All The Cars I’ve Ever Bought

Used car addict Keith looks back at his best – and worst – classic buys. This week, a Renault 18 bought on a whim that should have had everything going for it…

Renault 18 TS

WHY DID YOU WANT ONE?

I hope this doesn’t sound too cynical, but I was simply looking for a 1970s family saloon to use as my daily driver when I bought this car in mid-2013 because I hadn’t owned a classic car for some time. It could have been a Talbot Solara or Fiat Mirafiori for all I cared, but this Renault 18 fitted the bill perfectly when it popped up for sale. I called the seller from overseas (I was abroad on a new car launch) and offered to buy the car there and then – even though I hadn’t clapped eyes on it – because it was cheap and I’ve always liked Renault 18s. Three days later and I was at his place in wet and windy Somerset collecting what turned out to be a very pretty and fairly tidy lime green example with a mismatched door and a tendency to not start well from cold.

WAS IT A JOY – OR A NIGHTMARE – TO LIVE WITH?

I really wanted to love this car and almost did because it fitted the bill perfectly. The problem was that despite being French and quite a handsome thing, it really wasn’t quirky enough for me. There were some odd issues that I never really got on top of – most notably its broken automatic choke – but nothing sufficiently challenging or interesting to endear it to me. It was quite easy to work on – other than its troublesome carburettor

– and fundamentally solid underneath, but I didn’t keep it long simply because I never bonded with it. I still can’t quite understand why to this day because in theory it really did tick all of the right boxes for me.

WHAT’S YOUR ABIDING MEMORY OF IT?

My 18 looked good in its strident paint but it was a forgettable ownership experience. I liked it – admired it, even – but couldn’t bring myself to love it in the way that I’ve done with similar cars such as my B2 Audi 80 and Vauxhall Cavalier MkI. My abiding memories are largely positive, though. The engine felt like it would pull for a million miles and was refined and peppy despite being of ancient stock. It was hobbled, like most cars in this class back then, by a four-speed gearbox so was pulling more than 4000rpm at motorway speeds. And yet despite that it never felt strained and was a quiet and really quite comfortable cruiser. More than that, it felt indestructible in a way that most laypeople assume can’t be associated with French cars. In the end I sold it to my mate Mike Humble who may have found it as bafflingly hard to love as I did but did at least managed to fix the automatic choke, eliminate its rather embarrassing tendency to backfire and seal the exhaust up for good. We’ve not heard of the car’s existence since, which is highly unusual if you ask me…

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR BUYING ONE?

These cars are rare now. Super rare. Considering that Renault 18s were street furniture back in the 1980s and into the ‘90s, they seem to have slipped quietly into obscurity. If you do end up looking at one for sale, the biggest issue you need to worry about is rust – check the sills, front and rear wheel arches, scuttle panels front and rear and also the doors. Basically, anywhere covered in paint is worth a close look. The good news is that the running gear is likely to be running as sweet as a nut because the engines and gearboxes on these 18s are unbreakable and remarkably refined. It makes your search easier – if the body’s in one piece and you want one, you can buy with confidence knowing that it’ll almost certainly run just fine.