By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
A recent holiday to France brought me in touch again with two sixties classics from Renault.
The compact Renault 6 was launched in 1968 as an upmarket alternative to the Renault 4.
It was rather an odd looking five-door hatchback with a high roof line, ample boot space and a two-speed heater fan, something of a luxury in the late sixties.
The Renault 6 was originally powered by a modest 845cc engine and was later joined by a 1108cc engine in the 6TL models.
The R6 used the Renault 4 platform (and mechanics) but was longer and would resemble the R16, launched in 1965. Like the ‘4’ it also came with a dashboard-mounted gearstick.
Later R6 models (see pictures) featured square headlights, a plastic front grille and revised rear lights.
It would become a seventies favourite for savvy buyers (particularly in France) that wouldn’t break the bank.
It’s predecessor, the R4, sometimes called the ‘blue jeans car’ was the epitome of functionality. It was a bold attempt to take on the Citroen 2CV and indeed, was often seen as a better car mechanically.
Interestingly, the R6 shared the quirk of the R4 and R16 in having a wheelbase of different lengths on each side of the car to improve ride quality.
By 1972, Renault faced strong competition which included the R4, 5 and 6 all competing in the same market at the same time.
That didn’t stop Renault 6 clocking up nearly two million sales, largely in Europe, over 18 years. The ‘4’ would reach four times that in sales.
Numbers aside, it was a real treat to see the R6 (and R4) close up, especially given that these are rare cars on UK roads today.
They stand as a reminder of the unique Gallic charm of the ‘no-frills’ French cars of yesteryear and a reminder that this didn’t stop with the 2CV.
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