Renault 5 vs Honda Civic: little stars

By Andrew Roberts

| 16 Nov 2023

Classic & Sports Car – Renault 5 vs Honda Civic: little stars

The 1970s: a time of appalling fashion, The Protectors on television, decimal coinage and an ever-increasing number of overseas-built machinery on the UK’s roads.

In 1969, 90% of new cars were domestically made, but by 1975 imports amounted to approximately a third of the market.

That year Lord Stokes, then chairman of British Leyland, might well have said that anyone who buys a foreign car needs their head examining, but thousands of drivers ignored him.

And here we have two prime examples of the vehicles that tempted British motorists to defect from the homeland: the Renault 5 and the Honda Civic.

The Renault 5 (right) and Honda Civic tempted British motorists away from homegrown competition

By November 1971, Renault was the UK’s largest car importer.

During the 1950s, British motorists mainly associated the diamond badge with small rear-engined cars, while the Estafette van became the marque’s first front-wheel-drive model in ’59.

The R4 followed two years later, then the R16 in 1965, the R6 in ’68 and the R12 in ’69.

The R5’s narrative began in 1967, when Bernard Hanon, Renault’s head of planning, commenced the development of a voiture à vivre – a car for all seasons, for holidays and for work, for weekdays and for weekends, for town and for country.

Renault’s five-door hatchback provided a spacious alternative to BL’s Mini

In addition, Project 122 had to be as at home on the autoroute as it was in the suburbs, and a Renault for younger drivers not interested in a voiture du papa.

In 1968 a company stylist named Michel Boué devised, in his spare time, an R4-based hatchback that so impressed the firm’s bigwigs they decided to commission it.

Renault’s CEO, Pierre Dreyfus, and many dealers were concerned their customers would not accept the marque’s first three-door car.

The Renault 5’s 1.1-litre ‘four’ gives 45bhp

But their fears were baseless, because by May 1972 there was a three-month waiting list.

The R5 became La Régie’s best-selling model from 1974 to ’83, but sadly Boué died from cancer in 1972 and didn’t witness the success of his idea.

As with other front-drive Renaults, the 5 had a longitudinally mounted engine, which often prompts debates about whether it was the first true ‘supermini’ hatchback.

When it was new, the Renault 5’s cabin had a fresh and contemporary feel

Some argue Fiat did not initially sell the 127 with a full three doors in 1971, while others point to the 1964 Autobianchi Primula or the 1967 Simca 1100, which both had hatchbacks.

Suffice to say that when the R5 made its debut on 28 January 1972, it was at the forefront of the new movement and the recent R8 and Dauphine compacts already seemed to belong to another epoch.

British imports began in late 1972, with Renault GB promising: ‘It’s what you’ve been asking for… A car of its time – just as the Mini and the Beetle were in their good times.’

Long-distance journeys were not a chore for Renault 5 drivers, thanks to its comfortable front seats

Some potential sales would come from R4 and R6 drivers, while disaffected Mini and Hillman Imp customers could enjoy ‘two cars in one’ by visiting their local dealer.

That Renault was an overseas marque with low repair costs was another strong selling point.

Autocar magazine considered the 5 to be: ‘A youthful sort of car, bright with new ideas, and pleasing on the eye.’

The Observer bluntly declared it ‘the biggest challenge the Mini has ever faced’, while CAR suggested ‘it wins by a fat margin’ over the 127 and the Datsun Cherry 100A.

‘The 5 [closest] and Civic were not only crucial to their makers, but also part of a significant social change in British motoring’

The 5 GTL was launched in 1976, combining the 1.3-litre engine of the more opulent TS, modified gear ratios for enhanced fuel economy and distinctive ‘all-round’ bumpers.

It became the most popular version.

Three years later, the R5 received a facelift with a new dashboard and, at last, a five-door option.

As early as the late 1960s, Renault had considered making a version with four side doors, so some observers wondered why such bodywork wasn’t available earlier.

Renault’s styling remained fresh while rivals’ looks faded, and it still attracts attention today – especially when cornering on its doorhandles

As the story goes, when Peugeot bosses heard of Renault’s Project 122 they were decidedly unhappy, because work on the 104 was under way.

While the R5 was ultimately launched in three-door form only, Sochaux’s new compact, which also made its entrance in 1972 (as a four-door), was not available with a hatchback for another year.

In 1981, the R5 was offfered with a 1.1-litre engine (as fitted to our 1983 test car) and by then Renault was planning the launch of the Series 2 in 1984.

The Renault 5’s five-speed ’box was engineered to maximise fuel economy

French production of the Series 1 ended in 1985, at which point the 5 still didn’t look dated compared with the Fiat Uno and Peugeot 205 – testament to Boué’s styling.

Having five doors was a key sales feature when the Austin Metro and Ford Fiesta then came only in three-door guise, while the GTL looked smart without being overly ostentatious.

Today, a metallic-gold Renault 5 Series 1 is guaranteed to draw attention from fellow patrons of our transport cafe location, plus the occasional startled-looking passing driver.

The warning-light display in the Renault’s dashboard

Its shimmering paint finish is undoubtedly eye-catching, but that once-familiar profile is the main attraction.

At one time the R5 used to be as ubiquitous as the Watney Red Barrel logo or the Little Chef.

As for the interior, few discerning motorists in 1983 could have resisted décor that resembled a Wimpey show home, complete with armchair-like front seats.

Nigel Harratt’s family firm Hodges Garage sold KVX 997Y new to a schoolteacher in Bishop’s Stortford.

Hodges repurchased it in 2000, and the GTL has still covered just 25,000 miles from new.

The Renault 5 Series 1 remained fresh-faced throughout production, testament to Michel Boué’s late-’60s design

It often takes pride of place in the company showroom, although Nigel delights in taking it on the road.

“We find the R5 very nostalgic,” he says.

“It’s what I used to work with at Renault in my early 20s. It puts a smile on our faces, and it’s lovely to see people’s reactions.

“Everyone always knows someone who owned an R5, so it’s nice to hear their stories, too.”

He has nothing but praise for its handling, brakes and steering: “It is more than able to cope with the rigours of modern traffic.”

The GTL was the biggest seller in the Renault 5 Series 1 range

When CAR tested an early 5 TL in 1973, it found the concept of the car ‘absolutely right in just about all respects’, while it felt a certain Japanese rival was too noisy and really needed radial-ply tyres ‘to sharpen up its handling’.

However, Motor Sport warned the British motor industry: ‘It is sensible to look the opposition straight in the face, and the excellent Honda Civic is an example of what the Japanese motor industry can confront us with.’

Honda had commenced plans for ‘a world-class car that is light, quick and compact’ in 1970.

Honda’s heritage fleet Civic is nimble and responsive

The new model would act as heir to the N360/N600 range, and hopefully succeed in global markets.

The 1969 1300 saloon, Honda’s previous attempt at an ‘international car’, had proved so unpopular that it eventually resulted in the resignation of company founder Soichiro Honda.

The pressure on the Civic was immense.

Honda’s engineers decided the new model would employ a transversely mounted, belt-driven overhead-camshaft 1169cc engine and all-independent suspension.

The Civic, now in its 11th generation, was a milestone model for Honda in the UK

The Civic’s compact dimensions allowed it to negotiate Japan’s narrow urban streets and meant that it would not occupy too much space in a motorcycle dealership, many of which also dealt in Honda cars.

Sales of the two-door version began in July 1972, followed by the three-door in September.

The management at Honda was initially worried that the Civic’s ‘two-box’ styling would not find favour with its domestic customers.

Such fears were proved groundless when the Civic landed Japan’s Car of the Year Award in 1972, 1973 and 1974.

MLA 993P is believed to be the oldest-surviving Honda Civic in the UK

In the crucial US export market, where Honda brilliantly promoted the Civic as ‘The Hatchback of Notre Dame’, Motor Trend suggested it was as significant a product as a 1941 Lincoln Continental or Jim Clark’s Lotus Formula One car.

When British imports began in 1973, the concessionaire Honda UK was 11 years old.

Car sales began in 1966, with the S800 starring at that year’s London Motor Show, but despite the Japanese manufacturer marketing the N360/N600 and the Z600 hatch, many drivers still associated the firm with motorcycles.

The Honda Civic’s 1.2-litre engine makes 50bhp

In contrast, the Civic appeared to mark a new chapter for Honda as a car with mass appeal.

As Autocar put it: ‘The Civic appears to owe nothing to previous Honda designs.’

In October 1973, the entry-level Civic two-door cost £1029, while the flagship three-door De Luxe with a semi-auto ‘Hondamatic’ gearbox was £1239.

At that time, a Mini 1000 retailed for £837; Honda admitted the Civic wasn’t cheap, ‘But nothing this good ever is.’

Wood inserts jump out in the Honda Civic’s predominantly black cabin

By 1975 the publicity material featured a 1200 with a striking yellow finish, while dealers could tell prospective customers how it was designed to run on low-octane two-star fuel and extol the virtues of ‘luxurious strut-type independent four-wheel suspension’.

That same yellow Civic is now believed to be the oldest-surviving example in the UK.

MLA 993P has been a popular member of the Honda heritage fleet for the past 25 years.

“It’s surprisingly nimble in typical Honda fashion,” says Jason Ryder, the master technician charged with the Civic’s welfare today.

A mix of cloth and PVC, the Honda’s seats provide a sense of luxury

“The steering has no power assistance and feels heavy but responsive,” he continues.

“As for the ride quality, this is a 1975 car – so it’s bouncy but still comfortable.

“There’s only a four-speed transmission with very short ratios, which you do have to work, and the Civic does feel as if it needs a fifth gear.

“But the four-pot motor still revs the way a Honda engine should.”

The Honda Civic’s cabin has simple gauges

MLA has travelled fewer than 75,000 miles in the past 48 years.

Its appearance truly deserves the epithet ‘timewarp’, because the Civic feels as if it has just strayed from a Honda dealership in circa 1975.

The Series 1 version is now so rare that during the shoot some passers-by were confused by its identity, while the interior has a fascination all of its own: seats trimmed in grey cloth and black PVC create a businesslike air.

For additional distinction, a strip of the finest Fablon plastic wood available to 1970s Japan decorates the fascia.

The diminutive, classic Honda turns heads today

The socially ambitious owner could also specify the steering wheel in ‘simulated walnut’ and even a ‘roof console incorporating spotlight’.

This particular Civic is a two-door, and it is often forgotten that in the early years of the genre several superminis lacked a hatch – Fiat continued to offer a booted version of the 127 until the end of production in 1983.

For Honda dealers, a hatchless Civic was ideal for tempting conservative-minded Mini Clubman owners.

After all, purchasing a new Japanese car was a radical enough step, without contemplating one of those newfangled hatchbacks as well.

‘Honda ambitiously claimed the Civic was a five-seater, but it feels more like an urban 2+2, while the Renault has the air of compact but genuine family transport’

The Civic gained an upgrade in 1979, and today the model is on its 11th generation after sales exceeded 27 million in 2021.

In contrast, the final R5 Series 2 departed the Boulogne-Billancourt production line in 1996, although Iran Khodro continued to make the Series 1 until 2000.

The original Civic now looks not so much small but Lilliputian, compared with a new MINI.

Honda ambitiously claimed the Civic was a five-seater, but it feels more like an urban 2+2, while the Renault has the air of compact but genuine family transport.

Owner Nigel Harratt praises the Renault 5’s handling, but its attitude in corners is of its time

Above all, the R5 and Civic were not only crucial to their respective makers, but also part of a significant social change in British motoring.

When the first examples arrived here, buying a foreign car would likely have provoked mass curtain-twitching among the neighbours and mutterings in Fine Fare about patriotism.

In 1975, a union leader told the press: ‘Anyone buying a foreign car shows a complete lack of faith in the British worker.’

But such attitudes faded as progressively more drivers chose their cars because they matched their needs, not by nation of origin.

‘Our’ Honda Civic is a two-door hatch

Some opted for the R5 and the Civic due to their considerable merits, while others reacted to BL’s neglect of Mini development during the 1970s.

Honda and Renault outlets seized the opportunity to fill the vacuum with the Civic, sold as ‘the utmost satisfaction in day-to-day driving’, and the R5, claimed to be ‘one car to answer all your driving problems’.

Thanks to: The Silver Ball Cafe; Nigel Harratt; Honda UK Heritage

Images: Max Edleston

Factfiles

Renault 5 GTL

Sold/number built 1972-’85/5,471,709 (all)
Construction steel unitary
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, ohv 1108cc ‘four’, single Solex carburettor
Max power 45bhp @ 4400rpm
Max torque 63lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, FWD
Suspension independent, at front by double wishbones, torsion bars, anti-roll bar rear beam axle, trailing arms, torsion bars
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 11ft 5½in (3493mm)
Width 5ft (1524mm)
Height 4ft 7½in (1410mm)
Wheelbase 7ft 10½in (2400mm)
Weight 1731Ib (785kg)
Mpg 38
0-60mph 17 secs
Top speed 83mph
Price new £2724 (1978)
Price now £3-8000*

Honda Civic 1200

Sold/number built 1972-’79/n/a
Construction steel unitary
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, sohc 1169cc ‘four’, single Keihin carburettor
Max power 50bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque 58lb ft @ 3500rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, FWD
Suspension independent, by MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 11ft 8in (3556mm)
Width 4ft 11in (1499mm)
Height 4ft 5in (1346mm)
Wheelbase 7ft 3in (2210mm)
Weight 1454Ib (660kg)
Mpg 37.6
0-60mph 14 secs
Top speed 88.4mph
Price new £1199 (1975)
Price now £6-10,000*