogan, "L'Aerodynamite" for the Turbo version in The British campaign included double-page Sunday supplement ads showing a black car photographed in a sultry, red-lit studio under the "Aerodynamite" banner. Nine years later, either through total ignorance or else in the way of saluting a good idea, Toyota's Supra was advertised in double-page spread splashes, in black, back-lit in electric blue in a darkened studio. Underneath, the tag-line read... "Aerodynamite". Quoting from Renault s Collectors site, Fuego: the commercial flop that people liked. In terms of buying a Fuego now, it is still best to peruse the classifieds of websites, Ebay (of course) and the back pages of magazine. Being one of the cars the Owners Club has covered since birth, there is of course a wealth of additional material in the archive and experience in the club. Whilst it moved into the category of classic a few years back, the spread of these cars means they should become collectors vehicles if they have not already done so. In Argentina, where the sales went on much longer, there is quite a following for these cars (albeit in Spanish) and enthusiasts have access to many of the parts, which, over here became limited or hard to find quite a while ago. Spares are still available for a lot of the main items, as they continued to be used on later Renaults. Even recently a clear-out brought to light some front shock absorbers, quickly snapped up by an eager owner. If you know of the whereabouts of any Fuegos, I would be grateful to know of them. Alasdair Worsley R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 21

22 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s Prior to July 2007 I had only ever owned one French car, a green 1976 Citroen 2CV. That was back in 198 as my daily driver 1300 VW Beetle had seized its gearbox and I needed transport to and from my shift work as a maintenance engineer for Hammonds Sauce Works in Bradford some 1 miles away from my home village of Thornhill. Said Beetle was my first car and cost me the grand total of 20 in January 1983, the week after I passed my driving test. Once the Beetle was repaired I only sold the 2CV when the tax and test expired, as it was so much cheaper to run than the VW. Moving on 22 years later and a similar scenario occurred. My 1989 VW Jetta GL had failed the MOT on its power steering. It was going to cost me more than the car s value to repair it myself than the 320 VW wanted for replacement parts. The hunt was on for another car and thoughts of getting a Polo GT sprang to mind. One will probably now be aware that apart from the 2CV my cars have all been VWs. (I will admit that I also had a flirtation with a Datsun 260Z in the 1990s but that s another story). I did look at some Polo GTs that were for sale at the time, but they were just overpriced and tired looking. Today I am rather fortunate that I can walk to my current job as a local government officer so I had no real urgency to find another VW, of any kind. A couple of weeks passed and the phone rang. A friend who is a sales engineer had seen a cheap car for sale parked outside a house near Harrogate. It was a Renault Campus Prima. Not exactly what I was looking for but worth a look, as ideas of having a stop-gap car to use until I found a good Polo GT were beginning to supercinq saga spring to mind. Arrangements were made to see it and to be honest it was not love at first sight. A few dents and scratches marked the paintwork along with some rust patches here and there. The sunroof was sealed up with silicone, the windscreen was cracked and it only had 2 weeks tax and 6 weeks test remaining. Nevertheless a test drive was taken and I was pleasantly surprised at how perky she felt to drive. Another surprise was that my offer of 20 was accepted! Yes folks you can still buy a car with some tax and test for 20 quid in the 21st century. The seeds of a love story had been sown as I discovered that this Superfive was really fun to drive and cheap as chips to run. I named her Amandine in honour of a woman I had a brief romantic liaison with a few years ago in northern France. Apart from having the windscreen replaced I did nothing to prepare Amandine for the impending MOT that she passed with flying colours, yet another surprise. My MOT guy said that if I got a year s motoring out of her then I would have nothing to complain about for the price I had paid. I must admit that, like Hector Mackenzie-Wintle mentioned in the June edition of RENOTES, I too prefer to keep an older car on the road as they are easy to work on and do not require any Arthur C Clarke ramifications of computerised diagnostic equipment to tell you what is wrong with them as they communicate with you. Amandine has in her own way informed me of failing front wheel bearings and exhaust. Her previous owner had cut the brake pad wear sensor wiring which does not bother me as every 6000 miles I give Amandine a thorough service check in all areas. Modern motors in my opinion equate to being soulless sensory depravation devices that are so boring to drive to the point of being almost dangerous! There is no danger of falling asleep at the wheel of Amandine as all her squeaks, rattles and rumbles let you know exactly what she is doing on the road or what may be wrong with her. Amandine has Character in Bathtub sized ladles when compared to any modern automobile. In the three years we have been together Amandine has never failed an MOT. Last year, however, she did receive an advisory on a slightly worn track rod, minor exhaust leak and pitted brake pipe, all that I was happy to rectify. Consumables have been the usual service items like plugs, filters and oil plus a full exhaust and having replacement Michelins fitted on all four wheels. With her cheap tax and insurance plus fuel economy of 10 miles to the litre Amandine has more than paid for herself, so she does deserve a treat of having Michelin tyres fitted rather than some obscure Chinese made ditch finders. Also in our time together we have done numerous Booze cruises to Calais with Amandine loaded up with beer, wine and spirits along with my mother as a willing passenger. In fact over the past year Amandine has been on the Continent five times. We toured Brittany last summer, driving through the night down to Dover for the early morning ferry across to Dunkirk, then several hours driving to the campsite near Morlaix. Yet another pre- Christmas Booze cruise. Then February saw us on a winter wander via North Sea Ferries Hull to Rotterdam then onto Bad Meinberg, Germany to visit a dear Platonic friend of mine. Amandine always started in the sub-zero temperatures and never failed to get through snow-covered 22 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

23 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s roads, both in Germany and back home in Blighty, unlike other much more well heeled drivers in their traction-controlled, air conditioned gin palaces. Mother s Day weekend saw Amandine take both mother and I for a meander to the Cité de Europe shopping centre near Calais. This was again using North Sea Ferries, but via Zeebrugge. (The joy of being an inverted snob is when it costs more to ship your car on the overnight ferry than what you paid for it. Insurance ditto!) Finally this July a grand tour of the Nord / Pas-de- Calais region was taken in Amandine with both mum and I inside plus luggage and a disability scooter too. And yes there was still room left to fetch a few bottles of French falling down water back with us too. I must point out that all the above trips to Europe have NOT involved the use of Sat-navs, as I hate them! It s Old School road maps and a faith in human instinct that work for me. Computers do not have feelings or emotions after all. Being 6 4 tall is not a problem for me in driving Amandine. It s only at traffic lights that I have to Stoop down to see when the lights have changed. However I have to disagree with Laurence M in June s RENOTES as in my opinion the turning circle is better than many Superminis of a similar vintage and the steering feels just right too. OK so I take size 14 shoes therefore cannot quite grasp the meaning of a heavy clutch pedal. I do agree that they are highly geared but the single point fuel injection gives the 1390cc Energy engine plenty of torque where it s needed. Amandine has almost been 100% reliable except for an episode last October when one Friday afternoon her n/s ball joint failed on a mini-roundabout. At first I thought it was a puncture but with no steering and ominous scraping noises coming from the front I thought the worst as Amandine stopped near the pavement. On getting out I saw that oil was pouring out of the gearbox as her drive shaft had been wrenched out and the front wheel was tucked way underneath. Well the end has finally come old girl I said as I patted her roof. Within an hour the recovery truck arrived and I ordered the driver to take us to a retired engineering friend in Huddersfield for tea and sympathy. Said friend has a large garage and many tools. After several cuppas it was decided that Amandine could be saved so the next day the necessary parts were collected and work began to repair her. Three hours and 2 later she was back up and running, although she now had a strange wobble at speeds above 3mph. Further close inspection revealed a bent drive shaft so the following week a replacement was ordered via GSF Leeds. My work colleagues though I was mad repairing An old nail that owed me nothing. Suggestions of weighing her in on the scrappage scheme were mentioned in the office but being the stubborn Taurean that I am I was having none of that. I was going to prove that you cannot keep a good car down and that repairing an old nail was a much more environmentally sound proposition than any government scrappage scheme. So a further 0 and a couple more hours of my time and Amandine was back in fine fettle. I even took her to work just to shut up all the doubting Thomass with their 0% financed-over-3-years moderns that were depreciating more in a month than the total expenditure I had in Amandine over the years we had been together. The above incident caused me to consider finding an eventual replacement for Amandine. Besides, her rust issues were not getting any better so naturally another Superfive was on the agenda. The idea being that once Amandine had given up the ghost she would be cannibalised for spares to keep her replacement going long into the future. At first, I only came across examples that were just as rusty as Amandine and with silly asking prices too. Then in late January, just as the bills for Christmas came dropping through the letterbox, I saw a beautiful red Superfive on Ebay. She had a full service history and a genuine 1,00 miles showing from new. I bid up to 700, but did not reach the reserve. Being a Spiritualist, I meditated on the situation and that night the answer came that I should bid all the way for her. So with a set limit of 1000 in my mind I bid and I won her. The next day a higher bid had been placed and I was heartbroken. I had no more money to spare, as I had borrowed 20 from my mother to reach my final offer. A close friend, who is a Reiki master, told me not to worry, as the car would eventually become mine. Indeed with less than 24 hours to go the rival bid was withdrawn. Now that WAS a surprise. On St. Valentine s Day of this year, with the help of my retired engineering friend, I finally collected Poppy. The vendors told me R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 23

24 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s that they spent three years looking for a Superfive with such good condition and provenance. She was only being sold, as her then new owner, whose first car just happen to be a Renault, was pregnant and wanted a bigger car. In fact the day before I collected Poppy, a motor trader from London had offered 00 more than my bid and wanted my contact details as he so desperately wanted this super, Superfive. Once she was home I locked her away in the garage until the weather improved. In the meantime I joined the ROC! The first sunny day of the year I pushed Poppy outside to give her a thorough going over. It was then I decided that she was simply too good to replace Amandine as a day-to-day runabout. Therefore Poppy would become my Sunday best and Sunny Day car. Finding insurance, as a modern classic was difficult, as, unlike the R Turbo, the R Campus Prima is not exactly regarded as a classic in insurance circles yet! Still persistence paid off and Equity Red Star came to the rescue. However a few weeks later and I was contacted by Equity, who required a valuation from a Renault Owners Club official. Anxiously I contacted our R Registrar, Mike Fawke who gave a stunning valuation report, based on the photographic and documentary evidence I provided. Poppy and I are ever so grateful to Mike for his help with this most important matter of insurance valuation. Poppy has yet to attend a ROC event although both Amandine and I had a great weekend at the RCCC / ROC bash held at the Bubble Car Museum in June, where we found the gathered throng of Renault enthusiasts a most amiable and enthusiastic bunch. As for the future? Well it would be nice to have Poppy on display at some ROC attended events. Perhaps attend the Bruges classic car festival next year, using the North Sea Ferries Hull Zeebrugge route to keep her mileage down of course. And as for Amandine? Well, if the Good Lord will spare her any grief on her next MOT, I plan to drive down to my Hungarian father s humble abode on the Costa Calida, Spain in October. Hopefully stopping off at the Lohéac classic car gathering in Brittany along the way. Next year a trip to visit family in Hungary could be on the agenda for Amandine, as my stocks are getting low of homemade Palinka and wine from the Horvath family vineyards. Amandine would not be lonely in Hungary as my cousin, Luczi Jo, owns Eva a Renault Express parts chaser for his accident repair business. With over 240,000 kms and still going strong, Eva shows no signs of failing to provide loyal service for a good few years yet. Fingers crossed, Amandine will serve likewise and Poppy will still be with me when I retire in 202? Count Richard Ferenc Edgar Horvath 24 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

25 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s Trafic & master 30 th Anniversary Icame into working with Renaults first of all via vans. Yes, I was driving Renault 4s up and down the allotments at a silly age and I was also driven around by my dad in various Renaults throughout my growing years. However, despite a short spell as a car cleaner in the local (Renault) garage (Cross Roads, Abingdon) and as a taxi coordinator at a weekend golf tournament (in Reading), my first real employment, which involved Renault vehicles, was with (long gone) ATT Papworth. This organisation was set up before my time by a group of people, with the aim of giving jobs to TB sufferers awaiting or undergoing a cure. The problem was that, when they had been cured, no one wanted them. Hence, a village built around furniture, electrics, vehicles and luggage, amongst other trades. Following on from their government contracts with BT, Rail and the Green Goddesses, they now built major fleet vehicles for BT, the rail, NHS and the Post Office. Now, the TB colony has all but closed and in its place is a thriving community. From 1980 to 1997, it manufactured the first generation Master. From 1997 until today, the plant has built the second-generation Master which has sold more than one million units in 4 countries. and external facelift and a lot of the panel work on the 3rd one is shared - there is logic to this as modern day conversions require detailed type testing and by keeping elements common their is no need to retest these elements. The Mark 1 Trafic was sold from 1980 to 2000 with a facelift in 1990, and later was sold by Tata and in kit form to Winnebago. It replaced the Estafette. The Mark 2 had at least 3 facelifts. Viewed as workhorses, it is easy to forget that they are thirty years old as old as the Espace in the UK and much older than the very first Clio. As a club, we have mentioned some of the newcomers to the scene, but is it not about time that we bestowed on these vans the honours, which they rightly deserve? Orders for New Master the third generation of the vehicle will SoVAB (Société des Véhicules Automobiles de Batilly) plant is now the one and only production site for the new Renault Master. The plant is located in the département of Meurthe-et-Moselle, 30 km north of Metz, in northeastern France. It is on this site, which celebrated its 30th anniversary at the beginning of June, that the specialized production of large vans has been carried out since progressively replace the current version which is to stop production at the end of Although listed as having 3 generations, the second went through a major internal The Mark 3 has just been launched. Alasdair Worsley R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 2

26 C L A s s I C A N d C o L L E C T o R s Espace UK - 2 th Anniversary The Talbot Espace concept by but at the cost of the GRP bodies. digit system. Matra at the start of the 80s (prototypes had been discussed In terms of identifying your model or one Date wise: prior to this). Matra had, in the you are about to buy, there are some Type 1 Phase 1, backwards mid 60s, bought René Bonnet s small racing firm that specialised in Fibre Glass (GRP) bodies on a warmgalvanised steel chassis. These bodies had already been successfully supplied to Matra for small engined racing cars. simple rules and this also leads to the 4 variants (and facelifts) that have accompanied the espace. From the chassis number (and this applies to all Renaults: sloping headlamps At this point you will spot that I called it the Talbot Espace.... because that is what it was. Matra had built a number of vehicles for Chrysler, in the early 70s Matra entered an agreement to use Chrysler s dealer network to supply their cars through and in return made the Bagheera as a Matra Simca model (at this point it was Chrysler and the Simca engine was used). They added estate cars and a 3 seater to replace the Bagheera (the Rancho and Murena) and at the end of the 70s when the now Simca became Talbot (PSA). By the early 80s, the P18 Seven Seater One Box was on the cars but Talbot (now part of Peugeot did not want to spend the money on such a radical solution and as Matra held the design rights it was only a matter of time before they were bound to look for another person to take on their idea; "such a car has no future" was the Peugeot/PSA response. Who other than through Peugeots arch rival Renault. This could have been a very dangerous project, bear in mind in the first year of production 1984 NONE were sold in the UK and hence this is the UK s 2th Anniversary and indeed ONLY 217 were sold into the UK in 198 however now with the figures topping The Matra franchise continued to build the Espaces up to After a less than successful and late launch of the unpopular but now collectable Avantime (which ended up being pitched directly, but maybe not accidently, against the 4 door Vel Satis made in house at Renault) the factory closed and at last Renault could bring the Espace 4 home to be built For say VF8J63C20R***** etc VF8 Vehicle France Matra (VF1:Renault, VF3:Peugeot, VF7:Citroen, VF8:Matra) J63 The Model type (in Renault terminology B = door hatch; C = 3 door hatch D = coupé E = convertible (Top Gear) J = people carrier as Scenic K = estate L = saloon engine type 2 = petrol carburettor = diesel 6 = petrol injection 7 = petrol inject unleaded type 8 = V6 petrol) 2 gearbox type (manual speed) 0 one-letter for model year * R build plant R = Romorantin K = Dieppe the six digit number is the actual production number. * For Matra, the one-letter model year follows initially: 7 = 1977, 8 = 1978, 9 = 1979, A = 1980, B = 1981, C = 1982, D = 1983, E = 1984 etc I and O are not used but all are zero. Then they moved over to the current Type 1 Phase 2 (2000-1) forward lights J63 or Type Last Matra Type JE or Espace III First Star NCAP Matra give up the Espace in exchange for the Avantime and by 2003 closed Date Espace 4 Alasdair Worsley 26 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

27 m o T o R s p o RT 198 End of the Yellow Teapots Renault F1 is a Formula One racing team that has competed both as an engine supplier and as a constructor from the late 1970s to the present day, with several breaks. Renault introduced the turbo engine to Formula One when they presented their first car at Silverstone in Although the Renault team won races and competed for world titles, it was as a supplier of normally aspirated engines to the Williams team in the 1990s that Renault first tasted world championship success. Renault returned to the category as a constructor in 2001 by taking over the Benetton team, which was renamed Renault in Their first championship as a constructor was achieved in 200. Renault began its involvement in Formula One during the last five races of 1977 with Jean-Pierre Jabouille in its only car. The Renault RS01 was well known for its Renault-Gordini V6 1. L turbocharged engine, the first regularly used turbo engine in Formula One history. Jabouille's car and engine proved highly unreliable and became something of a joke during its first races. It didn t take long for the media to find an amusing nickname for Renault s first attempt at an F1 car. It may have featured technology that was revolutionary in F1 circles, namely a turbocharger, but it puffed, whistled and blew its top enough to earn the moniker of The Yellow Teapot from its very first race at Silverstone in At the heart of the beast was a 100cc V6 engine, with a single turbocharger, designed under the leadership of Bernard Dudot and with the support of Elf. Power levels reached 00 bhp when the turbo was on song and barely 10 bhp when it wasn t. But those faltering first steps were enough to confirm the team s early hopes and the first race proved to be the first in a long series that, thirty years later, includes some remarkable Formula 1 successes. In 390 Grand Prix starts, Renault s cars and engines have won 113 races, and scored 14 pole positions. They have scored 299 podium finishes and completed more than 20,000 km in Grand Prix races. And, most importantly of all, they have won seven drivers championships (1992, 93, 9, 96, 97, 200, 06) and eight constructors crowns (1992, 93, 94, 9, 96, 97, 200, 06). Those performances are eloquent proof of Renault s competitive spirit. The following year was hardly better, characterized by four consecutive retirements caused by blown engines, but near the end of the year the team showed signs of success. Twice, the RS01 qualified 3rd on the grid and while finishing was still something of an issue, it managed to finish its first race on the lead lap at Watkins Glen near the end of 1978, giving the team a 4th place finish and its first Formula One points saw the RS10 and the smiles were wiped from faces and the jokes and laughing quickly stopped. Although reliability still suffered, the yellow Teapot was on the podium at the top by the French Grand Prix. Everyone saw the risk and were out developing Turbos as fast as they could. Expanding to two drivers with Rene Arnoux joining Jabouille in 1979, the team continued to struggle although Jabouille earned a pole position in South Africa. By mid-season, both drivers had new ground-effect cars, the RS10, and at Dijon for the French Grand Prix the team legitimized itself with a brilliant performance in a classic race. The two Renaults were on the front row in qualifying, and pole-sitter Jabouille won the race, the first driver in a turbo-charged car to do so, while Arnoux and Gilles Villeneuve were involved in an extremely competitive duel for second, Arnoux narrowly getting beaten to the line. While Jabouille ran into hard times after that race, Arnoux finished a career high 2nd at Silverstone in the following race and then repeated that at the Glen, proving it wasn't a fluke. Arnoux furthered this in 1980 with consecutive wins in Brazil and South Africa. Jabouille continued to have problems with retirements, but in his only points finish he emerged victorious in Austria. At the end of the year Jabouille crashed heavily at the Canadian GP and suffered serious leg injuries, which effectively ended his career as a Grand Prix driver. Alain Prost was signed up for In his three years with the team, Prost showed the form that would make him a Formula One legend and the Renaults were among the best in Formula One, twice finishing third in the constructors championships and second once. Prost won nine races with the team while Arnoux added two more in Arnoux left for rival Ferrari after 1982 and was replaced by American Eddie Cheever for a season. When Prost left after 1983, the team turned to Patrick Tambay and Englishman Derek Warwick to bring them back to prominence. Despite a few good results the team was not among the elite anymore, with other teams doing a better job with turbo engines, some of which came from Renault themselves. As a result, Renault shut down the works team to concentrate on engine manufacturing. This final year provided another F1 first, as the team ran a third car in Germany that featured the first in-car camera which could be viewed live by a television audience. This sadly meant that the Teapots were never to win a championship although they achieved a few seconds in the championships and a good number of podiums. Alasdair Worsley & Renault F1 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 27

28 m o d E R N In 1990, the Clio was born, with it, came a marketing legend. Who can forget the antics of Nicole (Estelle Skornik, who actually could not in fact drive) and Papa (Max Douchin) with the entourage of mistresses, comedians (Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves) and the spoofs that came from it. Surveys by Channel 4 and ITV award the series as the most popular car advertisements ever made. In 1996, one survey found that Nicole was recognised by more Britons than Prime Minister John Major, Bob Hoskins or Chris Evans. For the driving scenes, Penny Mallory, a Cliomania precision stunt driver and television presenter took the places of both Nicole AND Papa. An all-new second generation Renault Clio was launched in 1998 and, with it, came the finale of Nicole's Provençale story. Much publicity and speculation surrounded the question of whom Nicole would marry. Socialite and 'it girl' Tara Palmer-Tomkinson noted, "I can't understand what she is doing getting married. I mean, she is giving up everything. She is one of the most beautiful, stunning, eligible girls around. She must be off her rocker. I mean, she had everything going for her, driving around the country in her Renault Clio, all at Daddy's, or rather Papa's, expense. I should be so lucky. " The finale was itself a spoof of the film The Graduate. Wearing a dress by Deborah Milner and a hairstyle by Nicky Clarke, with her ring designed by Stephen Webster, Nicole was led down the aisle to the as-yet-unseen groom. Played during the advertisement break between Coronation Street on 29 May 1998, an estimated 23 million viewers watched Nicole leave Vic Reeves at the altar and start a new life with Bob Mortimer in his new Renault Clio. Throughout the entire series, only five words were spoken: Papa, Nicole, Maman, Bob, and 'YES!'. I m as passionate about Renaults as you are, which is why I think you ll love our insurance deals. Adrian Flux Insurance Services has been built around the enthusiast markets and understands that people who are passionate about their cars take good care of them. Because we share your enthusiasm we offer fantastic, tailor-made insurance deals based on your own personal driving history and requirements. Call us today to obtain a no obligation quote for your Renault. FREEPHONE Quoteline hours: Mon to Fri 9am-7pm Sat 9am-4pm adrianflux.co.uk Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Rachelle Rachelle. Adrian Flux Retained Business Team Manager. Passionate about insurance Modified Luxury Classic Van 4x4 Standard Imports Performance Specialist 28 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

29 m o d E R N Clio 20 th Anniversary In 1990, Renault introduced the the trim at the lower edge of the tailgate replacement for the Renault remained unchanged. Superfive. Although the latter was to continue into production until the mid Nineties, this newcomer was destined to be the flagship supermini for Renault (although it has yet to be in production for longer than the /Superfive and it has some way to go. ) The Clio was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in June The Renault Clio has been through three generations, with at least three facelifts for the Phase 1, at least three for the Phase 2 and, so far one for the Phase 3. This does not include the minor tweaks from model to model, such as refined grilles. In March 1993, the Phase 2 model was launched, with small updates to the exterior and interior of the Clio. Most noticeable was the change in the front grille from two metal ribs to a single colour-coded slat grille. many components made of unusual materials to save in weight and on repair costs. The interesting thing with the Clio is that, like the Espace, we should not be celebrating, well, not quite yet. The Clio actually came to us in the UK in March There are records of Clios in the country registered as 1990 but these may be left hand drive imports or the demo fleet models, which then got sold off. Either way the number of these 1990 oddities had dwindled to just six by At launch, the engine range available included 1.2 L and 1.4 L E-type "Energy" petrol 1.4 engines (first seen in the R19) and 1.7 L and a 1.9 L diesel (both based on the F-type unit) engines. In 1992, the petrol engines all received an electronic fuel injection system in place of carburettors in order to conform to new anti-pollutant emission regulations. A minor trim facelift occurred after only a year of being on sale. A new "smooth" version of the Renault diamond badge (the previous "ribbed" badge was being phased out at the time) and a new front seat design were the only changes. The original model specific badging script on In 1996, with the arrival of the Phase 3 facelift Clio, the 1.2 L Energy engine was replaced by the 1149 cc D7F MPi (Multi Point Injection) DiET engine first used in the Renault Twingo. For some markets it was greeted with versions available with the older 1239 cc "Cléon" unit from the original Twingo. The cylinder head design on the 1.4 L E-Type was also slightly altered for the Phase 3 models in a bid for better fuel economy. The Phase 3 Clios had a slightly more noticeable update than the Phase 2s. The Phase 3 has different, more rounded headlights, incorporating the turn signal in the unit with the headlight. The bonnet curved more around the edges of the lights. In 1992, Renault launched the Clio Williams with a limited run of 00, for racing homologation purposes. The car was named after the then Renaultpowered Formula One team WilliamsF1, though Williams had nothing to do with the design or engineering of this Clio. The second generation of the Clio was launched in the Autumn of 1997, with considerably more rounded and bulbous styling than its predecessor. Part of the radical concept of the new Clio were A facelift occurred in the spring of 2001 which saw the exterior restyled. An all-new third generation Clio was unveiled in the UK in 200. An earlier variant, with manufacturers code BB0 was marketed in other European countries as the Mk III in This variant was not sold in the UK at all. The Mk III uses a platform co-developed with Nissan that is shared with the Renault Modus. It was voted European Car of the Year 2006 and was considered by the judges to be the car which will set the benchmark for quality, safety and style for a car in this class. So is there going to be a Clio III Phase 2 or maybe a Clio 4.? I wonder what that could look like? Alasdair Worsley - Clio Registrar R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 29

30 m o d E R N During Louis Renault s reign, Renault had a significant presence in the luxury car market and the marque was a serious competitor to the greats Rolls, Hispano, Mercedes, Bugatti and others, with major coachbuilders being prepared to demonstrate their artistic flair on Renault chassis. Post-WW2, it has been rather a different story, but, by reviewing the Frégate, the Rambler, the Sixteen, the Thirty, the Twenty-Five and the Safrane, it is clear that Renault has really not been absent from the top end of the market since the early Fifties. Whether the company s on-going presence in that sector has been financially viable or not, is quite another matter, which it is not proposed to address here. Renault s turn-of-the-century challenger in the luxury car market, the Vel Satis, was launched at the March 2001 Geneva Motor Show and it was the talk of the town. Vel Satis majored on life aboard outstandingly comfortable seating, swathes of headroom and a quality of finish to drain the colour from the faces of the German opposition. But the luxobarge market is bedeviled by conservatism and even Vel Satis s daring could not shake that ideology. To start with, let us laud the good things about Vel Satis. Taking as read that its shape is an acquired taste, it is the inside of the car which is outstanding, for no other car in its class offers such grace and ambiance, such airiness, such spacious A brief look back at Renault s Vel satis dimensions and such a commanding view of the road. To truly appreciate these luxurious features, it is imperative that one is chauffeured around in the relaxing rear compartment. A cynic might say that Vel Satis is a supreme example of ministerial transport and certainly many examples are currently in use in government circles in France. But the Vel Satis s very internal spaciousness dictated the car s external shape, the CX of which approximated to a barn door (or to a Norman wardrobe, as our Gallic friends say) and this, coupled with the additional weight, which luxury entails, ensured that the engines had to work hard and that the fuel consumption, even of the diesel versions, consequently suffered in comparison to competitors, powered by more modern engines and enclosed in more aerodynamically efficient silhouettes. The Vel Satis range offered petrol engines of between 170 and 24bhp and diesel counterparts with from 10 to 180bhp. The most coveted versions are the 2-litre dci 10bhp Privilege and 2-litre dci 17bhp Initiale (automatic) and those to avoid (for various reasons) are the 2-litre Turbo 170bhp (petrol), the 3.-litre V-6 Automatic (petrol) and the 3-litre V6 dci 180bhp. There has also been a history of temperamental electronics, quirky electrics, unexplained engine failures (such power units were usually replaced under warranty and without further explanation) and a generally patchy build quality. Repair costs can be stratospheric and, in the coming years, these will probably exceed the residual value of the cars, a growing problem with the range s stablemate, Avantime. The range was commercialised in September 2001 and the shape had its only facelift in April 200 (changes to front grille, bonnet and lights, plus a makeover of the rear light clusters). The range sold slowly in the UK and, indeed, the revised model never reached our shores. No further orders for this Sandouville-built range were accepted after 08 September 2009 and it was officially deleted from Renault s home sales range at the end of the same year. World-wide sales over its eight year life amounted to 62,201 units (no authenticated sales figures are available for the UK market alone), whereas Mercedes sells around 200,000 units of its competing E-Class - every year..... Does Vel Satis disappearance mean that Renault will desert this market segment? Yes and no. Renault will launch a Samsung SM-based Renault Latitude in 30 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

31 m o d E R N the near future and further details will be made available, as and when the new range is released. Latitude is likely to be sold only into targeted markets Africa, China, Russia and throughout the Persian Gulf but it is unlikely to be sold in Western Europe, where the luxury car market is either stagnant or declining, which makes it an unattractive and unprofitable sector for most car manufacturers in these difficult times. It is probable that the top versions of Laguna and Fluence will keep the Renault flag flying in such contracting market segments. Hector Mackenzie-Wintle And Looking Forwards? Latitude. In addition to its balanced proportions, generous exterior dimensions, large boot and front-end looks which mirror the powerful engines in the new range, the newcomer boasts elegant styling. Based on an architecture that is widely acclaimed for its strength and efficiency, Renault's new saloon rounds off the brand's international high-end range and will appeal to customers who are looking for status, quality and comfort in all of its forms. Renault Latitude will get its first public airing at the Moscow Motor Show at the end of August, while European motorists will be able to get their first closeup view of the car at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in October. In addition to its generous exterior dimensions (length: 4.89m / width: 1.83m / height: 1.49m), Latitude boasts elegant looks. The contours of the grille are flanked by distinctive bi-xenon adaptive directional headlights, while chrome detailing give the car an unmistakable impression of dynamism and status. Its rear design incorporates ample boot space, and the new car can effectively claim one of the biggest boots in its class. The rear lighting signature employs LED technology and harmonises perfectly with the chrome rear strip which bears the new model's name. Based on the same architecture as New SM, which was recently launched in Korea, Latitude profits extensively from Renault's engineering expertise. Occupants benefit from a comfortable, quiet ride, as well as a precise chassis and a choice of powerplants that are sure to give it a decisive edge over its rivals. For enhanced quality and reliability, Renault Latitude comes with a number of features developed and assembled to the Alliance's highest standards and which benefit directly from the excellent results obtained by Laguna on these two fronts. The complete equipment list, which will be revealed at a later date, places the emphasis on innovation and travelling comfort, including a dual-mode air ioniser with double fragrance diffuser, triple-zone climate control, a massaging driver's seat, Bose Premium audio and Renault handsfree card. A decision on the possible UK launch of Latitude has not been made yet. However, potential international customers will be able to discover more about the car at www. renault-latitude. com. Alasdair Worsley R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 31

32 m o d I f I E d my Renault - modified 19 16v How she looked the day I started. Trial fitting of the oil catch tank and under bonnet heat proof paint. All 4 injectors fitted, they look nice and chunky ideal for what I want them for the only draw back was that the fuel mapped had to be upped as the pump kept shutting down because of the bigger injectors. The pressure kept going away, but with a bit of mapping its all sorted. The stripping down of the engine to be modded. Oil catch tank in place but needs turning as it fouls the header tank. Head back on with new gaskets and a bit of skimming and porting. Note the rover injectors look factory fit. Iggy module and brake reservoir. Parts stripped of for painting and a bit of porting on the inlet. Ashley manifold and front pipe. Well sought after mod as no one else makes them now. Manifold is Rover 620t injector. 32 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

33 m o d I f I E d She s a bit more built up now with just a few bits left to do. It also has 2litre f7r cams from a Williams engine in there too. Nice set of prima racing wheels hiding the Renault 21 brake upgrade. the brakes have been upped from 26mm to 28mm, with extender brackets. Menacing. Finished product. Brake extender bracket. Its a quite easy conversion if you know how. A set of Renault 21 TXI discs (these discs are 4 stud fitment unlike the two litre which is a stud fitment), set of Renault GTT pads carriers, set of 19 16v pads and the 19 16v caliper. Job done. My son Seb who is only 3, well into cars, just having a nose at what we have done (he helps with bits and bobs and as I say start them young). FCS 10 sticker. Well needed accessory. Fire extinguisher. Jason Ford - Modified Secretary. Build in stages, looking more like a car now. Rockingham sticker with oval exhaust shot. As a quick note, please make sure if you carry out any non-factory modification that you let you insurers know and if you are not 100% certain of what you are doing please seek assistance. Please also see the disclaimer on page 2. -R. O. C. R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 33

34 m o d I f I E d 4x4 + 6x + 6x4 + 6x10 = 70 sort of... Over the years, there have been a number of conversions carried out on Renault vehicles to make them more practical for particular end users. Still today we see (mainly commercial) vehicles converted into ambulances, police vehicles, utility vehicles and hearses. At the end of their life, often these can be picked up at fairly low prices, as there is little demand for the vehicles when their usefulness has expired. However, after a long period of time the vehicles may become interesting again and some collectors go out of their way to find or even recreate them. A very early example of this would be the Trans-Sahara three axle - twelve wheel, which, in 1924, became the first wheeled vehicles to cross the desert expanse. However from tour club members point of view, this is a little early. One could make a further mistake by thinking of the Four wheel drive Scenics (the RX Series), Kangoos (the Trekka variants), and vans of more recent times. However, all these were/are available direct from the manufacturer so hardly count as conversions. So where does on from here? Well, in 1980, Sinpar took a standard Renault 4 and 18 Estate to make a 4 wheel drive pick up, van and estate. Originally these were only available in France and Switzerland but the opportunity came up for them to be sold in the UK and Eire early in the 80s. Prior versions were available in the 60s as specials and on other models but not as approved conversions. In order to obtain such vehicles, one had to go to the sole agent (Inveralmond of Perth - who co-incidently sold me my Clio) and one had to buy and to register the requisite vehicle to start with, whereafter it then went off to be converted for an additional princely sum of 160. What one received in exchange was an additional 128lb of weight (on the 4) and 100lbs (on the 18) and in return the ability to climb 1 in 2 hills (or 1 in 1. for the 18). Unusual was that the set-up from ones old car when it expired and fitted to one s new one. Provided, of course, the model was still in production. So, what is next? More wheels. Let s start with a Renault TS and then add a 6- wheel drive system with Sinpar, hydrostatic transmission. But those 6 wheels need support. The Leotard R differs from the standard model, by using a reinforced frame with two square tubes mounted in parallel on the side rails, which results in a higher weight (980 kg v 800 kg) and, of course, length (Greatest at 4.21 m v 3. m). The hydrostatic transmission type, patent Leotard, matches the principle used on tractors, half-tracks and the construction equipment, which allows greater 34 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

35 m o d I f I E d flexibility than mechanical transmission. in the realms of because I can. The boot capacity increases to 2.4 m3. In terms of handling, the manufacturer believes that the handling is improved by 70% and braking, with six discs, by 33%. In turn, the four rear wheels are less sensitive to the effect of drift. Christian de Leotard explained more seriously about his creation. "It is in the interests of safety that I created this car. The technique of the six wheels revolutionizing a sedan in handling and braking, but especially in the payload. The car happily supports 700 kg of load for a consumption of 10/11 litres per 100km (about 26mpg). So, that s the x6 sorted? Well, it should be except that Renault brought out a better car to play with in 1980 (30 years old this year!) The GT Turbo. That car gives far more scope for fun (although probably defeating all the main reasons for doing it at the same time.) For that, we need a turbo (or two). The Christian de Leotard But this was not Christian de Leotard s first foray into six-wheels, as he originally started with Range Rovers). For that we can at least look to the Renault 4, again using the same Sinpar system. In this case, most of the specials are like the Renault Turbo, more for the interest of the owner than the practicality of perhaps a Renault 4 Van or Renault TL. But we have wandered away from the practicality of the six-wheeled car. However, with the birth of another anniversary car, there was the chance to put this technology back onto a potentially commercial footing. This then leads on to an even older car and the last one in our mathematical equation, the 70. This lends itself well to a six-wheel and even a two engine conversion, as each gearbox, engine and subframe assembly is pretty much compact and self supporting. This allows the rear wheels to be close together, so there is little scrubbing on corners and the suspension allows a little twist to help. It s also a compact car so the finished article will not be so long that one can t park it. At this point the 4CV lads will probably be having kittens wondering w,hat s been done to all those old 4CVs passing through our hands. Don t worry it s not happened yet but perhaps someone is thinking about it. After all, this car was recently on French Ebay and it s not far off reaching the limits of a Renault 4CV modifications. Yours for 600 Euros, I suppose the one partial good thing is that it may have produced some spares for the rest of us? 4CV joke of a spare engine in the boot is actually true here, for it really has two engines, one in the front and one in the back. Amicale Automobiles des Tissier have taken the principle and applied it not only to Citroën s CX but also to the Espace (another anniversary car). In this case to make a stretch ambulance. This maybe allows us to go backwards a little bit in terms of models but a little bit forwards in conversions. This is definitely Alasdair Worsley R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 3

36 B o o K R E p o RT Au coin du livre (The Book Nook, where you can read about the best books on Renault) New books of interest to the Renault enthusiast have been coming thick and fast recently and, at the moment, it is impossible to review just a single new title in each edition of RENOTES. Moreover, older titles, which have not previously been reviewed here, have been coming to light and they, too, are worthy of our consideration. The most interesting new title has been somewhat difficult to locate, but the search has been well worth the wait. In fact, the outline of the book appeared as a superbly illustrated article in Gazoline (May 200), the magazine arm of Pixel Press, who, in May 2008, published Robert Bosvin s La 4CV Bosvin-michelspéciale in its Mémoires Automobiles series, as a self-laminated 82-page paperback [ISBN ] at the series usual price of 18 Euros. It is the story of a totally dedicated, dyed-in-thewool petrolhead, Camille Bosvin, who developed for a client friend, Guy Michel, a performance machine, which started life as a Renault 4CV saloon and gradually metamorphosed into a single-seater barquette, which competed successfully in club, in national and in international motorsport events between 190 and 19, where, betimes, it beat better-known (and sometimes larger-engined) machines. Photographs of this elusive Renault (for it was one machine, which always appeared in ever updated form) peppered the French motorsport magazines of the period and, at last, the remarkable saga and its characters, are revealed by the creator s son. Now retired, but trained as an automobile engineer to take over his father s business, he spent most of his life in commercial banking, because cancer claimed his father s life too early and while Robert was still too young to fulfil his intended destiny. Historically informed readers will remember the 19 Le Mans tragedy and its aftermath, which temporarily blighted France s motorsport scene. This event co-incided with the premature death of Camille, thus robbing Michel of his car s competitive development, which sealed its fate. Happily, the car has survived and is now in the hands of an enthusiast in South West France, who has displayed it at recent classic sportscar shows. There is much French text, but the splendid b & w photographs convey perfectly an era of continuing automobile penury, when a talented enthusiast, operating on a shoestring budget, could create, develop and maintain a vehicle capable of competing with and often winning against the best in its class. This book is thoroughly recommended to any 4CV enthusiast, but tracking a copy down in the UK is likely to be difficult, even at specialist motoring bookshops, so the internet may be the only alternative. The next title is Albert Vanierschot : 00 victoires et podiums avec l A110 by Roger Dejaeghere, a member of the Alpine Club of Belgium, which was privately published in the 1990s by Media Publications of Zellik. Strictly speaking, this is not a brand new publication, but our review copy was, in fact, mint (see later). This 24-page A4 booklet (no ISBN), printed on good quality art paper, is full of data, French text and b & w + colour photographs, mostly of Alpine A-110s and it relates the remarkable career of Belgian motorsport icon, Albert Vanierschot. He also drove a wide variety of other makes, often ably abetted by his 36 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

37 A R o U N d T H E C L U B s equally talented compatriot, Benny Raepers, the pair virtually monopolising the local and adjacent areas motorsport silverware for many years with their Dieppe machines. Tangentially, ROC members may recall the name of John Wheeler, English arch Alpine enthusiast, CAR member and the power behind the creation of the Monte Carlo A-110, an English (rhd) close replica of Jean Rédélé s masterpiece, but based on Tim Duffee s Davrian/Darrian tub. John bought and has restored one of the 16-valve Benny Raepers berlinettes and, by a remarkable co-incidence, an article on this very car (the Vialle painted one) appeared in Berlinette (No. 39/June-July 2010). Small world, innit? Another co-incidence occurred in our obtaining the mint copy of this booklet through the welcome co-operation of Anne Tribolet, a long-standing, enthusiastic member of the Belgian Renault Club and the Belgian Alpine Club (thank you for this kindness, fellow enthusiast!). Anne now works for the Mahymobiles car museum at Leuze-en-Hainaut (with Tournai and Ath), which is the most extensive such undertaking in Belgium. It houses the lifelong collection of automobiles and automobilia of the late Ghislain Mahy, and, besides many other makes, it includes over 70 Renaults from Back in the 1960s, before the founding of our esteemed colleagues, the Renault Frères Club, the ROC catered for Renaults of all eras and we knew all about those vehicles through correspondence with (the late) Mr. Mahy and our then V & V Section Co-Ordinator, although the cars were not then housed in their super new home. One should make a point of visiting this museum, if an opportunity presents itself. Did we mention possible availability of this informative work? Well, it will be very limited and one will probably only obtain a (second hand?) copy through the internet, although it will be worth the effort. Renault 8 by Julio de Santiago, is the fifth title in the series Colleción Vehícolos de Siempre published by Edicions Benzina [ISBN X], of which Renault 4/4 (alias 70 or 4CV ), reviewed some time ago in RENOTES, was the third in the same series. Originally published in 1998, the print run of this later book was a mere 100 copies, so it is somewhat of a rarity and, yes, the text is in Spanish. However, much of the reproduced technical data is very similar to, if not a Spanish equivalent of the French original, with which any Eight enthusiast will be familiar in its English incarnation. The major attraction of this 102-page, square format, self-laminated hardback is the minutiae of the FASA versions of the 8, the 10 and the 8TS (remember that 8TS was the original French designation chosen for the 8S), and there are some excellent photographs (b & w and colour), reproduced on art quality paper, to whet the appetite of those partial to Renault s final rear-engined car range. In passing, do not forget that the French run-out market for Renault Eights was supplied with FASAmanufactured cars (complete with drum brakes at the rear). A brief outline of Renault s history in Spain from the early days is an appreciated bonus, as is a good coverage of La Copa Nacional Renault 8TS (the Spanish equivalent of France s Coupé Gordini). In summary, this is not just another book about the 8 (of which there are precious few, anyway), but it is an interesting diversion into a now somewhat overlooked classic model bearing the Renault losange. The problem is likely to be locating a copy (the review copy was found for E2 in a second hand motoring bookshop in France), so techies should power up their computers now to scour the internet.... Asecond-hand French bookshop yielded a very tatty copy of the 192-page self-laminated paperback entitled African Turbo by Bernard & Claude Marreau, which was published by Bréa Editions [ISBN ] for Frs 49 (!) in The French text focuses on the brothers trials and tribulations in preparing for and eventually winning that year s Paris- Algiers-Dakar Rally with the well-known yellow, black and red Renault 18 Turboengined Renault 20 (the so-called Renault 20 Turbo). Because of this long out-of-print history s French text, this book is not for linguistically challenged faint-hearts, but the vivid recall of the blood, sweat and tears necessary to win this gruelling event, not to mention the good illustrations (some in colour), make it a rewarding read for the determined Renault enthusiast. Unfortunately, one cannot buy a copy at WHS down the road, so this is yet another title most likely to be found on the internet, although the price will probably not be a killer. Hector Mackenzie-Wintle (Editor - as an aside, if you visit the following webpage: youtube. com/watch?v=wv9io0a1sya y One can see an on line video of the event; and on: renault-sport. com/en/propos/historique/news. php?news=220.html Renault have details of the Marreau brothers achievements. R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 37

38 H E R I TA G E RENAULT 2 YEARS AGO This year is a bad one for Renault and truly only its nationalised status saves the group from going bankrupt. Although pre-tax revenue is up (from 1984 s FRF106,911m) at FRF111,382m, its net annual loss reaches FRF10,92m (against last year s FRF12,m loss), and investment falls to FRF7,774m. The head of Renault, Bernard Hanon has to pay the price and, under government pressure for the company to change its policy direction, he resigns on 21 January, to be replaced by Georges Besse, who implements a radical re-organisation. Aimé Jardon becomes Renault s Number Two. In these turbulent times, the departure of head stylist Robert Opron passes almost unnoticed and Gaston Juchet, whose office still remains under the jurisdiction of the Direction des Études, replaces him. The product range starts with the Renault 4 (now over twenty years old, but still a solid seller) and passes through the Renault and its Rodéo derivative, the newly introduced Renault Superfive (sales of which now top the half a million mark), the Renault 9 three boxer and its hatchback sister, the Renault 11, the Renault 18 saloon and its stablemate Estate, the 18-based Renault Fuego coupé, the Renault 2 (which becomes the official car for the civil service and for the ministries), the Matra-inspired Renault Espace (which receives an award for innovation), the Alpine GTA V6 (Atmo and Turbo), the Jeep CJ-7 and Cherokee (made by Renault s North American subsidiary, American Motors [AMC] and distributed by Renault in some European countries), the Renault Trafic and Renault Master until reaching the RVI-Mack range of heavy goods vehicles. The group manufactures 1,962,207 vehicles worldwide, of which 1,689,7 are cars (including AMC), 200,139 are LCVs and 72,493 are RVI and Mack HGVs. Excluding RVI vehicles, 702,406 are assembled outside France, to which total Spain contributes 224,91 units, Belgium 14,82 units and USA 111,039 units. Renault exports 1,018,80 vehicles (excluding RVI). Although the sales of the AMC Alliance (aka Renault 9) and Encore (aka Renault 11) reach 111,039 on the US market, the launch of Espace into North America proves impossible, because of the high cost price of the vehicle (compared to steel-bodied, van-derived, home-grown competitors) and of the nonavailability of a V6-engined version. It is estimated that Renault has around 30% excess production capacity, so there are plans to end the policy of growth at all costs. This is to be coupled to a drastic cost reduction regime under the slogan a franc is a franc. The workforce stands at just over 196,000 and, theoretically, each employee produces cars (using a Renault as a base line) every year, with the average quality rating (AQR) still languishing at 127 (target = 140). There will have to be a slimming down of the workforce by some 21,000 over two years, to be achieved through early retirement, through lay-offs and through repatriation aid for foreign personnel. Tension grows between management and unions and strikes break out at the main plants, Le Mans, Billancourt and Choisy-le-Roi, from 09 through 21 October, but the CGT union s call to action is largely ignored and this setback marks a pivotal point in the company s industrial relations. The heavy vehicles division, RVI (Renault Véhicules Industriels) needs a financial transfusion of half a million francs in January and the first steps are taken to recapitalise Renault, to which the state contributes FRF8 billion. Despite this, RVI announces 2,0 redundancies. Renault sells its Mexico City office and its prestige building in Paris Champs- 38 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

39 H E R I TA G E Élysées and Georges Besse announces that, for the company s current French market share, which has fallen from 40% in 1981, to the current 28.7%, the Renault sales network is too extensive and that this will entail some downsizing. Despite the PR invention of the Renault : des voitures à vivre ( There s more to life with Renault ) slogan, the long-standing Renault-Publicis PR co-operation comes under scrutiny, as part of the essential cost-cutting exercise. Likewise, the proposed take-over by Renault of Matra s automotive division, is cut back to a minimum sales agreement for 4,000 Espaces over five years only. On a brighter note, a major marketing campaign focuses on the new Superfive with 9,000 cars available throughout the dealership network and half a million test drives taken up. Furthermore, orders for the Renault 2 reach 0 units per day, which is some consolation for the runnerup in this year s COTY (won by GMC s Opel Kadett). In sporting events, Renault has a busy year. In Formula 1, there are four teams using Renault s V6 engines the factory team of Renault-Elf 60s (Tambay & Warwick), Team Ligier (de Cesaris & Lafitte), Team Lotus (de Angelis & Senna) and Team Tyrell (Brundle, Beloff & Capelli). Lotus gains eight pole positions and takes three wins (Portugal and Belgium for Ayrton Senna and San Marino for Elio de Angelis). In the Manufacturers World Championship, Lotus finishes third, Ligier fifth and Renault sixth. On August 27, Renault announces its withdrawal from Formula 1, but pledges to continue the supply of its engines to the Lotus and Ligier teams. Although Peugeot becomes World Rally Champion this year, Jean Ragnotti wins the Tour de Corse and the Tour de France Auto in a Renault Maxi Turbo, while Alain Oreille (Renault 11 Turbo) chalks up five Group N wins. Marc Madiot pedals his way to victory for the Renault- Gitane team in the Paris-Roubaix event, but, on July 2, Renault announces its withdrawal from cycling. The enforced close scrutiny of all aspects of Renault s business leads to major internal re-organisations and to the withdrawal from many non-core automotive involvements. The bicycle business of Micmo-Gitane and the agricultural-focused AGRALE are shut down. Renault sells its stake in Renix (the automotive-focused electronics business) to Allied, the (hitherto separate) agricultural machinery division is incorporated into Renault Agriculture and there is a freeze on further investment in Ceratech (a ceramics research initiative). From its involvement with its American Motors Corporation subsidiary, Renault has learned much about automotive catalytic converters, but, with the full support of PSA, it seeks to delay the compulsory introduction of low-polluting exhaust systems in France, because such fitments will affect the selling price of vehicles unfavourably, which will influence the current financial recovery adversely. The European Court of Justice demands lower fuel prices and the European Commission grants a ten-year exemption for selective car sales through dealerships. On 01 July, free pricing on new cars comes into effect in France. The silver screen s money earners are Sydney Pollack s Out of Africa, John Huston s Prizzi s Honor and Agnès Vardat s Sans toit ni loi. The must-read French novel is Yann Queffélec s Les noces barbares and France s Claude Simon receives the Nobel Prize for Literature. Noteworthy, too, is the La gloire de Victor Hugo exhibition in Paris Grand Palais. In science, the EEC technology programme Eureka is launched. In France, on 12 February, the US dollar breaches the FRF10 bar (US$ = FRF10.61) on the exchange markets, Coluche starts the Restos du Coeur initiative, which seeks to assist the homeless, and SOS Racisme starts its anti-discrimination campaign Touche pas à mon pote ( Leave my mate alone ). The Rainbow Warrior scandal breaks and the French Defence Minister resigns. On the international scene, Frenchman Jacques Delors becomes president of the European Commission, the USSR s Konstantin Chernenko dies, Mikhail Gorbachov launches far-reaching changes on reform (perestroika) and openness (glasnost). The vacuum left by the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the southern part of Lebanon is promptly filled by the outbreak of violence between opposing local factions. In Brazil, Tancredo Neves, the first non-military head of state since 196, is killed on the day before he is due to take power. The trial of the Argentine military rulers takes place and, in Mexico, a major earthquake leaves 20,000 dead. This was Renault in 198. Hector Mackenzie-Wintle (This article was compiled from information to be found in the Renault Owners Club archives). R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 39

40 A R o U N d T H E C L U B s Around the Clubs From the Renault Car Club South Island/New Zealand, we received two editions of its La Renaultsance (it just depends how the postal cookie crumbles). The April 2010 edition reports on club members participation in the annual (March) National Classic Car Rally at Gisborne, where a member s lhd Canadian Le Car (original) and a convertible (rhd) ditto were present (amongst 70 odd cars, including other Renaults [ Le Car Turbo, 4 van and R10]) and were suitably illustrated, as well as on a Night Out at the Café de la Gare (in Rangiora) for the Baajens, Smith and Polden families (i. e. the majority of the club s officers!). Articles on Renault s forthcoming ZE vehicles and the Renault-Nissan Alliance + Daimler co-operation are also featured. The June 2010 edition of this same magazine spotlights the forthcoming Dacia Duster, Renault s new Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) system and the expected Renault Latitude (alias RSM SM and replacement for Vel Satis on specific markets). There is a report on the club s (May) AGM 2010 and the storm in a teacup is reproduced. This wrangle concerns Renault s possible naming of its forthcoming Zero Emission car as Zoe. Zoe is the Greek word for life, but various Zoe Renaults [no relations] are miffed at having a car stuck with the same name as themselves and they threaten legal action against Renault. Some people really need to get a life The No. 3/July 2010 edition of the Renault Classic Car Club s La Renault carries comments on and pictures of cars at the April Mantes La Jolie annual event, illustrated reminiscences on 4CVs in general, on a 6TL (as an everyday runner), on a Midlands Meeting at Woburn (best stand prize won), on the continuing restoration of a 16 and on the (unfortunately wet, wet, wet) Spring Renault 4 event, all topped out with some further technical ramblings on matters Renault rear-engined by Dave Wheeler and a listing of forthcoming events. The Spring 2010/Issue No. 9 of the Renault Owners Club of North America (ROCoNA) maintains its interesting diversity a 1963 minisimus Dauphine (an open doorless, 2-seater with a wheelbase like a Smartcar), a comprehensive report on the Renault Frères Concentration in Mexico City (organised by three of the Mexican Renault/Alpine clubs, enticing 130 (!) participants, many of which are featured on four pages crammed with full colour photographs), the story of a René Bonnet Djet racer imported from Belgium, a Devin sports car glassfibre/plastic shell (these were widely used in California in the late 0s/early 60s) powered by Renault out back, a Renault rear-engined (Dauphine) H-mod streamlined racer from the late Fifties, which is still competing, a Renault Gordini (807-20G)-powered Lotus Europa S1 competition car, an article on the Renault 11s used in the James Bond film A view to kill, an explanation of the various countries livery colours in international competition, a value guide on Renault Fuegos (they re on the up!), a clubman s life with Renaults through the years, a review of Renault s new Wind (which some Yanks dream of owning, despite Renault s continuing absence from the US market), a pictorial account of the restoration of the 4CV belonging to Sharon Desplaines, the club s treasurer and new membership secretary, who was recently involved in an unpleasant accident in the car, but who is now thankfully well on the way to recovery (Best Wishes from the ROC, Sharon!) and, finally, some pictures (including an Estafette and a 1909 [AX Runabout?]) and a short commentary on a recent meeting of the local Renault Club in Johannesburg, South Africa. A cornucopia of rare Renault treasures enclosed in 28 pages. The CAR des Pays Bas Renograaf maintains its high standards of content, production and illustration and No. 189 reports on the annual get-together at Ommen ( Oh, oh, Renault Ommen ), on a Technical Meeting for Renault oldtimers at Amersfoort (20/03/10), on the restoration of a 1939 Renault Novaquatre, on two Renault-featuring shows, attended by club members Groningen (NL) and Reims (F) on a technical article on metal parts cleaning and on the club s spare parts storage facility. All this is topped off with an extensive Vente Achat section (very interesting a TL, a trailer made out of the back half of a 4 Fourgon, a TL, a six volume [complete] set of the rare Dossiers Chronologiques Renault and a CV to whet the appetite.... ) A separate announcement (with agenda) of the club s forthcoming (June) Annual General Meeting also forms part of this edition. Adverting to comments made in the last edition of this section, we are delighted to report that the recent demise of Renault Report, the long-standing, quality magazine of D ARC, the German Alpine and Renault Clubs, overseen by the recently retired Rainer Hübner, has been mitigated by the launch of a new such magazine, Rhombus (Magazin des Bundesverbandes Deutscher Alpine und Renault Clubs = Magazine of the Association of German Alpine and Renault Clubs), which has taken over the important task of drawing together the reports on events undertaken by the vibrant network of amateur Renault enthusiasts in Germany. The new team is headed up by Andreas Conrad ( I am a little bit mad to take on this job, in addition to my full-time job with Renault he admits), who, like Rainer before him, works for Deutsche Renault-Nissan in Brühl. As hitherto, Sabine Krause- Holtermann (from Gelsenkirchen) will continue to take care of the everyday tasks of this large association. We wish them both continued bon chance (sorry Viel Glück! ) and thank them for supplying to us for the ROC archives a copy of the first edition of the new magazine (through the kind co-operation of Rainer Hübner). Besten Dank, Freunden unseren! Once again, our thanks to all the Renault clubs taking part in this mutually beneficial exchange of information. Hector Mackenzie-Wintle 40 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

41 C L A s s I f I E d s ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE Small adverts in Renotes are free to members advertising their personal sales and wants (i. e. non-profitmaking). All other advertising is charged at the following rates. All trade classifieds must be pre-paid. Classified (2 words) 10 1/4 PAGE (mono) 2 1/2 PAGE (mono) 4 FULL PAGE (mono) 8 Rates for colour advertising available on request. Cheques should be made payable to the RenOwners Club Limited and sent with the advert to: Renotes, Mayhill House, London Road, Addington, West Malling, Kent ME19 AN. The ROC cannot warrant cars or parts advertised in these columns. forum and Website Please remember the most up-to-date adverts are found on the forum and Website (www. renaultownersclub. com) and often these sell before they ever make Renotes (often on the members site). For example a Floride recently went within a day of the advert appearing. for sale 1966 Renault 10. round eye. 1108cc. Maroon in colour. 76,000 miles on the clock. Look at the number plate, any Lyn's out there.. Reg; LYN382D ( worth 800) Free Tax on this vehicle. A true classic car o. v. n. o Also: 1963 Renault 8 Total re-build 3 years ago.wings and doors replaced as with new boot floor.full respray.all new chrome work and tyres. Interior all original as with the rubber mats and in good clean condition. I have noticed a small surface rust area on the bottom of the o/s front wing by the sill. there is a small rust spot on the bottom edge of the near side rear door. the roof moulding at the back edge of the roof has got rust on it.all rubber window seals and door rubbers have been replaced. This is a very clean original car. I am sure the 1st to see will buy. Mileage is 2,09 Genuine taxed and mot'd until June ,00. Drives superbly. Also: Renault 6; phase cc ,000 miles, above average condition. all original. You can drive this car now and also drive to shows. It will have 12months mot. Just needs very light attention to bring up to A1 standard. Price 190 speedwayrob@hotmail. com Renault flair. Ern is a 1984 model, registered 13th February, mileage I have to confirm, but around 7k (you may be able to see the exact mileage on the video link I've listed below). He was owned by my neighbour from brand new as a Valentine's present from her husband, but a familiar story, she had a baby and my mum bought me Ern as my first car in 1990/ have to confirm the exact year. I adore him and have always looked after him well, MOTs/services every year including all welding needed done etc to make sure passes each MOT - bizarrely enough he has passed when our previous car, a BMW, failed, much to my delight and my husband's dismay! Ern is road worthy as I've always driven him around and looked after him, but since we had our baby I have SORNed him, so he has been off the road for about a year, but Tom (husband) started him and gave him a good chug over outside our garage for an hour about 3 weeks ago and I didn't realise he took a little video - see: com/ so have a look and see what you think. You will see where the seat cover has come down from where Tom was sitting in the driver's seat that the driver's seat is not 100%. I made a seat cover for him years ago to protect the seat as it was starting to wear a little. Small repairs required to wings, structurally sound and solid, underside is as clean today as when it left the factory, the interior is in excellent condition(black) and the original rubber mats are all there. 2 previous owners. This car is suitable for everyday driving and for shows. Will have a new 12 months mot, once sold. Once again a very good example of this rear engined model. For any of these cars, please ring Rob with any questions or to arrange inspection evenings daytime. or ; Ern still reaches 70 miles per hour on a good day, but no more, but I think that's good for an old chap! He is very temperamental and is a very funny car to drive - I'm not joking, but when Tom insults him, he stops driving - I actually made Tom get out once and apologise to Ernie and kiss his roof and he started straight away after that! He really is a dear little car. I also took him to one of R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 41

42 INF236 7/10 C L A s s I f I E d s your shows years ago when Melvyn Gent was still the Chairman (did you know him?) we got all the way down there with him and just as we got into the field he stopped and we coasted straight to the Renault stand and he refused to start again! Think he felt he had done what he was meant to do and that was that! I've got some great photos of him in front of the stand and will scan them and send them over if you want to see them, he looks very smart. Price in the region of Genuine Enthusiast preferred. Please nicola@gsa-associates. co. uk Renault 9 Turbo 300 ono Notable Points: No Tax or MOT D-reg Overall condition is good Its got some scratches but little rust Turbo is missing. Previous owner removed some trim but I've sourced and included these parts - Please ask for details. Side skirts are not attached but are included. Interior is in good condition with so tears etc. Has 1000 miles, but is being sold as a nonrunner and therefore needs towing. This car is far to rare and good to scrap, it would only require a small amount of work. Please contact me for further details/pictures/to view as I'd like this car to go to a good home vgt902@yahoo. co. uk 1982 Renault 18 Turbo To help fund another purchase I have decided to sell my beloved 18 Turbo. This is a 1982 model with miles which are believed genuine. I know it was off the road for many years and I have MOT certs up to I purchased it in 2006 and recommissioned it and I believe that it is probably one of the most original 18 Turbos left. It is show ready as indeed I have brought it to many shows both this and last year, but as my attention span on cars is as short as my driveway and I have been seduced by the charms of another car, then I'm afraid it will have to go. I just do not have the time or resources any more to maintain a fleet of Classics.In that time I have done the brakes,exhaust,clutch,tyres,fuel lines,fuel pump,carb,service,sorted electrical gremlins(its french)and the small bit of bodywork that was required. In light of the quality cat that it is I am asking 390 euro for it. If interested my number is JTFITZGERALD@EIRCOM.NET Car is in Ireland but still on UK plates. Wanted Renault Non Adjustable Right Hand Headlamp Please phone: Looking for the PAS pipe that passes under the radiator. Please alanandedna@tiscali. co. uk ImpoRTANT VosA NEWs From the 1 August 2010 all VC's that are issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will have a new look. The new VC will make it clear that the registration certificate is not proof of ownership and will provide details of where you can get advice on buying a used vehicle. The scrap box has also been removed because all cars, light vans and threewheeled motor vehicles- excluding motor tricycles, must be taken to an Authorised Treatment Facility, who should issue a Certificate of Destruction (CoD). Vehicles other than those already mentioned, should still be taken to an ATF to ensure they are destroyed to environmental standards. Anyone keeping the vehicle but breaking it up for parts, etc, should make a Statutory off Road Notification (SORN) to let DVLA know that the vehicle is being kept unlicensed and off the road. Anyone with the existing blue version need not do anything as both types of document are still valid. DVLA s Buyer Beware message advises that the VC is only one of the things that buyers of used vehicles need to check. By making buyers aware of the risks, our aim is to help them to protect themselves and reduce the risk of getting caught out by criminals. For more information on the Vc, go to www. direct. gov. uk/buyerbeware The Vehicle e Registration Certificate (VC) is changing For more information and advice on buying a used vehicle go to Old New Renault safrane Variable power steering. Both documents are valid 42 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E R E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E

43 L I f E s T Y L E R E N A U LT Parts for current Renaults classic models, we can supply parts for the current range at big discounts. In buy the parts from us and pay carriage than buy locally. Phase 3 Clio spotlamp kit Diamond key rings 3 Inc UK p&p Official agents for Apache quad bikes Black RS softshell replica team jackets, light, warm,waterproof & really smart Inc UK p&p complete, only Inc UK carriage R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E 43

44 CLUB SHOP THE RENAULT OWNERS CLUB OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE 2010 Stainless Steel keyring with engraved ROC logo in a black presentation box. ROC ballpoint pen. ROC Tax Disc Holder. How about the full set for only ROC window sticker available to stick on inside of window or outside for bumpers etc. State which type required when ordering. ROC baseball cap - available in Black, White, Yellow or Renault Blue. 3.7 including p&p only 1.00 each including p&p only 1.00 each including p&p.00 including p&p 1.7 each including p&p 8.00 each including p&p ROC T shirt - available in Black, White, Yellow or Renault Blue and in all sizes from small child to large adult. Adult sizes including p&p S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL Child sizes 9.00 including p&p Please state child's age when ordering. New Diamond Design T Shirts Available in S, M, L, XL, XXL and child s sizes (state age when ordering) Available in White/Blue and Yellow/Black Adult Sizes 12 inc p & p, Child Sizes 10 inc p & p We have compiled a DVD Set (2 DVDs) for the PC which contain material from various sources including concept cars, the centenary, videos and other events including p&p Also available GB Stickers and Tabards. Please phone for details purchase online at www. renaultownersclub. com, order to shop@renaultownersclub. com or post order to RoC shop, 26 Capel street, Capel-le-ferne, folkestone, Kent, CT18 7LZ Cheques made payable to RenownersClub Ltd Telephone Enquiries to