This unrestored Renault 6 looks almost perfect
I’m not sure I’d change many things about this Renault 6. It reminds me of the car owned by my parents. A car I was too young to appreciate, but for obvious reasons holds a strong place in my heart.
You can see a photo of my childhood Renault 6 at the top of this article.
There was a time when a fresh stone chip would ruin my day. I can recall the sinking feeling when I heard the ping of a stone on the side of the bodywork of my fresh-out-of-the-showroom Ford Puma. I’d go to great lengths to ensure my cars were kept in pristine condition.
I distinctly remember diving into a petrol station to avoid an oncoming gritter lorry. I’d also spend many minutes searching for a decent space in a car park, ideally between a couple of pillars. My wife always looked forward to the inevitable Tour de Car Park.
Those days have gone. Today, I view battle scars, dents and chips as part of the car’s history. Rather than erasing it from history, patina is something we should embrace. Which is why this Renault 6 is so appealing.
Sure, I’d give it a deep clean. There’s a fine line between patina and that ‘just dragged out of the swamp’ look, and while this Renault 6 is certainly respectable, it needs a little love. A set of black number plates, an immaculate interior and restored steel wheels. That would be the extent of the cosmetic recommissioning.
Unrestored and almost perfect
Launched in 1968, the Renault 6 slotted in between the 4 and the 16 in Regie’s range. Although it didn’t reach the heights of the Renault 4, some 1.5 million cars were built before production ended in 1979. Today, as this recent article shows, the Renault 6 is all but extinct in the UK.
Which makes it hard to value this honest and low-mileage Renault 6. The seller has listed it for £3,995, which seems like a lot for a car that’s in need of a little work. But as the old adage goes: try finding another one.
One thing’s certain: I’d love to buy it. It would be wrong to restore the car to showroom condition. Let it age like an antique leather sofa or Monica Bellucci’s face. Its originality and honesty are central to its appeal – I hope somebody is brave enough to keep it this way.
In the meantime, I’m waiting for Autoglass to get back to me about a chip in the Safrane’s windscreen. It turns out that heat-reflective screens from the 1990s are a little hard to find. Who’d have thought it?
7 Comments
Agreed – it needs its wheels doing, some hubcaps, a tidy-up to arrest surface corrosion, especially under the bonnet, a good valeting, inside and out. and a service. The vinyl and rubber interior would come up like new.
Potentially fabulous and original, and gloriously ‘plain’. Personally, I think I’d keep the number plate style, on the basis that it is part of its history and the dealer chose to fit the relatively new-fangled reflective plates.
Yeah, I’m torn on the number plates. I’ve always thought that black plates look really good on white cars, but the aged reflective plates do work well.
The want is strong for this car.
Hello Gavin, I’m not surprised – it is tempting and rare. It’s effectively like travelling back to the mid 70’s and finding one a few years old in slightly rough condition.
Theoretically, would you have to move on some of your existing fleet to make its purchase easier?
Yes, I think that’s the appeal. It’s like doing a ‘Sam Tyler’ and heading back in time. It’s what a Renault 6 would have looked like after a few years of hard use.
Little chance of adding it to the fleet, I’m afraid. Aside from Elaine Beige, it would be the most expensive car in the barn!
Hope it goes to a good home.
I actually prefer the early reflective plates to black ones, especially when people retroactively put them on car which were made after they were phased out, I prefer the colours of the early reflective to the modern ones.
Lovely car indeed, unfortunately the 305 GTX for £850 I was chasing has now gone
There appears to be another R6 available, from a specialist. I doubt you’d find an earlier one:
https://www.renospeed.co.uk/past-projects/green-lhd-r6/
That’s lovely.
Strange as it might seem, I prefer the white one. It’s a blank canvas and so honest.