2022, Renault 5’s big year

Project 122’s goal was to jazz up the small car segment. Building on 4L’s success, it was in the same price range and had the same design specification, but with a much nicer body.

R5’s style stood out right from the very first stroke of the pencil during the design stage. Pierre Dreyfus, who usually focused on practicality, cleverly recognised that with its pretty rounded shape, the 122 was “fun and friendly”.

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A huge launch operation took place in January 1972: 1,920 orange or apple green cars, decorated with eyes on their headlights and bubble stickers on their doors announcing: “I am Renault 5, take me for a drive”, were exhibited in dealerships. Parades were organised in France’s main cities where everyone got to test drive them.

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Renault 5 became the “Supercar” based on an idea by Simone Guibert, Artistic Director at Publicis.

The media jumped on the phenomenon and an unprecedented campaign began. Renault 5 was everywhere: on the radio, on TV, in the papers, along roads. Presented as a person rather than an object, the campaign’s originality made it appealing to the public. Instant success!

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Home life conventions had completely changed. Women went to work, they were on the move, they now needed a small, versatile car.

Renault 5 was perfect for this and once launched reached a third of women. Small, modular and roomy, it could easily accommodate four adults or a couple with children. In the back, the engineers designed a safe “place for the kids”. It had no opening doors and windows in the back. You could fit all your everyday belongings and leisure equipment in the boot.

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Renault 5’s success surpassed all expectations. Once launched, delivery took just a few months. This breath of fresh air was appealing to customers. The R5 was therefore the car for young people and those who remain young at heart, feeding bottles and flared jeans.

Transgenerational, it was more than just small a car, it was “the car for everyone”. From entry level to sporty, the most stylish version, to automatic, and beyond, this car came in as many versions as there were customer categories.

5.5 millions units were produced between 1972 and 1985. Sold on all five continents, Renault 5 was not only the model of a brand, but the car of a decade!

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It became a rapid success in Europe. When the Renault 5 was launched, it was in 2^nd place for sales in Europe, just behind the Fiat 127. As new versions emerged, it had no intention of stopping there, preparing to appeal to new users.

In 1975, Renault 5 took pole position with its new Spanish “Siete” version. The following year, it became the best-selling Renault abroad.

In the past few years in particular, R5s sold abroad represented up to 60% of the overall production. In 1980, its 5-door version was the 2^nd most sold car worldwide!

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