‘When I retired, I decided that I had to have a 16 again’
1968 Renault 16 TS Philip Martin, Norfolk
What in particular appealed about a Renault 16?
'In 1972 I went to live in Malta. I wanted a new car, but at that time in Malta the roads were absolutely atrocious – third world – and I drove six or seven new cars. The Renault 16 was the only one that could cope with the potholes, the suspension was so superb – that’s why I bought it. I kept that one for seven years and, when I retired, I decided that I had to have one again.'
Was it easy to find?
'They’re pretty rare, with only about 70 right hand drive models left, so It did take a little while to find. I joined the Renault Classic Car Club and, after about three years of looking, this one came up for sale – I jumped at it.'
Have you done much work?
'It was a good car to start with, having spent the first 37 years of its life with the original owner and his daughter before passing to a couple of club members. Since owning it, I’ve had it resprayed and replaced the tailgate and bonnet due to corrosion, but they both came from within the club so were relatively easy to source. It’s now got an electronic distributor fitted, plus a set of more modern seat belts, but other than that it’s totally original.'
What do you use it for?
'I’ve just bought a Royale T125 classic caravan and spent all winter looking for a genuine tow bar that, again, I was lucky to find from within the club. It’s just like the one that was fitted to my first Renault 16. I’ve joined the Retro Caravan Club, so plan to attend plenty of its rallies.
The car is immensely practical – with a novel lifting rear seat that hangs from the rear grab handles and massively enlarges the load bay of this trend-setting early hatchback.'
What’s it like to drive?
'Superbly comfortable, with a bit of comedy body roll thanks to its asymmetric torsion bars, but also well balanced. The gearbox is in front of the engine so the weight distribution is excellent and the 1565cc engine is peppy enough with a 0-60mph time of 12.3 seconds, while still returning 33mpg. The steering is a little heavy, but once you’re on the move, it’s absolutely fine.'
What’s next?
'I’m considering fitting a five-speed gearbox from the TX, the next model up, which has identical external dimensions so should go straight in. I’d also love to take the car and caravan to Europe – I’ve got to make use of the switchable left to right-hand drive headlights, haven’t I!'