Renault 7

The Renault 7 is a passenger car produced in Spain by the French automobile manufacturer Renault, between 1974 and 1984. It has a three-volume body and is based on the Renault 5. It was manufactured exclusively at the FASA-Renault factory (Renault's Spanish subsidiary located in the province of Valladolid), without having a French equivalent. The model was presented to journalists in La Manga del Mar Menor in autumn 1974.

Design and mechanics

The design was based on a model with three bodies (engine, passenger compartment and trunk), and had been released in various prototypes at the beginning of the 70s, but it never gave rise to a series model in France. On the other hand, in Spain its commercialization went ahead, since this type of vehicle covered the space and economy needs of middle-class families, which had been orphaned with the appearance of the new European vehicles in the B segment.

With the move to front-wheel drive, small vehicles in Europe had abandoned, one after another, the sedan bodies in favor of the new hatchback-type bodies, offering the three-volume bodies in vehicles of higher segments (Renault 12, Peugeot 504) or designed during the previous decade (Renault 8, SEAT 124).

To denote its Spanish character, the initial model was called "Renault Siete", written with letters. It was equipped with an engine of 1,037 cubic centimeters and 50 CV, specifically designed not to exceed the barrier of 1,040 cubic centimeters, which in Spain then involved the payment of a tax. This car stood out for its good visibility, its balanced suspensions and its ample cargo space, its biggest defect being the brakes, somewhat fair in relation to the weight of the vehicle. It reached a maximum speed of 132 km/h, and the mixed consumption was about 6 litres/100 km. It was marketed in two versions, the "normal" one, without specific nomenclature, and the TL, with some additional aesthetic and comfort details. In 1977 the normal version disappeared, leaving only the TL.

In 1979 the model was restyled by incorporating some aesthetic elements, such as a four-spoke steering wheel, a new dashboard and a brake booster, to try to give the image of the vehicle an aspect more in keeping with the tastes of the epoch. In the rear some larger pilots housed the reversing lights. In addition, the nomenclature of "Renault Seven TL" was changed to "Renault 7 TL". In 1981, the GTL version arrived, with headrests in the front seats and the Cléon-Fonte 1108 cc engine in its high compression version and 45 CV (DIN) at 4,400 rpm, which also replaced the 1037 cc engine in the Renault 5. GTL.

These changes kept the model on the market until 1984. At the time it closed production, 159,533 units had been manufactured.

The presence in the Spanish range of a sedan based on the Renault utility model did not continue when it changed from the Renault 5 to the Renault Supercinco. However, it has been carried out in other countries with current models such as the Renault Clio saloon, which is manufactured in Morocco and South America, and is sold in some European countries as the Renault Clio Symbol or Renault Thalia.

On Television

In the Cuéntame cómo pasó series, there is one in which the character of Toni Alcántara (played by Pablo Rivero) was driving until he had an accident with him in the episode Paper Planes where he was injured in Tangier.

In episode 9 of Season 1 of the Compañeros series (television series), a Renault 7 driven by Quimi (played by actor Antonio Hortelano) appears, which ends up thrown down a ravine and later burns.