At $15,000, Is This 1982 Renault R5 A Baguette You Might Bag?

Representative of the first supermini to garner super sales, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Renault R5 remains as cheekily cheerful as when it was new. Let’s decide whether this extremely clean edition is priced just as cheekily.

Every year, somewhere between 800 and 1,000 individuals attempt to climb to the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest non-oceanic mountain. That number would likely balloon substantially should a paved road to the top ever be built. Of course, at 29,032 feet, the thin air at Everest’s peak requires supplemental oxygen for climbers, and would so for internal combustion engines too. A likely lack of charging stations makes electric vehicles a poor option for this hypothetical drive, but a supercharged engine like in the 2005 Jaguar S-Type R we looked at on Tuesday would make for a solid choice. 

Not only that, but our Jag’s performance-oriented suspension and luxuriously appointed interior would make the drive pretty pleasurable as well. This imaginary weekend cruise up the storied Himalayan peak wouldn’t break the bank, either. At just $7,990, there would be plenty left over for picking up some souvenirs at the base camp gift shop. You all recognized that, giving the Jag a solid 74% ‘Nice Price’ win.

In 1977, beloved comedian and banjo player extraordinaire Steve Martin released an album of comedy bits under the title “Let’s Get Small.” This was very likely a reference to, and advocacy of, the plethora of supermini cars that had hit the market in the half-decade prior to the album’s release.

One of the first of those superminis was Renault’s R5, which debuted in 1972 and quickly became France’s most popular car. While featuring a new unit-body design, the petite R5 carried over the drivetrains and torsion-bar suspension of the R4, introduced a decade earlier. Renault initially offered the R5 as a three-door hatchback, later adding a five-door variant to the line, making the car one of the earliest minicars to feature this now ubiquitous design. It was also the first mass-produced car to feature plastic bumper caps, another fun fact that will make discussion of the R5 the hit of any social gathering.

This 1982 R5 offers the five-door body, along with an opening fabric roof, three-lug 13-inch alloy wheels and European-spec headlamps and bumpers for a fun look. With just 46,755 miles to its name, it’s also not all wrung out.

Renault pinched some Deniers in the R5’s development, pulling the engine and transmission from the R4, which it also shared with the rear-engined R8. That places the engine behind the transmission, just like in a rear-mounted application, making both the R4 and R5 technically mid-engine cars. While the R5 received a number of different displacement fours globally, in the U.S., it came with a 1,289cc edition that, by this model year, made a smog-strangled 51 horsepower. Even with the standard four-speed manual, this is going to be a slow car, but that doesn’t make it a boring car in the least. 

According to the frustratingly brief description in the ad, this R5 “runs and drives great,” and is in “excellent condition.” Based on the pictures in the ad, it’s very complete—a good thing as certain parts for these cars are getting extremely hard to find. For anyone looking to get into an R5, this car’s excellent-seeming condition makes it a contender.

That attraction extends to the interior. Surprisingly spacious for its small size, the four-door R5 offers the added benefit of roll-down rear windows, something appreciated on a car without air conditioning. It’s difficult to say whether or not the red and black vinyl upholstery is original or a reskin, but it is likely the latter, as it doesn’t match the color of the rest of the interior. Regardless, it all looks clean and tidy.

One quirk of the R5’s drivetrain layout is how far into the cabin the engine intrudes. It’s not so much a space issue, but it does require the stereo head unit to be mounted vertically ahead of the shifter, as there’s no room for it to sit in a traditional manner. 

While initially sold as the R5 here in the U.S., sales of the model didn’t take off until Renault’s ad agency came up with the brilliant idea to rebrand it as “Le Car,” a mixture of saucy French nomenclature and the generic “store brand” products that were popular at the time. This R5 lacks the “Le Car” decals that usually festooned the doors of these when new, but that’s not a huge loss.

As Facebook Marketplace doesn’t require a title status for vehicle ads, that information is missing in the posting. One would assume the title to be clean, and the offered Carfax report would confirm that. Another oddity of the ad is that it claims the car was listed for sale over a year ago. That’s a long time in both dog years and car ads. Could it have something to do with this R5’s $15,500 asking price?

That’s a lot of moolah for so small a car, but to be fair, this is a very rare model these days and is in very nice condition. That combo could make its price feel fair. Of course, that’s up to you to decide.

What do you think about this R5 and that $15,500 price tag? Does that really feel like what this little car should go for? Or does that have you thinking “le no-way?”

You decide!

Facebook Marketplace out of Fullerton, California, or go here if the ad disappears.

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