Buying Guide
This French icon is hard to beat as a characterful alternative to Citroën’s 2CV– if you buy wisely
Renault 4
Nicknamed ‘Quatrelle’ (ie 4L) by French owners, the Renault 4 proved extremely successful and was produced or assembled in 27 other countries as far afield as Australia, South Africa and the Philippines.
One curiosity is that the car’s wheelbase is shorter on the left than the right, because the rear wheels aren’t mounted directly opposite one another. This allowed a simple rear suspension using transverse torsion bars located one behind the other – a design which offers great handling and roadholding. It’s a fun car to fling around, with small but willing engines making up in noise what they may lack in performance. The 4L models from 1961 to ’67 have the best classic looks, but a three-speed gearbox and six-volt electrics aren’t best suited to modern everyday use – especially when coupled with poor parts availability. The post1968 TL model has the slightly larger 845cc engine, with four-speed gearbox and 12-volt electrics contributing to its extra practicality. Although lower-geared than later models and less powerful, the quality of the interior and exterior trim is superior to that of later cars.
The GTL, produced from 1984 until 1994, is what you’re most likely to find for sale today. The 1108cc engine makes it quite practical in modern traffic and, provided you can stand the noise, it’ll happily do 70mph on the motorway while delivering perfectly repectable fuel economy in the region of 40mpg.
The Renault 4 has been adopted by those who want a classic car that’s cheap to run, easy to maintain, fun to drive and, above all, practical as an everyday car. Frankly, it’s such a simple machine that there’s little to go wrong. That said, there are still a few vital checks to make...
‘The wheelbase is longer one side; the rear wheels aren’t opposite each other’