One car has long been cherished for its power or performance, another for its iconic status and another for its pleasing sight. This Renault 9 does not check all those things. Yet it is still there and that is very nice, because rare is about 9 now absolutely! A nice spot, for which we thank Techzle reader Arjan van den Berg very much.
The Renault 9 and its hatchback brother, the 11, were born thanks to none other than masterful designer Robert Opron, but they were not his most timeless or startling creations. The compact midsize car was clearly created with a conventional vision and that was exactly the intention. It had to appeal to a wider audience than its predecessor, the 14. Clean lines and not too much fuss, a child of its time. The 11 was, with its convex rear window, a bit more frivolous than the 9.
It was a car in the ‘it drives until it is used properly and then it is done’ category. Like so many of the time, such as the Escort Mk3, Golf 1, Kadett D and Peugeot 305, they went to scrapyard in the 90s and almost only the sportier versions were spared longer. It is so much fun that this wonderfully bald 9 is still there! It’s a ‘Broadway’, but don’t let the flashy name fool you as it’s a modest performance. Under the hood is also the second weakest engine that was available: a 55 hp 1.2. Good for a top speed of 146 km / h and a 0-100 km / h sprint that took at least 16 seconds.
The 9 is undoubtedly in the possession of an enthusiast. After all, it does not have to rely on its performance, appearance or luxury, but it looks so neat and was even brought to the Netherlands 7 years ago – when the car was already 28 years old. Incidentally, it stays with another owner who did so at the time: the current owner has been driving it around since September 2019. We hope he or she will keep this fun piece of driving history under us for a long time to come!