Descrição
DESCRIPTION
The French manufacturer Renault has a long tradition of building entertaining small cars big on character with plenty of performance. This tradition can be traced back to the early ‘60s and the launch of the new 8. Renault turned to tuning wizard Amédée Gordini to breathe on its new model and by adding twin dual-choke 40 mm Solex side-draft carburettors and a crossflow head, power was almost doubled to 89 bhp. Stiffer suspension and a close-ratio gearbox made the Renault 8 Gordini great fun to drive and distinctive blue paint with white stripes gave it an appropriately racy appearance. The first series Gordini 8, designated the R1134, was introduced to the Australian market in 1965 then superseded by the more powerful R1135 model in 1967, boasting a five-speed gearbox, bigger fuel tank, stiffened bodyshell and revised rear suspension. The expanded 1255cc engine now developed 99 bhp, with 40mm Webers replacing the earlier Solex carburettors. The R1135 can be identified by its distinctive quad headlights, with the addition of Cibie Oscar driving lights. Gordini earned the nickname Le Sorcier (The Sorcerer) for his tuning skills and certainly worked his magic to transform the humble 8 into an affordable, highly entertaining sports sedan that was France's answer to the Mini Cooper and Abarth Fiats. Not surprising, the 8 Gordini proved at home on the track and in rallies around Europe, scoring wins in the Tour de Corse, Alpine Cup and Monte Carlo Rally. There was even a "Gordini Cup" for budding race drivers and many future stars of the era cut their teeth in them. With only 12, 203 made they have a cult following today and are very collectible in Europe.
HISTORY
- 1967 Renault R8 Gordini
- Good, original condition
- Moyen Blue
- One of 60 assembled in Australia
- Very rare today
At the time this 1967 Renault R8 Gordini was one of 60 assembled CKD in Australia, the famous French brand was a major player in the market here. A year earlier Renault had opened an assembly plant in Heidelberg (Melbourne) and continued to build cars here for 15 years, until local manufacturing became unviable. Renault was responsible for some of the most innovative, if unappreciated, cars of the era and one of the most revered at the time was the R8 Gordini. Indeed, moonlighting Holden engineer Bob Watson enjoyed great success with a factory-supported Gordini in the Victorian Rally Championship and local rallycross events. Our R8 Gordini is in very good, original condition, presented in a striking colour scheme of Moyen blue. It sits on its original steel rims with chrome hubcaps. Its paint is in good shape for its age, and patina means there is some pitting to the door handles. Inside, the trim is a mix of black vinyl and painted surfaces, all of which present well. The dash is typically French with some fiddly plastic bits, but it is all there. Being part of a private collection, this R8 Gordini has had a limited amount of use in recent years. There would not be many of these Australian-made R8 Gordinis still around, let alone in such good, complete condition. This is a great opportunity to pick up a very rare car. Previously on full South Australian registration, our 1967 Renault R8 Gordini is being offered for sale here unregistered.
Bidding for the online auction is opens 11 November and closes 18 November.
Note: Shannons advise that all potential buyers research all vehicles before purchase to authenticate originality.
