French buyers nicknamed it the rotten pear after an ad compared its shape to fruit, then the body rusted early enough to make the joke stick.
Lead trim: 14 L / TL 1.2 (1218 cc, 57 hp) · up to 69 hp
Renault 141976–1983
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Renault 14 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactFrench buyers nicknamed it the rotten pear after an ad compared its shape to fruit, then the body rusted early enough to make the joke stick.
The Renault 14 is a small family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault between 1976 and 1983, first shown in January 1976 with production beginning in June of that year. It was the first car to be produced in large volumes at the company's then new plant at Douai. Featuring front-wheel drive, it was developed to compete in the small family hatchback sector popularised by the launch of the Volkswagen Golf in 1974, initially in L and TL trim with a 1.2 L single overhead camshaft engine, later joined by 1.4 L versions with 60 PS (R14 GTL) or 70 PS (R14 TS). Both units were the X-type engine, commonly known as the "Douvrin" or "Suitcase Engine", jointly developed with Peugeot and inclined backwards by 72°; the 14 was the only Renault vehicle that used the unit, and the first Renault to incorporate a space-saving Mini-like transversely mounted engine. It shared with several previous Renault models a rear suspension of two full-width torsion bars positioned one behind the other, with a resulting left-to-right wheelbase difference of more than 1 inch. For 1979 Renault added a GTL version and a TS with a twin-chamber carburettor and halogen headlamps and front electric windows (a first for this class of car in the French market). Sales were hampered by an advertising campaign comparing it to the shape of a pear; it was dubbed the "rotten pear" for premature body corrosion. It was relaunched for 1980 with a minor facelift, and production ended in 1983 with 993,193 units sold; it was succeeded by the Renault 9 (1981) and 11 (1983).
Collectors Spotted in the Renault 14 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Renault 14 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 GTL 1.4 economy tune (1360 cc, 60 PS) | 1982–1983 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 59 hp | 77 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 14 L / TL 1.2 (1218 cc, 57 hp) | 1976–1983 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | 57 hp | 68 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 14 TS 1.4 (1360 cc, 70 PS) | 1980–1983 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 69 hp | 78 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 14 TS phase 1 1.2 twin-choke (1218 cc) | 1979–1980 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | 68 hp | 71 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Rivals
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