Renault 14 TL
The Renault 14 was a small family car released by the French carmaker Renault between 1976 and 1983. It features front wheel drive, making it an ideal competitor for the small family car segment dominated by the Volkswagen Golf. The car came with a 1.2-litre single overhead camshaft engine from Peugeot and had plenty of interior space, making it practical for families.
Unfortunately for Renault, the original advertising campaign for the car compared the 14's shape to that of a pear, which caused it to be nicknamed the “rotten pear” by the motoring press. French people still refer to it as “La poire” (literally: “the pear”). Renault then aimed to make the car more appealing by introducing refresh updates, but the damage was done and the production ended in 1983, with approximately one million units sold in under seven years. Nowadays, the 14 is rare in Europe and is even more so in its home country of France, probably due to the extensive dealer network and access to its parts.
In 1982 and 1983, the R14 was replaced by the Renault 9/11.
Timeline
- 1976 - R14 launched, with 1.2 litre engine on all models.
- 1979 - TS specification launched with 1.2 litre engine. R14 L and R14 TL rebadged R14 and R14 GTL.
- 1980 - New 1.4 litre engine for the R14 TS and new LS specification.
- 1982 - GTL specification given new 1.4 litre engine (different unit from 1.4 on TS and LS).
- 1983 - Production of the R14 ends, the car is replaced by the Renault 9/11.
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