Things have changed pretty quickly at Renault of late; as recently as 2020 it was selling record-breaking Meganes with carbon fibre wheels, and the Renaulsport Clio had bowed out not long before. Now Renaultsport is no more, the Alpine performance models will be EV, and actually the best Renaults on sale are battery-powered.
With the current situation going as well as it is, including back-to-back European Car of the Year gongs for the Scenic and 5, it would be all too easy to charge headfirst into the future and forget about the old days. But that’s not Renault’s style; in another move that’ll see its stock rise again with enthusiasts, it has launched something called ‘The Originals Renault la Collection’, described as a ‘new initiative with a range of innovative services for collectors of historic Renault vehicles.’ And we all know there are plenty of those, from Clio V6 to Safrane and 5 Turbo to Avantime.
While Renault has been offering its equivalent of the Ferrari Classiche service, where owners could have their car verified by the factory, since 2022, the new scheme will see a range of spare parts be made available alongside 50 free-of-charge repair manuals. There isn’t a huge amount of detail on exactly what will be in the Original catalogue for the moment, though the fact that the images released thus far include a piston would suggest it’s going to be more involved than just bumpers and interior trim. The Renault 4 repair manual is the coolest-looking guide of its type you ever did see.
For now, the Originals scheme is being rolled out in France, though pretty extensively: the aim is for 25 sites across France, putting 80 per cent of the population within 100km (62 miles) of a Renault Garage expert. There are eight locations in France ‘already trained and ready to welcome customers.’ It won’t stop there, either, as Renault very much plans to take Originals to international customers. And, well, we do really love Renaults and aren’t far away from France…
It looks a smart move, presumably easing some angst that might exist from classic owners in a time of such dramatic change while also getting some money through the door. It’s claimed that The Originals Renault ‘gives collectors access to the unique know-how of dedicated experts committed to protecting their automotive heritage, with solutions developed to meet a full range of needs.’
Even with just a French site live, it isn’t hard to be won over by the expert advice videos from the Renault museum, the €75 for factory verification and the classic car club directory. It’s enough already to make you take the plunge on an old Renault ahead of a UK launch - how does a 5 GT Turbo sound?
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