Blue bombshell revival

Bright blue with twin white stripes, the old Renault R8 Gordini was a star on the street and the track in the mid to late 60s, and the name is to be resurrected, writes Dave Moore.

DURING the 60s, Renault's hotted up models with Gordini badges were almost as prominent on race tracks as Mini Coopers were – and now the little blue bombshells are coming back.

The famous Gorde, as it was known in its native France, was once a symbol of road and track success that thrilled several generations of motorists, thirsty for sporty sensations at the wheel of a fun car.

The French blue cars, with white stripes and four round headlights, all contributed a visual identity that became an important part of Renault's sporting heritage at the time.

In a few months, new Gordini-labelled versions of Renault models will supplement the company's Sport range and strengthen cars on the sporting side of its market.

Because the fashionable and sporty Gordini label still retains a bold, sporting memory for many, Renault has possibly decided to distance itself from its recent scandals in Formula One and derive some performance positioning from the good old days.

The Gordini versions of Renault models will be derived from sports models already in the company's range.

The first new Gordini will be the Twingo Gordini RS, which will be unveiled on November 25 at L'Atelier Renault on the Champs Elysees, Paris, as part of a Christmas in Blue exhibition.

It will be launched in the northern-hemisphere spring next year and will be followed by a Clio Gordini RS a few months later.

Right-hand-drive models are expected and it would seem that the Gordini offerings could be just the thing to give the Renault range something of a boost in New Zealand, it certainly needs it.

The original Renault Gordinis were created by Amedee Gordini a sort of French John Cooper, if you like, who developed almost 200,000 Renault vehicles over a 20-year period and achieved some of the brand's great sporting achievements in the 60s and 70s.

Born in 1899, about a year after the launch of the first Renault vehicle, Gordini demonstrated his mechanical skills when very young. After working as a mechanic on single seaters, his R8 Gordinis finished first, third, fourth and fifth in the 1964 Tour of Corsica rally.

In 1966, the 1300 version heralded the birth of the Gordini Cup. The R8 Gordini delighted lovers of fun driving.

Gordinis featured in French films alongside stars like Romy Schneider, Alain Delon and Lino Ventura, and the small squared-off rear-engined sports sedan became a huge hit with the younger generation of French drivers.

The trend had been set. Gordini became a symbol of success for a whole generation and came to embody a state of mind.

The new Gordini models have been seen as a way to prepare Renault for leaving from Formula One, but Renault, without denying this specifically, says there is no relationship between Gordini and the world of Formula One.

Renault says that a tell-tale blue will be featured on the new cars, although it will be a new blue that is chic and modern.

The advantage of the French Touch is that it appeals to younger generations, while reviving fond memories of those who were young when the Gordini was first released and who are in their 50s today.

- © Fairfax NZ News