Renault 5: the model's history from 1972 to the Supercinq and R5 E-Tech

The Renault 5 was France's best-selling car for 14 years, and its name returned in 2024 on an electric hatchback. For a classic car buyer, though, "R5" means several very different cars — from a simple city car to the mid-engined Turbo 2. This post sorts out the model's history and versions; its successor, the Clio, is covered in Renault Clio RSi: history, versions and prices.

How did the Renault 5 come about?

The Renault 5 was developed as "project 122", a more modern take on the Renault 4's philosophy, and was launched in January 1972. Its shape was drawn by stylist Michel Boué — according to Wikipedia in his spare time, as his own proposal. The first pictures were published on 10 December 1971 and the official launch took place on 28 January 1972. Renault's material for the model's 50th anniversary recalls that 1,920 cars were displayed in showrooms for the launch and that Publicis advertising presented it as a "Supercar". About a third of the first buyers were women.

The engineering came from the Renault 4: a longitudinally mounted engine, front-wheel drive and torsion-bar suspension. What was new were the plastic bumpers (glass-fibre-reinforced polyester) — the R5 was one of the first cars to use them, and they survived parking knocks without permanent damage.

How did the first Renault 5 change (1972–1985)?

Over 13 years the first generation gained more powerful engines, more equipment and new body styles, but kept its 1972 shape. Engines ranged from 782 to 1397 cc. A five-door was added in 1979, and from 1974 to 1982 a four-door saloon, the Siete, was built in Spain. In the USA and Canada the car was sold from 1976 to 1983 as Le Car.

Sales were exceptional even by Renault standards. According to the manufacturer, in 1972 the R5 was second in Europe (behind the Fiat 127), in 1976 it was Renault's best-selling car abroad, and in 1980 the five-door was the world's second best-selling car. Renault quotes more than 5.5 million first-generation cars built; the table on Wikipedia credits the French plants alone with 5,276,630.

What is the Renault 5 Alpine (Gordini)?

The Renault 5 Alpine is a sporting version of the first generation with a 93 PS 1397 cc engine, introduced in February 1976. In the UK the Alpine name belonged to Chrysler Europe, so from April 1979 the same car was sold there as the Renault 5 Gordini. In 1982 the Alpine Turbo arrived, with a Garrett T3 turbocharger and about 110 PS, and was offered until 1984.

The MB Classics archive includes a 1979 Renault 5 Alpine — an early car with the naturally aspirated 1.4, from which the photos in this post come.

How does the Renault 5 Turbo differ from the Turbo 2?

The R5 Turbo is effectively a different car from the production R5: the 1.4 turbo engine was moved behind the front seats and drove the rear wheels. The car was shown at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1980. The wide-arched rear bodywork was styled by Marc Deschamps at Bertone, and the 1397 cc engine with Bosch K-Jetronic injection and a Garrett T3 turbo produced 160 PS in a car weighing 970 kg.

The first series, built to homologate the car for Group 4 rallying, had aluminium panels and a Bertone dashboard and seats. The Turbo 2 got steel panels and the R5 Alpine Turbo interior — cheaper to build, but according to RM Sotheby's it reached 200 km/h and did 0–100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, practically the same as the original. Wikipedia gives a total of 4,987 cars: 1,820 Turbos and 3,167 Turbo 2s.

In competition, the R5 Turbo won the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally with Jean Ragnotti — on its first World Championship outing. In 1985 Ragnotti won the Tour de Corse in the Maxi Turbo version.

Turbo 2 prices today are on a completely different level from ordinary R5s. For example, a 1983 Renault 5 Turbo 2 with 7,835 km sold at RM Sotheby's Paris auction in February 2022 for €126,500. That is a result for an exceptionally low-mileage car, not a typical price.

What is the Supercinq and how does it differ from the first R5?

The Supercinq (Super 5) is the second generation, unveiled in October 1984, which resembles its predecessor only in looks. The body was designed by Marcello Gandini, and underneath was an entirely new platform with a transversely mounted engine and drivetrain from the Renault 9 and 11. It was roomier and more modern, yet similar enough that adverts often describe both generations simply as an "R5".

The simplest way to tell them apart when viewing: in the first generation the engine sits lengthways, in the Supercinq it sits across the car. The Supercinq was built until 1996; after the Clio was launched, production moved to the Revoz plant in Slovenia, which built versions with 1.1 and 1.4 petrol engines and a 1.6 diesel. Wikipedia gives 3,436,650 second-generation cars.

Renault 5 GT Turbo

The GT Turbo is the sporting Supercinq, with a front-mounted 1.4 and front-wheel drive, built from February 1985 to the end of 1991. According to Octane magazine's buying guide, the carburettor engine with a Garrett T2 turbo and intercooler initially produced 115 bhp, and early cars weighed 820 kg. The 1987 Phase 2 got a water-cooled turbo, revised ignition mapping (120 bhp), a new grille and new wheels. The final series was the blue Raider edition; in 1992 the Clio replaced the GT Turbo.

Octane lists the usual things to check: rust around the windscreen, the tailgate and under the plastic wheelarch trims, signs of head gasket failure, and blue smoke pointing to a tired turbo. According to the same article (April 2024), the best original low-mileage cars fetched more than £20,000, well-maintained cars with history from £10,000, and below £7,000 there were modified cars or ones needing work. Many GT Turbos were modified, so originality is one of the main price factors.

What links the classic R5 with the electric R5 E-Tech?

The name and the styling, not the engineering. Renault showed an electric Renault 5 prototype in January 2021, and the production R5 E-Tech went on sale in 2024 and won European Car of the Year 2025. Its styling refers to the first generation, but technically it is an entirely new, electric car.

Where to start with an R5, and what to read next?

When buying a classic R5, first establish the generation and version — prices and parts availability vary greatly between ordinary versions, the Alpine, the GT Turbo and the Turbo 2. For the wider background — parts, running costs and the market for French cars from the 1970s to the 1990s — see my post on French youngtimers, and for models worth a look, 7 French future classics. A period rival of the GT Turbo is covered in Peugeot 205: versions, engines and weak spots.

More guides are in the Models and buyer's guides category, and the cars I currently have for sale are in the listings.