Renault 14

Renault 14 (1976-1979)

The Renault 14 - short R14 - was a compact car that was offered from May 1976 to December 1982 by the French automobile manufacturer Renault and built in the north of France, the Renault plant in Douai and in the Belgian plant of Renault Belgique industry in Haren. The R14 was the first model of Renault in the so-called golf class, even though the vehicle the then VW Golf I towered over by 30 cm in length.

• 3.1 The advertising campaign with the pear shape

Vehicle development

For the Renault 14, there was no immediate precursors in the Renault program. It was longer than the hatchback Renault 6, a small car on the chassis of the Renault 4, but with a larger interior and trunk 30 cm shorter than the notchback sedan Renault 12

The R14 as a hatchback with a large tailgate and thus variable luggage compartment followed the now typical body concept of the compact class, which was introduced with the Autobianchi Primula and with models such as the Austin 1100 Countryman or the Simca 1100 and also other continued successfully. Unlike the VW Golf and other competitors of the R14 was offered only five doors.

Technology

The Renault 14 was the result of cooperation with Peugeot. Thus originated most of the technical components of the R14 from Peugeot, the body and features of Renault. The R14 should remain the only model that has been developed.

The Renault 14 was powered by an enlarged 1.2 liter light-alloy engine of the Peugeot 104, which was built in front inclined strongly to the rear. About the engine was space for the spare wheel. The gear located below the motor in the oil pan has been lubricated by the engine oil. The suspension with MacPherson struts up front and trailing arms at the rear stood out due to its costly construction of most of its competitors. The passive safety was high for this time, and car class level, with side impact protection in the doors and rigid passenger cell, including quite sophisticated crash tests were necessary.

Advantages of the vehicle were his superior drive comfort, its high driving safety and quieter engine operation. For a car of its class and his time also interior space and seating comfort was exemplary.

The body, however, suffered from a lack of rust prevention. Also build quality and reliability were at the start of production is not at the quality level that offered the competition.

With more power and equipment options (1979: 1.4 - liter engine, 1980: R14 TS) and a slight optical revision in September 1979, Renault tried to open up the compact car customer groups.

Early end

After only six years of construction and nearly one million vehicles manufactured the production of the R14 ended in December 1982.

His low popularity and also its susceptibility to rust have ensured that even in France, the R14 has disappeared almost completely from the streets. In addition, marketing defects and quality deficiencies prevented greater success this visually idiosyncratic, but conceptually quite competitive cars, the stylistic extravagance combined in his typical French style with a pragmatic utility.

As the successor to a compact car with saloon was introduced in August 1981 with the Renault 9. In May 1983 under the name Renault 11 appeared a direct replacement for the Renault 14, which was a hatchback version of the Renault 9 with three or five doors.

Design

Formally, the subscribed with pronounced round curves R14 raised considerably from the design of its competitors and also from the hitherto tended Renault design; only with the successful small car Renault 5 was a certain kinship. An interesting detail is tackling the problem below the bonnet line statements of the side windows, optically compensated by the side mirrors placed there.

The unusual body with the gentle wedge- shaped rising side line offered many practical advantages; the roundish curved shape made ​​for a good space efficiency, she was also relatively streamlined. In the first drive report of the ADAC motor world whose testers JG Stratmann criticism commented on the design with the Note, " in Billancourt they now throw the curve ruler in the corner".

The advertising campaign with the pear shape

Despite the good concept of the Renault 14 be deterred rather design the public, especially the Renault cars competed in France in large displays that showed a pear lying horizontally. The in 1977 launched by Publicis campaign also failed. The potential clientele understood as the light bulb as a reference to an organic design, but as a proof of lack of solidity and seriousness.

As a consequence, remained in France the term "pear" ( poire ) the unflattering nickname for the R14.