1981 Renault 5 Turbo 1 – Project Profile

Old rally cars don’t die, they get faster. Or, you know, they get dismantled and end up stuffed away in a workshop for years, which is the case with this gloriously yellow 1981 Renault 5 Turbo 1. But all is not lost, as this car is ripe for restoration and could most definitely once again see the track, or the road. That’s up to whoever buys it. And whoever that is will be be one lucky individual, as these mid-engine early Renault 5 Turbos have never been more desirable. Go on, make a bid, become the owner of the ultimate hot hatch!

What is it?

This is a 1981 Renault 5 Turbo 1, number 102 in fact, and it’s a special little thing. The Turbo 1 was built for motorsport, plain and simple. But Renault wanted to win, so a standard Alpine Turbo version with front-wheel drive simply wasn’t going to cut it. Instead, Renault engineers gutted the baby 5 and stuffed a turbocharged four-cylinder engine where the back seats should be and made it rear-wheel drive. Bertone styled the body, with it’s massive flared arches and huge side vents. It was a monster, with rear suspension from an A310, a five-speed transmission from the Renault 30 TX, bigger brakes, improved steering and more. Today, the rare homologation road cars are hugely sought after, while competition versions are still regularly used in anger.

Why is it a project? 

Well, this one is a rolling shell and a load of parts, so some assembly is required. However, looking through the listing, it seems that it’s all there. It just needs someone to spend the time. Pleasingly, the bare shell seems to be showing no rust or serious damage, which is impressive given this car has indeed been used in rallycross events in Holland. It seems to have escaped any major prangs though, which is good. There doesn’t seem to be any fabrication required, or at least not if you just want to built it back up with all the boxes of parts that come with it.

What should you look for?

Pleasingly, this 1981 Renault 5 Turbo 1 is for sale here on Car & Classic Auctions, so all you need to do is grab a brew and pore over the 108 pictures of this little monster. We’ve covered the car’s condition and history in great detail in the listing, while the photos show every inch of this tiny terror in high detail.

What should you do with it? 

Well, first of all, you absolutely should buy it. When is an opportunity like this going to present itself again? This car is ready to be built, put back on the road and driven in anger, and what glorious anger that would be. Sure, you could go down the route of restoring it to original road/factory specification, but unless you’re sitting on a cache of rare interior, trim and body panels, that’s going to be a longwinded affair. So instead, make it a competition car again, or a fast road/track day car. No matter where you take it to unleash it, this will be the only 1981 Renault 5 Turbo 1 there!