The Renault Super 5 (also known as the Renault 5, Supercinque or Supercinco) is a supermini (B-segment) car produced by the French manufacturer Renault between 1984 and 1996. Its design was inspired by the profile of the Renault 5, although it is slightly longer and lower, as it was conceived to replace it in the French brand's range. For this reason, it is also known as the Renault 5; in fact, this is the name that always appeared on the rear of the model.
The car has a length of ( with 5 doors), a width of , a height of and a wheelbase of ( with 5 doors). The weight, depending on the version, ranges from .
Over twelve years, Renault produced more than three million units at its plants in Billancourt, Dieppe and Flins-sur-Seine (France); Brussels and Vilvoorde (Belgium); Palencia (Spain); Setúbal (Portugal); Mariara (Venezuela) and, from 1989, Novo Mesto (Slovenia). Approximately 500,000 vehicles were assembled annually, a figure that gradually decreased from 1990, so that by the time production ended in 1996, a total of 3,436,650 units had been manufactured. In terms of sales, 1988 was the best year, with 518,910 vehicles sold across Europe. There were twenty-two versions, as well as more than thirty-five limited editions. Its commercial rivals included models such as the Citroën AX, the Ford Fiesta, the Opel Corsa, the Peugeot 205, the SEAT Ibiza and the Volkswagen Polo, among others.
The development of the Renault Super 5 began in 1978 and was codenamed Project 140. The plan lasted for more than six years, as the proposals presented lacked the necessary consensus to be carried out. This situation remained unchanged until the designer Marcello Gandini, who authored many Italian sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s, joined the project. His proposal was simple: to adapt the R5 to the new needs of the automotive market. To do this, he applied the technique that luxury brands had been using for decades: creating a vehicle whose appearance reminded one of its predecessor, which already had public favour.
The Super 5 is based on the chassis of the Renault 9/11, so it has greater interior space than its predecessor. It is front-wheel drive and its petrol engine is in a transverse front-engine layout; the range includes from the 1.1-litre displacement, two valves per cylinder and 48 bhp maximum power of the C version to the 1.4-litre displacement, two valves per cylinder and 120 bhp maximum power of the GT Turbo versions. The top speed of the Super 5 was achieved by the GT Turbo2 model, with and acceleration from 0 to in 8 seconds.
Between 1986 and 1991, the 5 GT version participated in the World Rally Championship, until it was replaced by the Renault Clio Williams. Notable drivers who competed with it include Gustavo Trelles, Jean Ragnotti and Alain Oreille; the latter was twice champion of the World Rally Championship for Production Cars (1989 and 1990) at the wheel of a Super 5 GT Turbo, in addition to obtaining victory with it in the 1989 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire. It has also competed in continental, national and regional championships.
Over the years, for some it has become an icon of the 1980s. Numerous associations attest to this and many people still drive one of these French utility cars daily. However, various factors, such as the time that elapsed between its launch and the arrival of the Clio, the variety in the sector at the time as well as the similarity of its design to the R5, meant that it did not become as memorable a vehicle as its predecessor. Even so, it is present in multiple collections of scale model cars and has appeared in songs, in cinema, on television and in some video games.
Design and development
The design of the Super 5 began in 1978 with the intention of creating a vehicle to replace the Renault 5. At that time it was the best-selling car in France and enjoyed great popularity. The design and development process for the new vehicle was called Project 140. It was a slow process, lasting more than six years. The shape of the bodywork was designed based on the Renault 9/11, while preserving the main lines of the R5 so that the public would associate it with its predecessor. For the same reason, the characteristic plastic bumpers and side mouldings of the Renault 5 were retained, although some modifications were made to prevent them from damaging the paintwork.
Initially, the design team used various prototypes from Renault's smaller segments as a base for the project. Dozens of designs were presented, but none achieved good results when tested. Among these, mention can be made of the Renault Gabbiano; it was a prototype inspired by Italian car designs, hence the name. It was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1983, the same year Peugeot, Renault's main competitor in the French market, unveiled its 205. The Gabbiano had futuristic lines and was reminiscent of the Renault Fuego as well as the DMC DeLorean. It ultimately remained a simple prototype, but some of its elements would later be incorporated into the Super 5.
After several years of work on the design, this was the French firm's most expensive project ever, and none of the proposals pleased the testers. But everything changed when Bernard Hanon, head of Project 140, brought Marcello Gandini onto the design team. The Italian suggested a simple plan: adapt the original model to meet the new demands of the car market. To do this, he used the technique that luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz or Jaguar had been using for years, and which Volkswagen incorporated in the second generation of the Golf: creating a vehicle whose appearance reminded one of its predecessor, which already had public favour. The new design presented a model that was wider, lower and longer than the R5. The size of the windows increased slightly and the nose was lower, while the rear showed few differences from the previous model. All these improvements meant an increase in aerodynamics as well as interior space.
Commercial life
Launch
Following the success of Gandini's project, in September 1984 the Super 5 was ready to replace its predecessor in dealerships. The first official presentation took place on the 14th of that same month at the Élysée Palace. It was attended by the then French president, François Mitterrand (1981–1995), who also tested it. Ten days later a second showing for the press was held and in October it was shown to the public at the Paris Motor Show. Next to the vehicle was a large inflatable model of it as an advertising gimmick.
Advertising campaigns influenced the commercial results of the Super 5. The name itself, is a draw, alluding to the fact that it is an improved Renault 5.The first French slogans referred to the Superfive as a car "Plus cinq que la cinq." In this sense, the term "Super 5" was an advertising concept, since "Renault 5" always appeared on the rear of the vehicle. In the first television commercials it was presented as "Supercar". There are two stages to these commercials; a first in which an animated Super 5 travels roads and shows its equipment, as was already done with the R5, and a second in which it is Superman's car. Among the commercials aired, notable ones include the 1984 ad, in which a personified R5 said goodbye to the public and was replaced by the Super 5, or the 1989 ad, famous for the rap song that accompanied it.
Subsequent vehicle sales figures reflected that the public accepted the successor to the R5 satisfactorily. During its first year on the market, it reached second place, only surpassed by the Peugeot 205, but from 1986 until 1990, the year the Peugeot 205 regained first place and the Renault Clio replaced the Super 5, it was the best-selling car in France. The year with the highest sales in that country was 1988 (241,849 units sold). In other countries it did not lead the sales charts, but remained among the top ten. It became the fourth best-selling car in Europe in 1988 (518,910 units), only surpassed by the Volkswagen Golf (739,445 units), the Fiat Uno (635,663 units) and the Opel Kadett (622,690 units). It is also noteworthy that, while in countries like Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, France, Italy or Portugal it sold quite well, with market shares ranging between three and eleven percent, in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom or Sweden it went more unnoticed, with shares below two percent. Coincidentally, the countries where the Super 5 had the highest sales rate, with the exception of Italy, have within their borders a Renault factory where this model was produced.
Production
In 1984, mass production of the Super 5 began, officially replacing the R5 from September. However, both generations coexisted for a season in dealerships; the Renault 5 continued to be marketed for a few more years as a limited series called Lauréate. In February 1985, an improvement was made to the first versions and production of the GT Turbo as well as the automatic transmission models began. That same year, five-door versions, six centimetres longer than the three-door models, and diesel engine versions became available. The Super 5 range for 1985 consisted of nine versions,The versions were C, TC, L, GL, TL, GTL, GTL 1.4, GTS and TSE with prices for the French market ranging from 38,900 to 61,900 francs, which would be between 5,900 and 9,500 euros.The Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 1985 was much lower than in , so today the cost would be 60% higher, i.e. approximately between 9,440 and 15,200 euros.
Renault renewed the entire 5 range between 1986 and 1988. Production of the simplest versions and those that went on sale first also ended. During these years it was the best-selling car in France and one of the best-selling in Europe. It was also when most of the limited series were marketed and improvements were added to the most successful editions, such as automatic transmission in the specific version, luxury equipment in the Baccara or the redesign of the GT Turbo. In 1989 Alain Oreille obtained victory at the wheel of a Super 5 in the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire, the most outstanding milestone in the Super 5's track record.
In 1993, the last completely new units arrived at dealerships. From the following year, production of the Super 5 was considerably reduced in favour of the Clio, although it continued to be available alongside its successor until the end of the 1990s. Only one Renault factory continued to manufacture it, the Slovenian one in Novo Mesto, although most units were destined for export to countries with emerging economies such as the states of the former Yugoslavia or Morocco. Production of the Super 5 finally came to an end in 1996; in March a final limited series called Bye Bye went on sale and in July the last unit was assembled in Slovenia.
Factories In total, eight Renault factories produced the 5: Haren-Vilvoorde, Belgium Novo Mesto, Slovenia Palencia, Spain Billancourt, France Dieppe, France Flins-sur-Seine, France Setúbal, Portugal Mariara, Venezuela
Technical specifications The 5 is a three or five-door hatchback with a monocoque unibody construction. It consists of two compartments, one occupied by the engine and the other intended for transporting passengers and luggage. The side doors have roll-down windows while the rear tailgate of the boot has a fixed window. The boot is much larger than that of the R5, with a capacity of 233 dm3 with the rear seats upright and 657 dm3 when folded flat. The vehicle has a length of , a width of , a height of and a wheelbase of . The weight, depending on the version, ranges from .
Interior