Renault 5 Campus

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An all-time design classic, the Renault 5 caused a sensation when it went on sale in 1972 and is widely credited with pioneering the ‘supermini’ class of cars.

The styling was super-chic with wraparound polyurethane bumpers that made it Paris-friendly and it came with a wide range of engines from an entry-level 782cc to a fire-breathing 1.4-litre Turbo. The second generation ‘Superfive’ appeared in 1985 with styling tweaks by none other than Marcello Gandini, designer of the equally fabulous Lamborghini Miura and Countach LP400.

The new body was wider and longer featuring 20 percent more glass area and more interior space, with a lower drag coefficient and up to 60mpg in the economy models. The Renault 5 sold well until 1990 when it was effectively replaced by the Clio, but carried on being made until 1996, selling especially well in the UK where the Campus model in particular remained a very popular entry level car.

First registered in September 1994, this particular Renault 5 Campus was originally entered into our March sale by the markets editor of Classic Car Weekly, Richard Barnett, and some of you may feel you already know the car from his regular running reports in that publication. Richy described the car as follows:

“My trusty little 5 has covered just over 35,300 miles although there is insufficient history to prove this for certain. The body has never been welded, the paint is pretty bright but it does have some scratches from its time in London with a previous owner. I bought it from my editor, Russ Smith, to relive my youthful days of the late-1980s when I last owned one. My wife and I have probably driven it 3,000 – 4,000 miles between us and it's barely been used since it was last MOTd six months ago.

"It drives very well (I've driven it up to Brightwells a couple of times), feeling pretty tight all round, and is still very comfortable, even when I've done the 200-mile round trip to Leominster. There are no nasty noises from the suspension or steering, the brakes are up to scratch with new rear shoes recently fitted and all four tyres are new. The interior is lovely other than a small bit of wear in the driver's seat. MOTd until 25th September, it comes with handbooks and folder, plus bills from my ownership. It is only being sold as I need the space for something bigger and British.”

One of our very own auctioneers bought the car in the March sale because, very much like Richy, he too wanted to relive his lost youth by scampering about the Herefordshire countryside in this cute Eighties icon, an example of which he had owned and enjoyed many years before. Unfortunately he had failed to consult his wife and it turns out that not only does she not share the same fond Renault 5 memories as he, she also finds the car completely unsuitable transport for a dad who often has to ferry young children around, including her own beloved baby daughter!

It is for no other reason that Richy’s old car is back on the market, having covered negligible miles in the last six weeks and barely having left the Brightwells site. So if you have been kicking yourself for missing the car last time around, you now have a second chance to make your retro Eighties dreams come true and drive home in this French design classic today.