Safrane Long Cours

 The most famous Renault that was partly developed and fully built at Heuliez is the Renault 25 Limousine. Even though only 832 of them were made, there was serious series production. Enthusiasts also know that Heuliez was involved in the development of the 'fat' 5 Turbo and the Alpine GTA. In the case of the 5 Turbo, Heuliez was supplied with standard bodies that were then completely modified and then transported to Dieppe for further finishing and dressing. That means Heuliez was partly responsible for exclusive and sporty Renault models.

 There was once thought of a Heuliez museum, but unfortunately it never materialised. After the bankruptcy, a number of treasures were still waiting in the factory halls in Cerizay and they got a new owner on 7 July 2012. In many cases, the pre-estimated proceeds were not achieved, so those who still had some money left in an old sock could make their move.

 One of the most prestigious Renaults that went under the hammer was the Safrane Long Cours, a kind of Shooting Brake based on the famous five-door that was proudly displayed on the Heuliez stand at the Paris Mondial de l'Automobile in 1994. A car of which, therefore, only one copy exists. The rear was given a completely new design by Heuliez's designers. Up to the rear doors, the production version and this concept are identical. Then the roof is extended further, longer third side windows have been installed and, of course, the tailgate has been reshaped. Its substantial size gives generous access to the boot. The rear lights consist of small red units on the wings and long also red strips following the sides of the tailgate. Otherwise, the rear looks pretty clean. To further emphasise the car's length, the door sills and lower edges of the bumpers are painted in a light shade of grey. We clearly recognise the Safrane Biturbo's 17-inch alloy wheels. The documentation also mentions a Biturbo as a base, but this has to be doubted as the Long Cours has an automatic gearbox and the push buttons on the steering wheel indicate the presence of cruise control, two elements that never came in combination with the Biturbo.

 The interior design is specific to this concept through materials and colouring. The furniture is upholstered in a combination of leather and fabric in a blue/purple hue that matches well with the special paint colour. Naturally, this hue is also found on part of the door panels and the centre console. Here, the wooden accents of, say, a Safrane Baccara have been replaced by aluminium.

 The rear seat has been shaped completely specifically by Heuliez. It has two separate backrests with attached headrests and an armrest in between. Furthermore, the Long Cours has a huge glass roof that cannot be opened, but provides a surplus of light in the interior. Mileage was never driven on this example because the car was purely meant to be a show model. That means the new owner has bought not only a unique vehicle, but a virtually new car. The auction house Arcturial estimated the price in the catalogue at the time to be between 30,000 and 50,000 euros, but the lucky buyer got to take the car home including auction costs for just 22,636 euros.