Collecting out of pure passion

In his youth Robert Göschl was so captivated by cars, especially Renault, that even now he still works as a sales manager for a dealer. His parent company is located in Sankt Pantaleon just across the German border north of Salzburg, while he now works for Renault dealer Autohaus Gerlach in Strasswalchen, a little further away.

Robert recalls: "I spent my youth on the back seats of all the seventies Renaults and, of course even then I was very enthusiastic about the Renault 15 and 17 which, unfortunately, were very rare here in Austria".

Robert took his chance when he was offered a yellow Renault 15 TL for little money in 1994, but unfortunately it was in seriously bad condition. The car was really well past its best as the engine had worn out conrod bearings due to oil starvation, the gearbox was noisy, the seats had collapsed and there was not a single body panel that was not damaged or rusty.

Robert recalls: "To start with, I just put the car away and went looking for parts. In those days, without the numerous internet opportunities available today, you can’t imagine how extremely difficult that was. It really was a hard job to find the least I needed to be able to start the restoration. In 1999 and 2000 I spent every spare minute on the restoration and in 2001 I was able to drive the freshly completed R15 to a meeting of the German Renault 15/17 IG (IG = Interessengemeinschaft) in Karlsruhe which is about 600 km away from me. About twenty vehicles took part in this meeting and I was the only one with a Renault 15. The other participants all came with Renault 17s but I was, and still am, incredibly proud that I saved my 'little one' for this rather than appear there with a so desirable Renault 17 TS or Découvrable".

In the first five years after the restoration Robert drove to almost every meeting in Europe including destinations in Germany, France and even the Netherlands amongst these numerous trips. "I got to know more and more like-minded people and realised that the two coupés have a small but very enthusiastic fan community. Through my new contacts I found more and more parts which made the R15 even better".

In 2010, Robert felt the need to turn his special Renault 15 into his own limited edition and so the only Renault 15 S was born. On the front wings and tailgate he used the S badge from the Renault 8 and even came up with a sticker for the bottom of the doors with an S logo. He also fitted his car with 15TS hubcaps and kangaroo headlights with built-in spotlights.

The motor was upgraded to a 1.4 litre engine from a Renault 18 GTL fitted with a 40DCOE carburettor and an A110 1300S cast rocker cover. The car has a rev counter and special R17 stitched skai front seats plus it runs on wider spec tyres (175),

"Still I felt the urge to buy an R17 as well but it too had to be something special and in 2005 I found my Renault 17 TL Automatic".

This car originated in Switzerland and Robert is only the second owner. It was in perfect mechanical condition at the time of purchase and rust was not an issue this time also. However, it was noticeable that the 17 had a lot of dents and scratches due to the age and visual handicap of the previous owner. "In spite of that, the restoration this time was only a small job compared to the R15. Finding the missing parts was also much easier due to my contacts with clubs all over Europe. Soon both cars were shining side by side and I could choose between the 15 or the 17 for attending events".

"The Internet became a treasure trove for all spare parts and so I sat at the computer for hours to find the most amazing things. On Ebay, for example, I found the beautiful Mille Miglia wheels that have embellished my light blue R17 Automatic since 2008  - new and in their original packaging."

Last of the three, Robert came across the green R17 TL advertised on a French forum. This car was also one-owner with only 32,000 km on the clock. He was immediately impressed by the perfect condition and while the interested French people were still discussing the price on the forum, Robert contacted the owner and did a deal!

The new acquisition in 2012 has kept Robert happy right up to the present. This R17 is one of the first and the side grilles are made of metal instead of the plastic used on the later models. The interior light under the dashboard, which originates from the R4, also bears witness to a very early production date. Of course, the car also displays the 'forbidden logo badge' on the bonnet and steering wheel. This logo was soon replaced in production by the logo designed by Victor Vasarely after a legal dispute with the chemical company Kent. Very few examples of the R5, R15 and R17 still bear this so-called Kent 'losange'.

The green Renault 17 had the original white striping on the sides with '17' sticker between the rear side windows and Robert had this striping copied exactly, but opted for gold colour because this fits nicely with the Gotti wheels. The blue 17 TL Automatic got the same stickers, but in black.

In addition to these three vehicles, Robert also owns an Alpine V6 Turbo, an Avantime V6 automatic, a replica of a Clio 16V Group A (replica of the 1992 Tour de Corse participant) and a R30TS which has been in restoration for ten years and will hopefully be ready soon.

Renault 15 and 17 coupe models use the same chassis as the Renault 12 and both models were presented in July 1971 after which the public debut followed in the autumn at the Paris Motor Show.  The Renault 15 was fitted with a large, continuous rear side window and rectangular, single headlights. The Renault 17 distinguished itself by double round headlights and a divided rear window. The smaller window, directly behind the doors, can be opened with a lever and behind the grille (first metal, later plastic) there is also a window to be found.

At launch there were two engine variants for both models: The Renault 15 was available as a TL with the 1,289 cc engine from the 12 TS and the 15 TS had the 1,565 cc engine from the Renault 16 TS which was also the standard engine for the Renault 17 TL.  Both the 15 TS and 17 TL were available with a three-speed automatic gearbox as an option (also later on the 15 TL). The 17 TS was the top of the range model and had the same 1,565 cc four-cylinder engine but was fitted with electronic injection for the first time in Renault’s history and coupled to a five speed gearbox, not normally a high volume component. Another option for the Renault 17 was the so-called découvrable roof which was a canvas roll-back roof that could be opened electrically from the driver's seat at the push of a button. With the side windows lowered, together with the narrow roof pillars, the car had the appearance of a convertible.

The interior also had many special features, not least the instrument panel with four separate dials, each under its own cowl.

The Renault 15 and 17 were built both at Renault in Sandouville and Chausson in Maubeuge. Build numbers were: Renault 15 - 209,887, Renault 17 coupé  - 71,569  and R17 Découvrable  - 23,400.

En détail..

Renault 15 TL/17 TL Automatic

Specifications (R1300/R1312)

Engine:

4 cylinder petrol, type 810-10/807-11, bore x stroke 73 x 77/77 x 84 mm, displacement 1.289/1.565 cc. Power 60/90 hp at 5,500 rpm, torque 96/123 Nm at 3,500/3,000 rpm, compression ratio 9.5:1/10.25:1. Manual 4-speed, type 352/automatic 3-speed, type 139.

Suspension:

Independent with parallel mounted support arms, coil springs and stabilizer bar, pressed steel swingarm on centre mounted hinged wishbone. Front disc brakes, rear drum brakes / ventilated discs, rear drums. Tyres: 145 x 330 / 155x 330.

Dimensions:

Length 4,255 mm, width 1,630 mm, empty height 1,310 mm, wheelbase 2,440 mm, track width front 1,340 mm, track width rear 1,314 mm. Luggage volume 300 litres. Turning circle 10.3 metres. Weight: unladen vehicle 965/1,055 kg, payload 345/320 kg, max. permissible weight 1,310/1,375 kg. Fuel tank capacity 55 litres.

Performance:

Top speed 150/165 km/h. Fuel consumption 6.8 - 10.6 litres / 7.0 - 10.5 litres per 100 km.