AUTONEWS

Absolute rarity>>>found after 43 years: this abandoned Renault 5 only drove 12 kilometers

One of the most important models in Renault's history was forgotten for 43 years, accumulating dust and dirt in a French garage. In fact, the car was bought new and simply parked in a garage at the end of October 1982, from where it never left.

In an ocean of modern and somewhat impersonal vehicles, popular cars from the past truly surprise us. When a classic like this appears, whether forgotten and abandoned in some dusty garage or barn, it causes a wave of joy in whoever finds it, but also in fans of classic models.

The protagonist of this story is one of the most famous classic compact cars of the 70s and 80s. We are talking about the first generation of the Renault 5, produced between 1972 and 1985, the grandfather of the current Renault 5 E-Tech electric car that you find in dealerships today.

However, the burning question is: how could a car like this have been forgotten for over four decades? According to its creators, the car was bought new in 1982 and simply parked. All these years it remained unused, in an almost eternal state of lethargy.

The car was bought by a French woman who, in 1982, spent all her savings at the Sodirac dealership in Chalon-sur-Saône. The model acquired was a five-door Renault 5, TL version, with a 1,108 cc engine and a four-speed manual transmission, painted in an unusual metallic shade, Bleu Schiste. All this for the modest sum of 40,000 French francs, the equivalent of approximately 6,100 euros.

The car left the dealership with a temporary license plate 9105 WWA 71 (in sticker form), valid for 15 days, until the definitive registration. Furthermore, the delivery took place at the owner's home, as she did not yet have a driver's license.

In fact, the car was parked in a garage at the end of October 1982 and never left. Imagine, the final license plates had already been made and were found in the trunk.

The reason? The owner had a driver's license, but she didn't feel comfortable behind the wheel and never drove the car, which had its odometer reset to zero since the day of delivery, showing only 12 kilometers driven(umage above).

And now? We imagine the car will be completely cleaned and inspected, since it has been announced that it will be auctioned at an event organized by Aguttes, scheduled for March 15th.

Foto: phares_jaunes_et_damiers