Description
** DEPOSIT TAKEN**
- One of 60 or so remaining RHD cars in the UK
- Low mileage (under 25, 000 miles)
- Full history
- Beautifully presented
Designed initially as a potential Alpine project (the car was made at the Alpine factory in Diepe), the Spider was quickly launched as the first Renault Sport model in 1996. Using the engine and gearbox from the Clio Williams, the Spider was designed to be as simple as possible with no windscreen and a stripped-out interior, welded aluminium box chassis and composite plastic body panels. The car had no driver aids at all, no weather equipment and no heater. As back to basics as was possible and very unusual for a major manufacturer such as Renault.
In total 1, 685 units were produced, and only around 90 of those were RHD. It is thought that some 30 or more RHD cars made their way to Japan so probably only 60 or so remain in the UK. Being a UK car it has the optional windscreen package (which the majority of LHD drive cars also had after the initial windscreen-less marketing puff had died down…).
This 1997 model is in excellent condition and really does provide a proper road/ race car experience and turns more heads that almost anything I can think of – particularly when you open the wasp wing doors at the petrol station.
Registered 29th January 1997 and coming from a ten-year ownership, this Spider has had just four previous keepers and has a nice sensible mileage of under 25, 000. Unlike many of these cars, this one hasn’t been stored away for years, and while mileage over the past 17 years is under 3, 500 it has been continuously on the road and Mot’d most years.
The car is well presented in pearlescent Sport Yellow and Grey Metallic. The car has some stone chips around the front in keeping with the age and mileage of the car. The headlights are in good order, with no chips or cracks in the lenses which are still glass rather than replacement polycarbonate. The composite plastic body panels fit nicely and have an equal panel gap around each opening, and there are no dings or cracks. The upward-opening doors operate as you would expect and hold in place when open. The screen is in good condition with no chips or cracks. The rear is just as good as the rest; the lights and rear panel are free from any damage, and the engine cover aligns as you would expect. The underside of the Spider also presents well, with no damage to the floor sections. The Five-spoke factory wheels are in good condition, with just a few light marks on the faces, and all four tyres have a good amount of tread remaining.
Inside, the weatherproof Recaro Sports Seats are undamaged and in great condition. Unusually, the pedal box can be moved backwards and forwards to further refine the driving position and whilst entry and exit may not be elegant the car can accommodate a 6 foot plus stature! The door cards are good and the map pockets still tight. All gauges and the minimal electrics work as they should. The main floor is bare aluminium and is in good condition with just a few light age-related scratches. To keep the interior dry, there is a tonneau cover which can be fitted over the cabin.
The Clio Williams 2. 0 litre 16 valve 150bhp engine fires up without hesitation and has no untoward noises or oil leaks. The gearbox is a five-speed unit that has a nice precise change with quite a nice, clutch action that shows no sign of slippage. Being as close to a road-going race car as you can get, the suspension on the Spider is rose-jointed from the factory with adjustable Bilstein dampers. There are no knocks or bangs and despite being rose jointed the car rides surprisingly well – very Lotus in feel with compliant spring rates and well controlled damping. The 300mm front and rear vented discs bring the lightweight Spider to a halt in a straight line, with no juddering through the pedal - though at first acquaintance they are extremely heavy as there is no servo fitted.
Coming from enthusiast long term ownership (sharing a garage with a collection of other Sport Spiders in various colours) the car has a good history file detailing all its Mot’s and the routine maintenance it has had. The cambelt was last changed at 24, 500 miles in 2021 and the car will be supplied serviced. The original handbooks and service book are present together with a full toolkit in its spider specific briefcase which is often missing as people take them out of the car to save weight!
Very rare and ready to enjoy (as long as it’s not raining too hard…)
Lots more pictures on the website and delivery can be arranged
