The special colour of the Renault 14 Safrane immediately catches the eye. The limited edition in Germany had Amil alloy wheels, some in the same colour, special stripes and a radiator grille with a chrome frame.
Anyone who thinks that Renault only introduced the Safrane name on its new top-of-the-range model in 1992 is mistaken. In 1978, the brand briefly introduced a special edition of the Renault 14 with this addition, mainly in northern European countries. Finding a surviving example is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The tailgate leaves no doubt as to the name of this special edition of the Renault 14.
Special editions are always produced in limited numbers. The number of remaining examples after 45 years is extremely small. This is particularly true of the Renault 14 Safrane, which was mainly delivered to northern European countries to complement the existing Renault 14 and Renault 14 TL range.
Raymond Delévacq bought his in August 2000 with just 36,000 km on the clock. He found the Safrane in a car magazine. The car was in Mechelen, in the south of the Dutch province of Limburg. The seller's father was the first owner, who had stopped driving. His son took over the car for his wife, but she hardly ever drove it. Nevertheless, the Renault 14 remained in her possession for ten years.
Raymond: "I bought the car with the original dealer's receipt. I noticed that a rear fog light had been fitted neatly into the existing unit before delivery on 1 September 1978. This delivery took place in Germany, one of the countries where the R14 Safrane was offered. The fact that it was a German car can be seen from the Amil alloy wheels, some parts of which were painted in the Safrane colour. The Dutch cars were fitted with Dunlop alloy wheels.”
Special features of the 14 Safrane include a reading light.
The Renault 14 Safrane anticipated the introduction of the GTL and TS in 1978. Several components that were to be introduced at that time could already be found on the Safrane. Raymond also noticed that the rear suspension arms were made of cast iron, although he was unable to find an explanation for this.
Because Raymond has had his car for so long, he can point out every specific detail. For example, the undersides of the door sills are painted black and there is a small spoiler under the front bumper to improve airflow and cooling. Of course, the Safrane is available in the metallic colour Safrane Verni. This name is printed in large letters on the tailgate and there is a dark decorative stripe around the model name. The anthracite grey bumpers match perfectly. The Safrane also has specially designed lines on the side. A narrow stripe starts just behind the headlights and continues to the rear doors. The C-pillar had six lines that became progressively higher and more pronounced. In 1978, the Renault 14 did not have a rear window wiper as standard, but the Safrane had an electric washer. The 14 Safrane also had a right-hand door mirror and a radiator grille with a chrome frame, as would later be introduced on the 14 TS.
Not only did Renault brighten up the exterior, the interior was also much more opulent. This started with the door panels in beige, just like the dashboard. A chrome trim ran along these panels. Door compartments were standard, of course, and the Safrane featured upward-sweeping armrests.
All the upholstery was the same as on the Renault 14 TL, but the brown/beige velour upholstery was specific to the Safrane version. Of course the backrests could be adjusted to any position and this German version had headrests in the same fabric. The colour of the carpet was a perfect match.
Renault's designers had thought of the smallest details. Normally the word 'Renault' would appear on the right side of the dashboard, next to the ventilation grille. In the Safrane, two spaces were left free for the owner's initials. Both sun visors also had a make-up mirror.
Raymond Delévaque has studied the Renault 14 extensively over the past 25 years.
The original Iso Delta steering wheel with saffron-coloured spokes.
The interior equipment went one step further. There was a Jaeger digital clock in the floor console and a map reading light on the passenger side that could be removed from its holder. Raymond: "This feature could also be found on some versions of the first generation Citroën CX.
"The 14 Safrane also has an Iso-delta steering wheel. It is actually the same steering wheel as the first leather-covered Renault 5 Alpine. The spokes are saffron again and the centre cushion has a Renault logo in the middle. The first owner had fitted the standard Renault 14 steering wheel. However, someone from the Dutch Renault Club had fitted one of these in his Renault 8, which he had taken from a Renault 14 Safrane at a scrapyard. So now I have the original steering wheel, but the leather needs to be restored."
Renault launched the five-door Renault 14 in mid-1976. With a length of 4.03 metres, the car was designed to compete with the Volkswagen Golf, among others. The car always had a five-door body with a large tailgate. The Renault 14 was the brand's first car to have a transverse front engine. A 1,218 cc four-cylinder engine mounted on a subframe at an angle of 72 degrees. A special feature was that the engine and gearbox shared the same oil sump. This power unit had been used by Peugeot a little earlier in the 104, but it was in fact a joint development between the two manufacturers. In fact, it was the joint factory, the Société Française de Mécanique in Douvrin, that eventually produced the engine for four brands. Many Renault dealers regarded it as a Peugeot engine and preferred to sell models with their own engines. It was probably the remarkable advertising campaign, in which the car was compared to a pear, that prevented the Renault 14 from reaching the desired production figures.
Special features of the 14 Safrane include a reading light, digital clock, space for the owner's initials, brown velour upholstery and more ornate door panels.
The strength of the Renault 14 lay in its compactness. Despite its modest length, the transversely mounted engine ensured that there was plenty of space for passengers and luggage. At launch, Renault claimed that the interior space was identical to that of the much larger Renault 16. With a total weight of 865 kg, the Renault 14 could also be fitted with a smaller engine, which in turn resulted in advantages in terms of fuel consumption. Owners of a Renault 14 then and now will also agree that the engine was much quieter than the 1.3 litre Cléon in the Renault 12, for example, a model in the same price category.
Technically, the Renault 14 Safrane is simply a 14 TL of the R1210 type. Even the entry-level version, called the Renault 14 in 1978, had the same R-number. The 4-cylinder engine produced 57 bhp and 91 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm. Combined with a four-speed manual gearbox, this resulted in reasonable performance, such as a top speed of 144 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 15.7 seconds.
The engine is the well-known 1,218 cc from the R14 TL (R1210).
The Renault 14 was very flexible. The luggage compartment under the parcel shelf had a capacity of 375 litres. The rear seat could be folded down as a single unit, increasing the total volume to an impressive 1,400 litres.
The first thing you notice when driving a Renault 14 is the amazing comfort of the chassis. A thoroughly French car from the seventies. Of course, the car tends to lean a little in fast corners, but the Renault 14 rides over bumps that would be uncomfortable for many cars almost like a magic carpet. The pleasant, high-pitched engine noise is only audible in the background and is very characteristic of this Renault model. The gearbox is a little jerky. Two rods are used to transmit the shifting movements and the ball joints eventually wear out and give too much play.
It is a shame that there are so few Renault 14s left now that interest in the model is beginning to grow, especially in France, and that it is finally being appreciated by enthusiasts and the general public.
Fortunately, Raymond saved his special Renault 14 from destruction a long time ago. He is very fond of his French middle class car and owns a TS as well as the Safrane. Over the years, he has studied the model in great detail and the Renault 14 has no secrets from him. He is still looking for a replacement for the aforementioned and controversial gear rods, which every R14 owner will have to look for sooner or later. Another exterior detail is the lines on the C-pillar, which he wants to restore to their original state.
The Renault 14 Safrane is extremely rare. It is not known how many there are. This model was sold in the Netherlands, England and Germany, and probably also in Austria and some Scandinavian countries.
En detail..
Renault 14 Safrane 1978 (R1210)
Engine:
Type 129-A7, 4 cylinder in-line, capacity 1,218 cc, bore x stroke 75 x 69 mm, compression ratio 9.3:1. Solex 32 SHA carburettor, power output 57 bhp (DIN) at 5,500 rpm, torque 91 Nm (DIN) at 3,000 rpm. 12 volt electrical system.
Gearbox:
Type 408, 4-speed, fully synchronised. Gear ratios 1st - 3.883, 2nd - 2.296, 3rd - 1.501, 4th - 1.042, reverse 3.568. Tyres 145 SR 13 front/rear, spare wheel under bonnet on top of engine. Suspension: McPherson struts and anti-roll bar at the front and torsion springs and hydraulic dampers at the rear. Top speed: 144 km/h.
Dimensions:
Length 4,025 mm, width 1,624 mm, height 1,405 mm (unladen), wheelbase 2,530/2,562 mm, track width (front/rear) 1,352/1,378 mm, turning circle 10 metres (between kerbs). Fuel tank capacity 38 litres, luggage compartment 375-1,400 litres. Kerb weight 865 kg.