Highlights

• Renault 5 Alpine/Gordini engine 
• Incredible interior 
• Renault 5 Alpine wheels
• Custom sports exhaust system 
• One of 260 Renault 4’s in the UK 

The Appeal

 

The History and Paperwork

• This 4 rolled off the production line in 1985 as a standard GTL 
• It would then spend the first part of its life in its native France 
• In 2001 the car would be imported to the UK 
• It was then first registered for UK roads in July 2001
• In 2002 the engine swap was performed 
• Out came the original 1108cc engine and in went the 1397cc Gordini engine 
• Full engine rebuilt in 2010 was by Renospeed
• The suspension has also had an overhaul with stiffer components
• A respray was undertaken around 10 years ago
• There are a lot of UK invoices that document the work carried out
• In 2018 the seats were re-trimmed in the original biscuit basket weave fabric
• In 2022 the engine was privy to circa £2,000 worth of work 
• We’ll delve deeper into this work in the mechanic’s section 
• Amongst the paperwork are an up-to-date V5, French export documents, and pictures of the respray 
• It’s now your turn to get behind the wheel of this peppy hatchback

The Interior

• Upon opening the doors of this French classic you are presented with an amazing interior
• The front seats have been liberated from a Renault 5 Gordini 
• These comfortable cloth seats have been retrimmed in 2018 
• Now sporting a fetching, and original, biscuit basket weave they look incredible 
• You’ll not find any damage to these front seats 
• In the rear, its bench seat is also presented just as well 
• A modern addition to the rear seats are the three-point seat belts
• The bench seat will easily fold down, thus increasing the boot space dramatically 
• Back in the front, we can have a look at the basic dash arrangement 
• In front of the drive, you’ll find the genuine Renault 5 Gordini steering wheel
• A tan plastic dash then spans the front
• This is in very good condition indeed with no cracks or other damage
• In the dash, you’ll find the very French gear selector
• Much a kin to the 2CV and other French cars of the time you’ll soon get used to it
• Below the dash, you’ll find a modern Blaupunkt Toronto radio 
• Sporting Bluetooth connectivity it adds a nice modern twist to the interior 
• This radio outputs through some nice looking JBL speakers in the front doors
• On the floor is a nice set of tan carpets 
• There is a slight stain on the passenger side carpet
• The carpets are usually protected by a set of over mats
• There is one area of the headliner that has a small hole in it, this is an area where the rear-view mirror can mount
• Opening the large tailgate, we can look at the big boot space 
• Currently, the spare Alpine/Gordini non-turbo 3-slot alloy resides here
• When you step into this interior you’ll not want to get out 
• The beautifully presented seats are a great place to sit and enjoy the road ahead

The Exterior 

• Externally this Renault 4 looks very functional 
• Presented in a subtle tone of grey it is rather nice to look at 
• The car was respray about 10 years ago 
• It is reported by the current owner that this was not the highest quality respray 
• This is evidenced by some over-spray/poor masking on the front wings 
• With this being said though it is holding up very well indeed 
• The chrome bumpers are both in good condition 
• The door handles and front grill surround have been wrapped in a different material
• One of the best exterior features can be found on each corner 
• A beautiful set of genuine Renault 5 Gordini/Alpine non-turbo 3-slot alloys have been fitted
• These grey alloys are in great condition and are shod in matching Michelin rubber 
• There’s an invoice from 2017 that seems to document these alloys being refurbished 
• Underneath this Renault looks to be in great shape 
• Photos of the underside reveal, what appears to be, a solid example 
• Overall, the exterior of this French classic is presented very well

The Mechanics 

• This is where this Renault 4 will stand out from the crowd 
• Originally this car would’ve left the factory with a lack-lustre 1108cc engine 
• However, when the car came to the UK in 2001 it was very quickly sent for some work 
• Out came the engine and in went a genuine Alpine/Gordini engine from a Renault 5
• This has trebled the power output to 93PS and made a peppy hatchback 
• To handle this extra power the suspension was uprated 
• This has resulted in less lean around the corners which has resulted in a more planted feeling
• A custom sports exhaust system was made for this car to enhance that engine note 
• In 2022 this car went to  a Renault Alpine specialist to have some work carried out on this rare engine 
• Totalling around £2,200 it was a lot of work 
• The engine had come in miss firing on three cylinders and left like new 
• It also received new brake components 
• This work has resulted in a great runner 
• On the day of the photoshoot, the car was taken for a short drive to the location 
• During the drive, it performed impeccably changing gears smoothly and pulling away from junctions in a strong fashion 
• It was also required to manoeuvre around the location, again it performed well
• Overall, the mechanical parts of this Renault are in great condition 
• Thanks to its new heart this 4 is fun to drive and can keep up with similar hot hatches of the era

Summary