Unique Renault renowned for its smooth ride
Nelson enthusiast bought venerable R16 from seller in L.A.
Last weekend I took part in the 1200-kilometre “Hagerty Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure.”
This was my third year driving the support vehicle, bringing up the rear and taking care of anyone who broke down or needed help.
This year, 72 cars from Alberta, B.C., Oregon, Utah and Washington State departed from Hope and travelled north through the Fraser Canyon on some of the most incredible back roads British Columbia has to offer.
The wide array of participating classic cars included Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, BMW, Camaro, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford Mustang and Cortina, Intermeccanica, Jensen-healey, Lotus, Mazda, Mini, Mercedes-benz, Pontiac Beaumont and Le Mans, Plymouth Valiant, Porsche, Puma, Saab, Triumph and Volkswagen.
There is usually one vehicle that stands out in my mind, and this year it was a rarely seen 1969 Renault 16 from Nelson.
A European, executive-sized fivedoor, the R16 hatchback enjoyed a 25-year production run (1,846,000 built) with only minor cosmetic changes to the exterior trim. One of its peculiarities are unaligned rear wheels.
The left side wheelbase is 70 mm (2.76 Inches) longer than the right side.
This combination of wheelbase configuration and front seats that are as comfortable as sitting on a plush sofa make the R16 one of the most comfortable cars ever built.
Another unique feature of the Renault 16 is the location of the gearbox — ahead of the engine.
This is a configuration in French cars that was first used in the 1934 Citroen Traction Avant.
Keinan Chapman of Nelson, who also owns a Renault 8, began his search for a Renault 16 in 1999. He posted a wanted advertisement in a Renault Club newsletter, a seller in Los Angeles responded and the R16 found a new home in Canada.
Chapman enjoys driving his Renaults and alternates between driving them from Nelson to the yearly Father’s Day Italian and the French car shows at Waterfront Park in North Vancouver.
Visit www.classiccaradventures.com to view some incredible event photos, and also go to www. Andrewsnucins.ca and select the blog.
Nigel Matthews is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Hagerty Canada – Hagerty is the world’s leading provider of Collector Car and Boat insurance. You can contact him at nmatthews@hagerty.com or visit www.hagerty.ca