Description
The Renault 5 Turbo was conceived in the late 1970s as Renault’s bold response to the evolving demands of international rallying. Under the impetus of Jean Terramorsi, the project moved far beyond merely adapting an existing production model to give rise to a genuine competition car of striking originality. Building on the early turbocharging developments pioneered by Alpine, the R5 Turbo adopted a radical mid‑engine layout, a heavily redesigned chassis and dramatically widened track. Homologated in Group 4 in 1980, it quickly established itself as one of the most distinctive and effective rally cars of its generation, combining performance, balance and character at the dawn of the Group B era.
For the 1982 season, Renault entered its R5 Turbo in selected rounds of the World Rally Championship, including the formidable Rallye Côte d’Ivoire, better known as the Bandama Rally. Contested over thousands of kilometres of African tracks, particularly testing, it stood among the most demanding events of its era. The car presented here was entrusted to Jean Ragnotti, an iconic and charismatic figure of French rallying, whose driving style perfectly matched the car’s temperament. Paired with Jean-Marc Andrié, he faced extreme conditions and top‑level competition, notably from Michèle Mouton. Despite a promising start, the rally proved unforgiving: following an incident and a misjudged pace note, the car vaulted over a crest and landed heavily, causing a crash and retirement. It was subsequently repatriated to Renault Sport’s workshops in France.
A genuine factory-built Group 4 example, this Renault 5 Turbo originates directly from Renault Sport’s competition department and retains the defining characteristics of a works rally car of the period. Its specification includes a Renault Sport engine developing around 260–270 horsepower, a dry-sump lubrication system, a Chausson air‑to‑water intercooler, a specific turbocharger configuration, adjustable De Carbon suspension and a reinforced Matter chassis. After its return from the Bandama, the car was retained by Renault Sport before being gifted in 1984 to Jean Ragnotti by Patrick Landon, then head of the rally programme. Restored by the Bozian brothers—long‑standing Renault competition partners—it was returned to a configuration faithful to its period appearance. Preserved for many years by Ragnotti himself and later by a private collector, it remains today in the hands of its third owner in the past decade. Nowadays maintained by Michel Crespel, it combines factory provenance, period competition history and documented provenance, making it a rare and highly compelling example of Renault’s official rallying heritage.
