Hit like a bomb
The first Renault Twingo was unveiled thirty years ago at the Paris Salon. In October 1992, at the important auto show, the public was introduced to an entirely new kind of small car. A model in what we now call the A-segment, the Twingo was revolutionary. In this article you can read why.
It’s not often that a new car hits like a bomb, but Renault manages to pull it off in 1992 at the Paris Motor Show. At the time, the term ‘city car’ was synonymous with ‘boring’ and ‘cheap’, but then suddenly there is the Twingo. a real monospace with a spacious and flexible interior, which shows with its mischievous frog eyes and cheerful pastel colors that even a small car can be very charming. No wonder the model is becoming a household name in the Renault range – even though it now has a rear-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive and is only available as an electric version in the Netherlands.
Cheerfulness all around the Renault Twingo.
Today, however, the first generation Twingo is struggling. The first years of construction are scarce and copies from the late 90s have been patched up just enough to get them through the next MOT. How they fare, however, leaves most owners completely cold. No wonder then that many old Twingos are adorned with slowly disintegrating bumpers, cheap bear hubcaps and seat covers from the hardware store. You would almost forget that the Renault Twingo has now passed its thirtieth birthday and has technically been a youngtimer for years. And that while it is a real style icon.
Space capsule next to angular cars from the 80s
However, because it looks so timeless, you have to beam yourself back to the early 90s to see it in historical perspective. The Swatch watch has long since been invented, but the Smart hasn’t been invented yet – and the moose test debacle of the Mercedes A-Class would also take another five years. When Renault shows the Twingo to the world in the autumn of 1992, it takes a while before people recover from the shock. Compared to the angular small cars from the 80s, this seems to be a space capsule. And in fact he is, because with its fully folding seats, sliding rear seats and windscreen placed far forward, it is actually a mini MPV.
The Renault Twingo has something of a mini MPV
Twingo immediately catches on
The initial amazement soon gave way to unprecedented popularity when the Twingo appeared in showrooms in 1993. Traditionally minded car buyers who stick to a conventional bonnet even with a small car are more likely to buy a Fiat Cinquecento or a Peugeot 106, but especially young people who want to go against the flow, walk away with the small Renault. These Twingo drivers from the very beginning greet each other with light signals or they wave at each other from the open folding roof, a popular option at the time. There are not many ways to increase the base price of 19,995 guilders, because in addition to the folding roof, you can only order an air conditioning. Where you can go all out with many compact cars nowadays with sticker packages and wheels to flavor it, the first generation Twingo is a case of take it or leave it. A Twingo owner is individual, he does not need a personalized car.
Five adults in a Renault Twingo may be a bit too enthusiastic, but he is certainly well in the back.
Psychedelic colors, motifs and so on
However, that does not alter the fact that Renault redresses the model every two years so that it is up to date. Numerous promotional models are also appearing, such as the Kenzo, where the owners receive a box of silk scarves in the same design as the seat cover. Speaking of seat covers: in addition to leather upholstery for retrofitting, there are also psychedelic-looking fabrics with names such as ‘Piranha’ available as an accessory, although its lovely goldfish bowl motif certainly does not do justice to that name. If you want to express your love for the Twingo even more emphatically, in addition to things that dress the car itself (such as roof racks, a towbar, alloy wheels and even a sports exhaust), things like ties, yellow speckled glassware and a table lamp that probably only really appeals to his designer.
The Twingo quickly gains a reputation as a car for hip singles, but it is definitely also suitable as a stylish second car for mom. So you can also easily lose two overgrown teenagers in the back if you put the rear seat that slides over a length of 17 centimeters in the rear position. If you slide it forward, the weekend groceries will fit in the trunk without any problems. Given its compact size, you wonder where Renaults creators d’automobiles got out of space.
And they have also made it a futuristic appearance, everyone agreed on that at the time. Take that digital speedometer placed in the middle, which in practice causes a lot of irritation: it reacts even more slowly than the engine of the Twingo. The seating comfort is also nothing to write home about. The seats with the too short seats and spartan cushions are reminiscent of those of the Renault 5 – and we don’t mean that as a compliment.
For cost reasons, the 1.2 liter four-cylinder engine with 55 hp is also taken from that model. Things like ABS, airbags and the later so popular central door locking with remote control also shine through the absence of copies from the first production years. Not that buyers really care at the time. On board this mischievous Renault, even the most notorious piece of chagrin turns into a cheerful Frans (oos). And that is still the case. Open the folding roof, turn the windows down and all the daily worries spontaneously blow away. Cheerfulness knows no time.
The first generation was made for no less than 15 years, view Twingo used cars up to and including 2007.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl