At the GIMS 1972, Renault presented the Renault 5. More than a simple small-scale car for all, the «R5» was aiming to be every person’s car.
Reasonably-priced, refined, sporty, with model names L, LS, TL, GTS, TS, TX, Alpine, Turbo and Automatic, the Renault 5 was manufactured over a decade between 1972 to 1985, with more than 5,5 million produced and sold across five continents.
It was not only the Brand’s model, but the industry’s as well, since many competitors would later launch their own small-scale car. It was seen as the car for crises, as it alone was able to withstand the impact of oil shocks.
The Renault 5 paved the way for the Clio (1991), now in its 6th generation.
But already in 1972, Renault developed in partnership with EDF (Electricité de France, French electricity provider) the «Renault 5 Electrique». A fleet of around 100 of these cars were manufactured. Equiped with a 7,5 kW engine, the electric Renault 5 was able to cruise up to around 60 km/h.
In 2024, Renault will replace its electric city car, the Zoé. Its successor will revive the myth of the Renault 5 with a model that reinterprets the stylistic codes and concept of the original model released in 1972. In order to match its era, the “Renault R5 Prototype” concept is powered by an electric engine, as will be the final model.
