Renault 14
Encyclopedia
The Renault 14 is a small family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault
between 1976 and 1983.
It was the first car to be produced in large volumes at the company's then new plant
at Douai
, although small pilot runs of the Renault 5
had preceded the 14's production in the factory.
. Initially, the 14 was available in L and TL trim levels with a 1.2 L single overhead camshaft engine sourced from Peugeot
; later 1.4 L versions with 60 PS (R14 GTL) or 70 PS (R14 TS) joined the line-up. The design was generally well thought out and practical with interior space a major selling point, including a rear seat that could either be folded or removed completely. In addition, the spare wheel was carried at the front, under the bonnet and above the transverse 4-cylinder engine that was inclined backwards by 72°. Although all Renault cars were by now front wheel drive, the 14 was the first of the manufacturer's models to incorporate a space saving Mini-like
transversely mounted engine. The exterior styling of the Renault 14 was praised by the motoring press as being fresh and ahead of its time.
The 14 shared with several previous Renault models a rear suspension system using two full-width torsion bars positioned one behind the other, along with the resulting wheelbase difference of more than 1 inch (32 mm) between the left and right sides of the car.
. A preview at Paris' Pompidou Centre as a bare bodyshell did little to win it customers. The car would later gain a reputation for premature body corrosion which saw the 14 being dubbed as the "rotten pear" by the motoring press. In France, "La poire" (literally "the pear", but also slang for "gullible") still refers to the 14. However, the best-selling Renault 5
also had a reputation for premature body corrosion, but the stronger and more adequate advertising of the R5 helped boost its sales and resulted in it being a sales hit.
The car also had a reputation for being difficult to start in damp conditions. The placement of the temperature gauge on the transmission tunnel behind the gear-lever, rather than on the instrument panel where it was directly in the driver's field of view, led to incidents of engine damage if the engine overheated and the driver failed to notice.
Its joint successors, the 9 and 11
appeared in 1981 and early 1983, respectively. The front end of the pre-facelift Renault 9 looked similar to the front end of the post-facelift Renault 14. However, both the Renault 9 and 11 had more conservative exterior body styling.
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
between 1976 and 1983.
It was the first car to be produced in large volumes at the company's then new plant
Douai Renault Factory
The Douai Renault factory is a car plant belonging to the Renault Group, opened in 1970 at Douai in the industrial basin of the Pas-de-Calais department, not far from Lille ....
at Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
, although small pilot runs of the Renault 5
Renault 5
The Renault 5 was first unveiled on 10 December 1971, being launched at the beginning of 1972.The Renault 5 was styled by Michel Boué, who died before the car's release, the R5 featured a steeply sloping rear hatchback and front dashboard...
had preceded the 14's production in the factory.
History
Featuring front wheel drive, the 14 was developed as a competitor in the small family car segment, which had been opened up by the Volkswagen GolfVolkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
. Initially, the 14 was available in L and TL trim levels with a 1.2 L single overhead camshaft engine sourced from Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
; later 1.4 L versions with 60 PS (R14 GTL) or 70 PS (R14 TS) joined the line-up. The design was generally well thought out and practical with interior space a major selling point, including a rear seat that could either be folded or removed completely. In addition, the spare wheel was carried at the front, under the bonnet and above the transverse 4-cylinder engine that was inclined backwards by 72°. Although all Renault cars were by now front wheel drive, the 14 was the first of the manufacturer's models to incorporate a space saving Mini-like
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
transversely mounted engine. The exterior styling of the Renault 14 was praised by the motoring press as being fresh and ahead of its time.
The 14 shared with several previous Renault models a rear suspension system using two full-width torsion bars positioned one behind the other, along with the resulting wheelbase difference of more than 1 inch (32 mm) between the left and right sides of the car.
"The Pear"
Things got off to a bad start with a disastrous advertising campaign that compared the 14 to the shape of a pearPear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
. A preview at Paris' Pompidou Centre as a bare bodyshell did little to win it customers. The car would later gain a reputation for premature body corrosion which saw the 14 being dubbed as the "rotten pear" by the motoring press. In France, "La poire" (literally "the pear", but also slang for "gullible") still refers to the 14. However, the best-selling Renault 5
Renault 5
The Renault 5 was first unveiled on 10 December 1971, being launched at the beginning of 1972.The Renault 5 was styled by Michel Boué, who died before the car's release, the R5 featured a steeply sloping rear hatchback and front dashboard...
also had a reputation for premature body corrosion, but the stronger and more adequate advertising of the R5 helped boost its sales and resulted in it being a sales hit.
The car also had a reputation for being difficult to start in damp conditions. The placement of the temperature gauge on the transmission tunnel behind the gear-lever, rather than on the instrument panel where it was directly in the driver's field of view, led to incidents of engine damage if the engine overheated and the driver failed to notice.
Relaunch
Renault later attempted to enhance the car's appeal by relaunching it with improved equipment levels, but the damage was done and the production run ended in 1983 with around one million units sold over a period of just under seven years. The 14 is now a rare sight on the roads of Europe, even in its home country of France where they have tended to last longer than elsewhere due mainly to easy parts availability through the extensive dealer network. Many Renault 14 were used by the French police in the 1980s.Its joint successors, the 9 and 11
Renault 9/11
The Renault 9 and Renault 11 are two small family cars produced by the French manufacturer Renault for model years 1981-1988 in sedan and hatchback configurations — both styled by prominent French automobile designer, Robert Opron.Variants were manufactured by American Motors, as the...
appeared in 1981 and early 1983, respectively. The front end of the pre-facelift Renault 9 looked similar to the front end of the post-facelift Renault 14. However, both the Renault 9 and 11 had more conservative exterior body styling.
Timeline
- 1976 - The Renault 14 was launched in L and TL trim levels, both of which came with a 1.2 litre Peugeot engine.
- 1979 - The higher-specification R14 TS was added to the lineup but still with unchanged mechanical specification.
- 1979 - Model name changes: the R14 L became the R14, while the R14 TL became the R14 GTL.
- 1980 - The R14 TS gained a larger 1.4 litre engine.
- 1980 - The R14 LS was added, featuring the 1.4 litre engine from the TS but a more basic equipment specification like the R14.
- 1982 - The R14 GTL got a lower-powered economy-tune version of the 1.4 litre engine from the LS and TS.
- 1983 - Production of the R14 ended; the car was replaced by the Renault 9/11Renault 9/11The Renault 9 and Renault 11 are two small family cars produced by the French manufacturer Renault for model years 1981-1988 in sedan and hatchback configurations — both styled by prominent French automobile designer, Robert Opron.Variants were manufactured by American Motors, as the...
.