And they still exist ...
08/05/2015
The cars of the sixties and seventies often failed to impress with their far-sighted rust prevention and high-quality sheet metal. The depreciation rate for everyday vehicles is correspondingly high. Despite comparatively large production figures, only small numbers survived. And, if they were rescued, they often had to undergo extensive restoration work so that they could justifiably be put on the road as classic cars (veterans).
But there are exceptions, such as the Renault R16 TX from 1977 pictured here. Completely original, it has survived the last almost 40 years, has been gently driven for a good 42,000 km, and has always been cared for and pampered. Today it presents itself almost as new, with the original protective panels on the sweaty and electrified upholstery covers of the front seats. And with all the contemporary luxury attributes that few cars in the same price range had to offer apart from the R16, namely electric windows (front) or hydraulically adjustable headlights and central locking (activated by a rotary knob).
It is almost a miracle that this R16 has survived as if it had just stepped out of a time machine. And it is also a blessing, because you could take it as a benchmark if you were about to restore another example.
In any case, we were delighted with the four-door Renault owned by brothers Andreas and Beat Lehmann, which we were able to portray for a forthcoming report. We have previously published historical test reports .
