Renault 8 Gordini - A French Classic Car

The Renault 8 was introduced in 1962, but only in 1964 did Amedee Gordini get let lose on it. Amedee Gordini was to Renault what John Cooper was to Mini. He took a rather basic shopping trolley and turned it into, if not quite a fire-breathing monster, something pretty close. The basic car's 956cc engine was replaced with a modified 1108cc engine and power rocketed from 48 bhp up to 95 bhp. Gordini's cylinder head accompanied by a pair of twin Webber carburetors and a 7,500 rpm rev limit allowed the car to be a class winner in motor sport and, surprisingly for a rear engined car, it has a reputation for impressive handling.

In 1966 in search of yet more power the engine capacity was increased to 1255cc and power duly rose to 103 bhp. The Renault 8 Gordini came with all-round disc brakes and lowered and stiffened suspension with negative camber applied to the rear wheels to stop them tucking under during hard cornering.

One of the quirks of the design was that due to the original cars small fuel tank which was mounted at the rear a second tank had to be fitted in the front luggage space to give the thirstier Gordini an adequate range. Both tanks were completely separate and a switch on the cockpit floor allowed the driver to select the tank in use.

The Renault 8 Gordini came in just one colour: French Racing Blue. In France the car was also fitted with white stripes but for other markets these were actually removable tape to allow the owner to decide if they wanted them.