Renault 5 TL - the little friend from/in France

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Renault 5 TL - the little friend from/in France

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Created on August 29, 2018

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Renault

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Renault / Werk

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Bruno von Rotz

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Renault Communication

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Hallo Fahrerlager / Archiv Rainer Braun

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Archiv

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - fast enough to be there on time

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - compact and practical

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - comfortable and clearly laid out

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - on the road through France

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - a dear friend in any weather

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - built with the woman in mind

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - four-door versions were only available later

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - before its predecessor Renault 4

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - drives like a modern car

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - practice-oriented interior

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - still without headrests

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - Plastic steering wheel

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - clearly labeled, even in front of the passenger seat

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Renault 5 TL (1977) - surprisingly spacious trunk

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Renault 5 TL at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - compact dimensions and front-wheel drive - the R5 is not yet available in Switzerland

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Renault 5 at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - cutaway model of the smart front-wheel drive R5

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Renault 5 at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - cutaway model of the compact front-wheel-drive R5, whose export to Switzerland had not yet started at that time

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Renault 5 TL at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - elastic bumpers are intended to reduce the consequences of bumps on the R5

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Renault R5 (1972) - See-through drawing - View of the technology

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Renault R5 (1972) - the dashboard doesn't need much explanation

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Renault 5 TL (1972) - the practical everyday car from France

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Renault R5 (1972) - the whole range in one picture

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Renault R5 (1972) - it has it, the practical tailgate

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Renault R5 (1972) - with or without roll-up roof

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Renault 5 (1973) - especially loved by young people

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Renault 5 (1973) - ideal for narrow streets and short parking spaces

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Renault 5 (1973) - practical everyday car

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Renault 5 (1974) - as "LS" and accompanied by a lady

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Renault 5 TL (1971) - plenty of space with the seats down

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Renault 5 TL (1971) - View of the interior

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Renault 5 TL (1971) - functional cockpit

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Renault 5 (1971) - early model in light blue, also note the background

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Renault 5 (1974) - the chubby Frenchman in the sea of stones

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Renault 5 (1974) - and beach scenes again and again

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Renault 5 (1975) - with attractive sunroof

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Renault 5 TL (1971) - with practical tailgate

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Renault 5 TL (1973) - compact and practical thanks to the tailgate - at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Renault 5 (1978) - even more comfortable as a GTL version

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Renault 5 (1978) - now also available as an automatic

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Renault 5 (1972) - Advertising in Germany

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Renault 5 (1973) - Advertising - solid and safe

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Renault 5 (1974) - Advertising - it couldn't be more beautiful

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Renault 5 (1975) - Advertising - a well-rounded affair

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Renault 5 (1978) - Advertising - the cheeky one has a thirst for sparrows

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Renault R5 TL (1973) - R5 for competition use - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1973

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Accident with Danner and Oberndorfer on the Avus in 1978

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At the premiere race at the Hockenheimring, Harald Grohs (front left) terrified the competition in the 1974 Renault 5 Cup

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Renault 5-D train at the premiere race at the Hockenheimring in 1974

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Renault R 5 LS (1975) - Renault 5 Eleven Cup in Zandvoort - identical vehicles for favorable motorsport

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Renault 5 - Renault R5 at the 1978 Monte Carlo Rally

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Renault 5 Automatic (1978) - 11,500 franc comfort version with three-speed automatic transmission - Geneva Motor Show 1978

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Renault 5 (1979) - together with Renault Supercinq from 1984

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Renault 5 Alpine (1976) - more powerful and sportier

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Renault 5 Electrique (1974) - the sixth of 13 two-seater electric cars built with a top speed of 60 km/h - Rétromobile Paris 2018

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The Renault 5 was also used in racing - Cup version in the Renault Museum

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Summary

Renault has always had a good nose for new buyer segments. The R5 was launched in 1972. It exactly met the needs of young urban women. And it defined the supermini category. Its success proved the strategists right and, right up to the present day, the Renault 5 is one of the most likeable cars that you can still encounter on the streets of Paris in everyday life. Because it has remained practical to this day. This driving report portrays a Renault 5 TL from 1977 and tells the story of the "little friend".

This article contains the following chapters

For the young urban woman
Lengthways instead of crossways
Modern design
The prototype for a new class of vehicle?
Well-maintained and improved
Over five million produced
No registration king
A real friend
Further information

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Renault 5 was actually created almost by chance. It was the idea of a young designer named Michel Boué, who was tinkering with a small car in his spare time in 1969. When the management team at Renault became aware of it, they decided to realize the car virtually unchanged. The Renault 5 precisely filled a new niche that had opened up. Back in the 1960s, more women than men were getting their driving licenses in France, so it had to be worth tailoring a car to their needs. The R5 did just that. It was compact, even very compact. It was 350.5 cm long and 152.5 cm wide. The wheelbase of 240.5/243.5 cm, as with the Renault 16, varied depending on the side, allowing four seats and a reasonable trunk. The rear was sloping and closed off with a tailgate. Large windows provided a bright interior and ensured good visibility.

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