Renault 25 GTS
Or you pour petrol in it...
New car
A Renault 25 GTS from the first year of manufacture with 14,000 kilometres on the clock. Then such a car must be new. And that is certainly the case with this example that Hugues Carré proudly drives out of his garage. In 2014, he bought this special car. Ready for many more kilometres, but Hugues will never drive it himself.
Near-new condition
From Hugues Carré's collection, we previously featured the red Renault 25 TS (no. 15) in near-new condition with just 48,500 kilometres on the clock. A car with hardly a blemish to be found.
Delightful, comfortable
Can it get any more beautiful and newer? Yes, Hugues' collection also includes a Sépia (colour code 659) Renault 25 GTS that was delivered to its first owner on 28 November 1984 and now, more than 37 years later, has only covered 14,750 kilometres. You can hardly imagine that such a delightful, comfortable touring car has been driven so little. But when we ask Hugues about the history known to him, it soon becomes clear why. "The car was sold by the Renault dealer in Creil, some 45 kilometres above the centre of Paris in the Oise department. The sticker on the rear window still testifies to this. Not long after taking delivery of his new car, the owner died. And despite the fact that his wife did not have a driving licence, she did not want to part with the Renault."
Photo: The bonnet seems to have been painted yesterday.
Nobody was interested
"When she also passed away, it was up to the children to clear the house and sell it. The 25 GTS was still in its familiar place in the garage. Nobody was interested in it and that's how the car ended up on leboncoin.fr."
Within an hour, Hugues responded and was allowed to buy the car for an extremely good price. After all, the 25 was not running. On a trailer, the car was moved to the East of France. The new owner naturally wanted to revive his new acquisition as soon as possible. He tackled things seriously. All fluids were changed, new spark plugs fitted, a complete service carried out including timing belt, the brakes were checked and the exhaust renewed. And as it turned out, the only true reason why the engine would not start was that there was no petrol in the tank. All this took place in 2014.
Photo: All details are new
Metallic paint
This beautifully preserved Renault 25 has as the optional 14-inch alloy wheels that were fitted prior to delivery. And of course, metallic paint was ordered as an extra and a right-hand side mirror. A radio was apparently not considered necessary by the first owner. He probably preferred listening to the engine sound.
Trim level
The paintwork is completely undamaged, there are no dents. After a thorough treatment with a polisher, everyone will think it is a completely new car. Where the base TS version looks a bit bare, the GTS appears much more complete. From this trim level, a Renault 25 has the wide door mouldings. The black tailgate spoiler is also already fitted to the TS and TD, but the rear window wiper is another item for this higher level spec.
Photo: The Renault 25 looks extremely long and elegant in profile. It is to this design that the car largely owes its success.
Rectangular
Part of the Renault 25's strength was that from the GTS onwards, the exterior appearance was almost as comprehensive as that of the top model. For example, every first-series R25 has metal mouldings on the bumpers, around the windscreen and rear window and also around the side windows. The rectangular door handles follow this theme. The grille has chrome bars, while the upper part consists of two unequal bars painted in the body colour. This is an extremely original Renault 25 in the purest sense of the word.
After opening the bonnet, the as-new condition becomes completely clear. The inside of the bonnet as well as all the painted parts in the engine compartment exude the sheen of a new car. The only part that shows that the car has driven some miles is the exhaust manifold, which even on a completely new car gets a bit rusty after a few drives and loses its original black paint. Otherwise, all hoses are clean, the expansion tank is nice and clear and there is no grease or dirt anywhere. Every enthusiast wants to find a car in this condition, every enthusiast wants to find a car.
Douvrin
The engine is the familiar 2-litre Douvrin with timing belt, which debuted at Renault in the 20 TS. The powerplant produces 103 hp, which is more than enough for fine performance at a modest vehicle weight.
Electronics
The engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission and from the GTS level onwards, power steering was standard. Actually, a GTS offers exactly what a lover of French cars is looking for. A chunky size and wonderfully comfortable handling. And that's without the electronics that were standard from the GTX level onwards. The engine sounds nice and familiar from the front and never gets noisy. Hugues hasn't driven it for some time, but as the drive goes on, the car starts to like it. And so does his passenger.
With the Sépia paint colour, a light interior also came in Sépia. In addition, grey and beige were available. The light shades make the interior appear extra spacious. Starting with the GTS, Renault upholstered the seats with ribbed velour. The door panels also got the same material. There is a large storage compartment under the armrests, and an extension of the console houses the door release button, the electric front door window controls and the joystick for manually adjusting the door mirrors.
Gandini
The wide dashboard is the work of Marcello Gandini. The instrument cluster consists of a large speedometer and matching tachometer. In between is a panel with the fuel gauge with a hefty array of warning lights below. Completing the picture is the temperature gauge on the left and an instrument on the right that displays the oil level before starting.
No radio
Heating control is by three roller switches from left to right for temperature, vents and fan speed. As there is no radio and certainly no Radio Renault fitted, there is only a digital clock in the centre at the very top. Below that follow a couple of storage compartments and the muted opening ashtray with lighter. To the left of the gear lever are two more empty switches and at the top the switch for the central locking system.
Generous in design
Throughout its career, the Renault 25 was a large car, while by today's standards its length is fairly modest. Still, the interior is generous in design with room for four or five adults. These all have a fine view partly due to the window bars of modest thickness.
Neck supports
If two passengers use the rear seats, the centre armrest can be folded out. The rear seat backrest is completely flat on a GTS, only from the GTX onwards did it get two integrated neck supports.
It is a pleasure to be reacquainted with the original concept of the Renault 25 so many years after the fact, one of the most elegantly designed Renaults of the post-war period.
Production
The colour Sépia only came in the 1984 and 1985 model years. The 1984 launch year was immediately successful. By then, 118,561 units of the Renault 25 had been produced in Sandouville. That is immediately the second most successful year. That status moved on to 1985 with 136,972 units. After that, production dropped a little to just under 100,000 in 1986 and 1987. After more than 460,000 units, Renault launched the facelift in mid-1988. Front and rear ends as well as the interior were addressed. This is well reflected in the sales figures. For in 1988, 103,445 units found their way to customers. And even when the 25 had competition from the XM and 605, the car maintained a strong position.
En détail…
Renault 25 GTS 1984
Engine:
Type J6R-N706, 4-cylinder inline, displacement 1,995 cc, bore x stroke 88 x 82 mm, compression ratio 9.2:1. Carburettor double Weber 28-36 DARA, power (DIN) 103 hp at 5,500 rpm, torque 158 Nm at 3,000 rpm. Electrical system 12 volts / 60 A.
Gearbox:
Type NG3, 5-speed gearbox. Gear ratios 1st - 11/45, 2nd - 17/37, 3rd - 22/31, 4th - 33/34, 5th - 36/31, reverse 11/39, final drive 9/32.
Suspension:
Front independent, superimposed wheel wishbones, coil springs, stabiliser bar. Rear independent, McPherson, coil springs, stabiliser bar. Unpowered steering. Tyres front/rear 185/70R14T, spare wheel under luggage compartment floor.
Brakes: power-assisted, ventilated discs at front, drums at rear. Top speed 182 km/h, acceleration 0-100 km/h in 11.5 seconds.
Dimensions:
Length 4,623 mm, width 1,772 mm, height 1,405 mm (empty), wheelbase 2,723 mm, track width (front/rear) 1,492/1,476 mm, turning circle 10.80 metres (between pavements). Fuel tank capacity 67 litres, luggage compartment 442 - 1,238 litres. Empty weight 1,155 kg.
