THE RENAULT CLIO CELEBRATES ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

The Renault Clio supermini – the company’s most successful model and best-selling French car of all time – has just celebrated its 30th birthday. The Clio was first shown in 1990 at the Paris Motor Show as a replacement to the successful and popular Renault 5, and went on to win European Car of the Year in 1991 where it was recognised for its ' remarkable styling, strong quality levels, generous cabin space and unprecedented equipment for a model of this size.'

More than 15 million Clios have left production lines around the world over the last 30 years, with more than 1.2 million making their way to UK roads. By 1994, the Clio made up 49% of all Renault UK sales when a ‘phase 2’ arrived featuring subtle styling tweaks for a freshened look. A further ‘phase 3’ model came in 1996 with improved safety, design enhancements and mechanical changes to keep it in the UK top ten best sellers lists. 1997 was the final production year for the first-generation Clio, but also its best sales year – notching up 58,033 sales in the UK for a total of more than 300,000 in its time on sale. The Clio is also the second best-selling car in Europe, and has been France’s most popular car for 21 of its 30 years on sale.

The Clio has famously caught the attention of buyers over the years through a series of emotive advertising campaigns – the iconic Papa and Nicole story for Clio I, Thierry Henry’s ‘Va Va Voom’ campaign for the second-generation car, and the most recent advert for Clio V that details the story of the Clio over 30 years on sale, depicting a relationship story with a tone and message that reflects the times. It proved to be an award-winning viral hit that tugged at the heartstrings of the viewing public

The Clio is now in its fifth generation – you can find out more on the latest evolution at www.renault.co.uk