The Renault 16 is the most beautiful car I have ever seen. My dad bought one in 1972 for my mom and she loved it until her death in 2004. I loved driving it and would love to find another in Canada.
Renault keep reinterpreting and referring to this design. The 21 Hatchback, Safrane, Laguna 1, Koleos 1. It was such an influential design and looked a lot more modern than much of the competition at the time. Even the features of the dashboard can be seen in current Audi design even such as the dash length air vents and subtle cowling. My parents had one when I was a kid, I truly loved it.
I just bought one. Found it in a garage and its been covered from dust and weather since 1995. I just love the round guages on the dashboard. 1971 model 16ts. Its the first one ive ever seen besides the ones on the internet. To me it looks more like the citroen . Ive been approached by many who want to buy it but they too low for such a unique and rare car in such a condition. Its like nothing on the road.. i looove it,its not even running yet but people are so interested in it. 96000 original km on the clock.
My parents had one of the last ones ('76) and kept it until the Sierra in 83. We had so many family holidays with annual trips from teh North East England to Hamburg. Such a stylish car.
Best car I ever had. Wish they still made them. Best parts: suspension, seats, the gear shifter, could have 3 in the front seats - best combination ever! Could also transport sofas and washing machines.
it was my dad's first car in Vancouver, BC after the family emigrated in 1973. And it was the first car I drove there after getting my driver's license. Later on, he sort of realized that his business partners did not take him seriously driving that car, and he moved to a Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme! The Renault 16 is IMHO a great car, I loved driving it.
In 1970s it was one of very few cars that could seat three across the front in comfort. Add all its other avantages and it was fantastic for our family of 4 children
I served my apprenticeship at a Renault dealer in 1980 when the last R16's were coming through. They handled like a bath full of water. But were very comfortable. and would certainly deal with our pot holed roads of today.
My late dad had two, first one a 4 year old vivid green metalic with beige vynyl interiorTS 1565 cc, then he swapped it for a purple metalic with dark purple interior 2 year old TX 1647 cc. Tx was a real head turner at the time.
I bought a 1600TL and loved it, somewhat odd features for British tastes but rugged and reliable I remember using it as a van when we moved house way back in the day.
We flew to Luxembourg in summer 1971 and were supposed to have a brand new cream colored Renault 16 awaiting our 3 week European trip. Instead the dealer had no idea what we were talking about. It took a full week for a substitute Renault 16 to be located in downtown Paris...luminous gray with black interior. We were in no position to argue. After the trip we had the Renault shipped to Florida. The car had very comfortable seating but the air conditioner was poor for our needs back in Florida, especially given the black interior. My dad kept the Renault for 4 years even though we were never as happy as we expected. The rust problems were very bad. I would say this was the most disappointing car we had while I was growing up, but I still remember the Luxembourg situation fondly including staying several nights in the Cravat Hotel while my dad scrambled to find out where the heck was our Renault 16.
I had one in the UK in 1978. The most comfortable car I'd had. Seats like armchairs, soft ride, plenty of space. The column-shift wasn't a problem, very quickly got used to it. It was good on long trips too. It failed inspection though on floor-pan rust and was, for me at the time, too expensive to repair. Shame.
He's dead wrong about why Renault chose that engine/transmission layout, however. Look at the earlier Renaults--- rear-engined with the transmission/ differential housing jutting forward. The 4-CV's, the R-8's, the R-10's, the Dauphines, they all had that powerplant/transmission layout. With the R-16, Renault enlarged the engine capacity and moved the whole powerplant and drive package to the front of the car, which was still evident in the last car they exported to the U.S., the R-5, known here as the "Le Car". I know- I had one.
And Cord in turn took this idea from Miller racers... Citroen also used it on their Traction Avant, well before DS. So that layout had been pretty old and well-known by the time R16 appeared
@@romanteplov9227 However for a family car, it was one, if not, the first. Cord was hardly a family ca and the Traction Avant and DS were a class above.
Some say that the 1938 Citroën Traction Avant 11CV Commerciale was the world's first hatchback, but others argue it was the Renault 16 because the Citroën had a split rear door where the top half opened upwards like a hatchback but the bottom half opened down like a truck tailgate. In any case, the Renault certainly was stylish!
70s classic. One of the last true Renault designs. And the R18 was an 80s classic. I am convinced the French WERE the masters of innovation and overall car engineering. Italians knew how to make exciting engines and designs. Mercedes knew how to perfect a product. Unfortunately this talent has been lost today.
@@DWREV Sweeden being mainly Saab and Volvo, with the exception of the Saab 900 and perhaps 9000, I don't think they did stand out that much on the car market. As for the Saab 900 I had the chance to sit in a convertible one. It has to be the most unique interior design of a modern car that I've seen. I think the designers wanted to make you feel like the car was wrapping around you like a jacket. It's an unique sensation sitting so close to the door and with the windshield so close that you can touch it but it's not just because it's small, it really feels the dimensioning and passenger position were much calculated. Very rarely a car maker has dared making a car this personal, almost like a tailored vehicle.
VERY PIGGY TO WORK ON WHETHER THE ENGINE, THE TRANSMISSION , THE BRAKES, In FACT i can't think of anything straight forward to do with these ghastly contraptions
Mike Beeton, please "refrain from using upper letters because this could be seen as shouting": www.dw.com/en/dws-netiquette-policy-rules-for-feedback-and-discussions/a-18285540 - ws
I still have a special C shaped spanner somewhere to take the starter motor off. (or option 2 was to remove the exhaust manifold) the spanner was the better option.
The Renault 16 is the most beautiful car I have ever seen. My dad bought one in 1972 for my mom and she loved it until her death in 2004. I loved driving it and would love to find another in Canada.
Honestly I think it's one of the ugliest. Looks like it was made for 80 years old disabled person
Renault keep reinterpreting and referring to this design. The 21 Hatchback, Safrane, Laguna 1, Koleos 1. It was such an influential design and looked a lot more modern than much of the competition at the time. Even the features of the dashboard can be seen in current Audi design even such as the dash length air vents and subtle cowling. My parents had one when I was a kid, I truly loved it.
@@user-mi4yc7pr3x There are people (it's rare) who don't like beauty...!
I just bought one. Found it in a garage and its been covered from dust and weather since 1995. I just love the round guages on the dashboard. 1971 model 16ts. Its the first one ive ever seen besides the ones on the internet. To me it looks more like the citroen . Ive been approached by many who want to buy it but they too low for such a unique and rare car in such a condition. Its like nothing on the road.. i looove it,its not even running yet but people are so interested in it. 96000 original km on the clock.
My parents had one of the last ones ('76) and kept it until the Sierra in 83. We had so many family holidays with annual trips from teh North East England to Hamburg. Such a stylish car.
Best car I ever had. Wish they still made them. Best parts: suspension, seats, the gear shifter, could have 3 in the front seats - best combination ever! Could also transport sofas and washing machines.
it was my dad's first car in Vancouver, BC after the family emigrated in 1973. And it was the first car I drove there after getting my driver's license. Later on, he sort of realized that his business partners did not take him seriously driving that car, and he moved to a Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme! The Renault 16 is IMHO a great car, I loved driving it.
Great car from renault .stil look classic even today. 👍🙂
My late Dad had one of these back in the early '70's. He loved and so did I. If Renault still built it, I'd buy one.
As a kid my friends dad had one of these. He used to run my friend and me places, such a smooth quiet ride.
When I started working on cars I had two and they were lovely
In 1970s it was one of very few cars that could seat three across the front in comfort. Add all its other avantages and it was fantastic for our family of 4 children
This is the one car I had that I wish I could have back. Best ever!
I served my apprenticeship at a Renault dealer in 1980 when the last R16's were coming through. They handled like a bath full of water. But were very comfortable. and would certainly deal with our pot holed roads of today.
My late dad had two, first one a 4 year old vivid green metalic with beige vynyl interiorTS 1565 cc, then he swapped it for a purple metalic with dark purple interior 2 year old TX 1647 cc.
Tx was a real head turner at the time.
My mother bought one of these around 1970, it was neat,very different from American cars at the time.
Had a "71 and it was the best car I ever owned. I, too, wish they were still made. Nothing made comes even close to that gem of a car.
zaz zue كان عندي واحده مو 72 طراز مو16 Tl
The engine gearbox layout was the same as the citrôen ds 19, the Renault 16 gearbox was also used in the Lotus Europa.
I bought a 1600TL and loved it, somewhat odd features for British tastes but rugged and reliable I remember using it as a van when we moved house way back in the day.
We flew to Luxembourg in summer 1971 and were supposed to have a brand new cream colored Renault 16 awaiting our 3 week European trip. Instead the dealer had no idea what we were talking about. It took a full week for a substitute Renault 16 to be located in downtown Paris...luminous gray with black interior. We were in no position to argue. After the trip we had the Renault shipped to Florida. The car had very comfortable seating but the air conditioner was poor for our needs back in Florida, especially given the black interior. My dad kept the Renault for 4 years even though we were never as happy as we expected. The rust problems were very bad. I would say this was the most disappointing car we had while I was growing up, but I still remember the Luxembourg situation fondly including staying several nights in the Cravat Hotel while my dad scrambled to find out where the heck was our Renault 16.
I had a Renault R16. It was a Great running car.
Very comfy car in its day.
My 1970 R 16 was a wonderful car.
I had one in the UK in 1978. The most comfortable car I'd had. Seats like armchairs, soft ride, plenty of space. The column-shift wasn't a problem, very quickly got used to it. It was good on long trips too. It failed inspection though on floor-pan rust and was, for me at the time, too expensive to repair. Shame.
Thanks for sharing
Fantastic car !
Father bought one in 1974. They had massive rust problems. Car was scrapped in 1982.
Ahhh, the beautiful Hatchback of Notre-Dame...(*_*)
Brilliant car. One of my favourite Renault ever. Except the ventilation system was poor
He's dead wrong about why Renault chose that engine/transmission layout, however. Look at the earlier Renaults--- rear-engined with the transmission/ differential housing jutting forward. The 4-CV's, the R-8's, the R-10's, the Dauphines, they all had that powerplant/transmission layout. With the R-16, Renault enlarged the engine capacity and moved the whole powerplant and drive package to the front of the car, which was still evident in the last car they exported to the U.S., the R-5, known here as the "Le Car". I know- I had one.
citroen pioneered the front gearbox arrangement in 1955 in the DS
Cord had the same layout in 1936. I love the DS but it was second here.
And Cord in turn took this idea from Miller racers... Citroen also used it on their Traction Avant, well before DS. So that layout had been pretty old and well-known by the time R16 appeared
@@romanteplov9227 However for a family car, it was one, if not, the first. Cord was hardly a family ca and the Traction Avant and DS were a class above.
First hatchback (?), still looks modern in 2024
Some say that the 1938 Citroën Traction Avant 11CV Commerciale was the world's first hatchback, but others argue it was the Renault 16 because the Citroën had a split rear door where the top half opened upwards like a hatchback but the bottom half opened down like a truck tailgate. In any case, the Renault certainly was stylish!
The antidote to automotive group think. I wished they still made them, or something like them.
Cool
70s classic. One of the last true Renault designs. And the R18 was an 80s classic. I am convinced the French WERE the masters of innovation and overall car engineering. Italians knew how to make exciting engines and designs. Mercedes knew how to perfect a product. Unfortunately this talent has been lost today.
Where would you rank the Swedes in that list? We're thinking of the Saab 900 right now.
@@DWREV Sweeden being mainly Saab and Volvo, with the exception of the Saab 900 and perhaps 9000, I don't think they did stand out that much on the car market. As for the Saab 900 I had the chance to sit in a convertible one. It has to be the most unique interior design of a modern car that I've seen. I think the designers wanted to make you feel like the car was wrapping around you like a jacket. It's an unique sensation sitting so close to the door and with the windshield so close that you can touch it but it's not just because it's small, it really feels the dimensioning and passenger position were much calculated. Very rarely a car maker has dared making a car this personal, almost like a tailored vehicle.
my 69 lotus europas2 had the same motor etc...
so comfy like being on my sofa such a nice car ,and what did we have austin maxi allegro avenger what a joke .
I have one, it just sits in the garage.
+Gabriel K What year is it ?
Is it a 1.6 or the more powerful 1.8 liter ?
I've got two CX's
1964, 1.6
Gabriel K
That must have been on of the early ones.
That makes it worth taking care of, or at least preserving it's present state.
Its restored, like I said it just sits in the garage.
+Gabriel K 1964? Must be the prototype. The R16 was introduced in 1965...
Ci piace,😉
Hum,english spoken,but film in France !🦃😔
VERY PIGGY TO WORK ON WHETHER THE ENGINE, THE TRANSMISSION , THE BRAKES, In FACT i can't think of anything straight forward to do with these ghastly contraptions
Mike Beeton, please "refrain from using upper letters because this could be seen as shouting": www.dw.com/en/dws-netiquette-policy-rules-for-feedback-and-discussions/a-18285540 - ws
Maybe he was shouting. He was certainly being uncomplimentary about the car. He obviously speaks from experience
@@michaelporter4050 I owned one and worked on it myself. Not too bad once you got your mind in sync with it. Much easier than today's cars.
I still have a special C shaped spanner somewhere to take the starter motor off. (or option 2 was to remove the exhaust manifold) the spanner was the better option.