RENAULT

Absolute rarity: 1994 Clio Williams goes up for auction

From the mid-1980s, the Peugeot 205 GTI became the fastest and most desired utility vehicle for enthusiasts at the time. At the beginning of the 90's, Renault wanted to snatch that title from Peugeot, but it wasn't enough with the Clio 1.8 16 valves. He needed a more special car and so Williams was born. These cars are increasingly priced, like this 1994 Renault Clio Williams up for auction at Silverstone Auctions.

The Renault Clio Williams was built by Renault Sport to homologate a version for rally Groups A and N. It was enough to manufacture 2,500 units, but in the end they ended up building 5,400, of which 390 arrived in the UK. This unit that is now being auctioned corresponds to one of those almost 400 destined for the British market.

It is a 1994 Clio William Phase 1, specifically unit number 114, originally delivered through Treton Renault of Hull. It had only one owner, who passed away last year. Since then, a member of his family has kept him until now. From day one, the car was always very well taken care of, slept in the garage and has all the revisions up to date.

The odometer reads 91,700 kilometers, a very low mileage for its age, and it is in very good mechanical condition, ready to continue driving on the streets. As you can see in the images, the bodywork features the iconic '449' Metallic Sports Blue livery, combined with gold 7J Speedline wheels. 

Under the hood, hides the 4-cylinder 2.0-liter F7R engine with 150 hp at 6,100 rpm and 171 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm. Thanks to its 981 kg of weight, the Clio Williams was able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and reach 215 km/h.

The estimated price at auction ranges between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds sterling. The car will be auctioned on November 12th.

Autonews