Never let it be said I don't plug more recent cars as well as the pre-1980 motors! Dave dropped me a line, championing the case for the Renault 25 as a future classic. Do you agree, or is the 25 still too modern to be grouped in with established classics? Read Dave's interesting story below, about the cars he's had, including examples of Renault's large hatch. Do you own a similarly aged car that could be considered a 'modern classic' or future classic? drop me a line and I'll feature it in the your car stories section.
Why I chose a Renault 25
"To start at the beginning, I learned to
drive on my dad's Sunbeam Alpine fastback, which we all loved at the time.
My 1st car was a '65 Cortina GT, which is still my all time favourite car,
but was sadly written off whilst parked outside my student digs. Second car,
a '66 Cortina GT- sadly rotten as a biscuit and rather short lived.
Since then, I've had a couple of Minis (great fun, but, Oh, my back!!) a Triumph
1500, a Mk 3 Cortina 200E estate, and a Mk 4 Cortina 200E saloon. When the
Mk 4 succumbed to tin-worm, we were shopping for a replacement, and had our
eye on an E reg Cavalier. However, by the time we had the finance sorted
out, it had sold.
Some years earlier I'd seen the TV ads for the R25, and
always thought what a nice car it was, but WAY out of my price range. The
forecourt pf the garage from which we were going to get the Cavalier had a
Maroon, B reg 25 GTX sat on it, and the salesman saw me looking at it and
suggested I take it for a test drive, as it was for sale at the same money
as the Cavalier, being 3 years older than it. Very shrewd!! As soon as I
drove it, I knew I had to have it - it made the Cavalier feel like a horse
and cart!! We ran it for 10 years, and it NEVER let me down- I was in love!!
Eventually, a combination of dodgy electrics and rust in one sill following a
bodged accident repair led to it's replacement - with another GTX, which
lasted 2 years before going the same way. By now totally hooked, I looked
for another Renault 25, and found a K reg TXE auto which looked very nice, but it
turned out to suffer from the gear box problems they have a sadly justified
reputation for, and it had to go after another 2 years. That was just over a
year ago, and 25s are now pretty scarce, so I wasn't sure I'd find another
very easily, but a look on e-bay revealed a very nice looking J reg TXE, but
it too was an auto! I spoke to the vendor and it had been a well cared for
car and was in very nearly A1 condition, so I started bidding.
I was actually beaten in the last 30 seconds, but the purchaser backed out of the
deal! I was unaware of this until I saw it readvertised on e-bay.
Unbelievably, the same thing happened again - I was outbid, then the
purchasor backed out again. At that point, the vendor called me, and said,
"this car is clearly destined to be yours!" A deal was done for what we both
felt was the right price- a ludicrously small amount of money for what is a
LOT of car!! In fact, an occasional glance on e-bay has revealed others,
apparently as good, going for even less!!
The car has, indeed, been cherished, and is in extremely good condition - it looks, and drives,
practically like new, and I hope to have it for many years to come. Being a
'91 car, I realise it's not nearly old enough for classic status, but
remember, they've been around since '84, so the actual design is getting
there. However, as a Classic in waiting, it has all the credentials, I
should have thought, and good ones can be had insanely cheaply if you look
around.
I would love to be able to treat mine the way it deserves - keep it
in a warm garage and only take it out on fine days, but sadly I can't afford
that sort of luxury. It's my daily driver and, as such, it's refined,
comfortable, and reliable. Why would I want to spend 10, or even 20, times
as much on a car which wouldn't be as much of a pleasure to drive? I hope
that is of some interest, and let's see if any other fans come out of the
woodwork if the story goes onto your site.
cheers
Dave."
Thanks for making the case for the Renault 25 - are there any other R25 fans out there who also see the this French machine as a future classic, or is
it destined to fade away and not feature strongly in preserved circles in years to come? Please let me know your thoughts!!
[Added Feb 2006 - and lo! another vote for the Renault 25 as a future classic, read all about it on the Renault 25 - Part 2 page.]
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