Photo: http://tocmp.org
Back in 1965, Renault began looking into building a new model to better bridge the niche left wide open between the small ‘8’, and the larger, more luxurious ‘16’. The plan was to make something economical and roomy, which could be moved with ease by some of the smaller engines Renault had at their disposal back in the day - a 1289 cc unit, with 54 hp was deemed adequate for the job.
And thus, four years after they decided to make it, the Renault 12 made its debut at the 1969 Paris Motor Show, and by the time it went out of production, it had really made its mark on the European car market, selling some 2.5-million units. It was such a successful endeavor that it went on to be produced in Turkey until 1999 and in Romania, as the Dacia 1300, 1310 and 1410 until 2006 (a subject which we covered in great detail, here).
Now, while it may have been a front-wheel drive car, like many others made by Renault at the time, it was one of the few which had their engines longitudinally-mounted, just ahead of the front wheels, giving the car surprisingly good handling characteristics. They were also raced with a fair degree of success, with the most iconic version ever made being the race-bred R12 Gordini, with its trademark blue finish and white stripes on the side - it debuted in 1970, alongside the estate version (the Break).
The Gordini version featured a larger, 1565 cc engine fed by a dual-barrel carb, giving the car 123 hp, which were transmitted to the road via a five-speed gearbox - a rarity in those days, even on sporty cars. It was capable of doing 185 km/h (115 mph) and reached 100 km/h (62 mph) in around nine and a half seconds.
The Renault 12 was easily one of the more popular front-wheel drive cars of the era, a feat which was due in no small part to Renault’s marketing slogans. One of them, ‘We’ve made rear-wheel drive cars long enough to know that front wheel drive is better’ undoubtedly made many people reconsider buying a rear-wheel driven car, especially since front-wheel drive was being touted as new, safer and better.
The last Renault 12-based car to roll off the production line was a Dacia-branded car, in its two-seater pick-up guise, powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.9-liter diesel engine, sourced from Renault. It was available as both front-, rear- or four-wheel drive. It will forever remain an iconic car, both in the eyes of its European clientele, but more poignantly so in the eyes of Romanian car buyers who really bought nothing else for a few decades.
Now, while it may have been a front-wheel drive car, like many others made by Renault at the time, it was one of the few which had their engines longitudinally-mounted, just ahead of the front wheels, giving the car surprisingly good handling characteristics. They were also raced with a fair degree of success, with the most iconic version ever made being the race-bred R12 Gordini, with its trademark blue finish and white stripes on the side - it debuted in 1970, alongside the estate version (the Break).
The Gordini version featured a larger, 1565 cc engine fed by a dual-barrel carb, giving the car 123 hp, which were transmitted to the road via a five-speed gearbox - a rarity in those days, even on sporty cars. It was capable of doing 185 km/h (115 mph) and reached 100 km/h (62 mph) in around nine and a half seconds.
The Renault 12 was easily one of the more popular front-wheel drive cars of the era, a feat which was due in no small part to Renault’s marketing slogans. One of them, ‘We’ve made rear-wheel drive cars long enough to know that front wheel drive is better’ undoubtedly made many people reconsider buying a rear-wheel driven car, especially since front-wheel drive was being touted as new, safer and better.
The last Renault 12-based car to roll off the production line was a Dacia-branded car, in its two-seater pick-up guise, powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.9-liter diesel engine, sourced from Renault. It was available as both front-, rear- or four-wheel drive. It will forever remain an iconic car, both in the eyes of its European clientele, but more poignantly so in the eyes of Romanian car buyers who really bought nothing else for a few decades.
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