In mid-May 1981 Renault released its 'car in a tracksuit'. In France, this was accompanied by an extensive campaign of advertisements, billboards and radio commercials. Dealers were also given suggestions on how to furnish the showroom. For this purpose, a cheerful background was provided in eight panels. On these, a blue sky with white clouds and a rainbow were portrayed. The rainbow played a major role on the Renault 4 Jogging. Suggestions for further decoration included sand on the floor of the showroom, a surfboard, beach ball, chair with table and parasol and orange painted stones. A second scene depicted the atmosphere of a campsite with a tent, a backpack, an air mattress and a wood fire.

The base of the 4 Jogging was the then in 1981 still very popular Renault 4 GTL which was equipped with the 1.1 litre Cléon engine with an output of 34 hp. The bodywork was painted white and the door handles, grille, interior and exterior mirror housing and ventilation grille underneath the windscreen were also finished in that colour. In addition, the interior had a white dashboard and white frames of the seats and rear seats.

Blue was an important highlight colour. This was the colouor where the bumpers were painted in as well as the bumpers on the underside of the bodywork. There was also a bright blue trim around the grille and the fabric of the standard folding roof was blue. In the interior, blue was the primary colour for the upholstery of the furniture.

As already mentioned, the rainbow played an important role in the Renault 4 Jogging. A sticker in five rainbow colours ran from the top of the front mudguards over the body's shoulder line to the tailgate. Blue, green, yellow, orange and red stripes could also be found across the centre of the seats.  Finally, the whole thing was rounded off with a Jogging logo on the bonnet and tailgate. The Renault 4 Jogging could not fail to transmit a cheerful, summery holiday feeling to its users and spectators.

Renault targeted a young and active audience with the Jogging. That's why a sports bag in the same blue colour as the upholstery and with handles in the rainbow colours was included in the delivery of the car.

In its press release of 15 May 1981, Renault mentioned that 5,000 pieces of this special series would be sold in France and the Benelux countries.

Didier Villaune from Granges-Aumontzey in the Vosges has completely recreated the cheerful character of that time with his copy that was fully restored between December 2013 and June 2014. However, the history of the car goes back much further within the family. His brother Richard bought the car when it was only 3 months old. The first owner would not have paid his lease instalments. We are talking about October 1981. Richard drove his Jogging until October 1992. There were no less than 360,000 km on the counter. Despite the fact that the Jogging was well used, he had also treated it neatly.

He found an interested buyer who managed to get the car into an accident during the first weekend. That was when Didier took over the car. "In order to save space, I took the car apart in parts. I then put all the specific parts away properly. Later, at a Renault dealer, I found a new chassis from 1991, an original example of Renault".

He also bought a 1991 Renault 4 GTL to use the bodywork. The body of the original Jogging had too much damage. With a forward looking mind Didier also bought the necessary specific parts over the course of time. He had a hunch that special series of the Renault 4, such as the Jogging, would be sought after.

The blue folding roof was still in good condition and that was transferred to the GTL bodywork. After so many kilometres, the blue upholstery was no longer salvageable. However, he found the original fabric with a Frenchman who had bought it on a roll in Germany. And to think that the original manufacturer of this fabric was in his own department.

At the start of the restoration Didier set himself the goal of making the car completely new. So not only the chassis, suspension and bodywork, but also the technology. The 1.1 litre was overhauled so that it could start from 0 kilometres. There are now almost 11,000 fresh kilometres on the counter.

Under the summer sun and with the roof rolled up to the middle of course, we see Didier enjoying his white beauty behind the wheel. The engine starts immediately, willingly and runs like new. Immediately on the way out, you benefit from the smoothness of the 1,108cc 4 cylinder. The sound is recognisable, while shifting gears with the four-cylinder, with the stick out of the dashboard, takes no getting used to.  The car feels completely at home in the hilly surroundings of Didier. While driving, the smile remains on his face.

At his home, the 4 Jogging is part of a large collection in which several R4s can be found. He has a number of early models, a Plein Air and a Carte Jeune, one of the last special series of this model.

En détail...

Renault 4 Jogging R1228

Engine:

Type 688-12, 4 cylinder petrol, bore x stroke 70 x 72 mm, displacement 1,108 cc. Power 34 hp at 4,000 rpm, torque 72 Nm at 2,500 rpm, compression ratio 9.5:1. Zenith 28 IF carburettor, 12 Volt electrical system.

Gearbox:

Type 354, four synchronised forward and one reverse speeds, gear ratios 1st - 3.833, 2nd - 2.235, 3rd - 1.458, 4th - 1.026, reverse - 3.545, final transmission 4.125. Tyres 135SR13.

Dimensions/weights:

Length 3,668 m, width 1,509 m (without mirrors), height 1,440 m, wheelbase 2,401 m. Ground clearance 0.175 m. Turning circle 9,75 m (between pavements).

Weight:

Kerb weight 715 kg, maximum permissible weight 1,120 kg, trailer weight (braked) 480 kg, luggage volume: 255 to 950 litres. Tank capacity 34 litres.

Performance:

Top speed +120 km/h, fuel consumption 5.4 litres/100 km (90 km/h), 6.3 litres/100 km (city).