The (not so) mighty Renault 12

[LWJ]

The lovely Mrs. LWJ and I were in Turkey for the first half of October. It was a wonderful vacation and we had an exceptional time.

For the last part of our trip, we rented a car. It was a Ford diesel van / wagon. Ugly but drove great.

As we drove the highways in Turkey, there were the occasional scooters going 20-30 mph on the shoulder of the road. No big deal. But, there were some cars putting along on the shoulder as well. And, they were going SLOWER than the scooters! I saw one going under 10 mph up a modest hill. Most were more like 15 on the flat.

The first I figured was a broken down wreck that some poor Turk had to nurse from A to B. Then there was the second. And third... And shocker? They were ALL the same make! I lost count after passing five of these junkers on one day but there were certainly more.

I was curious. What was this most awful of awful auto? Google told me it was a Renault 12.

I may have seen one in the US or on prior trips overseas. While unattractive, it wasn't unfamiliar. I though PPOT might enjoy knowing that there is a car that has performance less than a clapped out Honda Spree.

[oldE]

Yes, originally it was a Renault 12. But Renault sold the tooling lock, stock and barrel to a Romanian firm who sold the car as a Dacia. At one time I owned a Renault 12. It was slow but comfortable. A BIL was eccentric enough to buy a Dacia. We don't talk about him.

Best
Les

[LWJ]

Dacia. Probably so. What a POS.

[gamin]

With Navy in Spain in mid '70s bought used Spanish built R12 for wife and to keep miles down on the 911. We drove it 3 years. It was comfortable roomy very reliable economical and kept up with traffic. Had to be careful with the brakes descending in mountains as they would fade to zero. It was a decent econobox for it's era. Sold it for more than I paid for it.

[oldE]

Gamin, Funny you should mention the brakes. I don't know what they used for the brake pad material. I suspect plaster of paris and mud. I know I became an expert in doing pad swaps in my door yard.
Renault claimed 65 hp, if I recall correctly. All I know is when we replaced the 12 and the 17 (yes, I know. I'm a sucker for punishment) with diesel VW Rabbits, they felt quick after the Renaults.
If you ever looked under the hood of a Renault 12, 15 or 17 or of a Dacia, be prepared to be amazed that the pressure vessel for the cooling system was a 1 gallon jar mounted to the fire wall. I kid you not!

Best
Les

[Steve Carlton]

[Otter74]

I don't know why the examples you saw were so slow, but as a class they're not *that* slow. They were not common in the US but were as common as dirt in some countries. My grandfather (in Colombia) had a blue R12 wagon for years when I was a kid, and my cousins' other grandfther had a beige one. For years about the only car more common than an R12 in Colombia was an R4. R12s came in high-performance (relatively speaking) Gordini versions and the platform was also used for the R15 and R17 coupes.

[Steve Carlton]

Seems like a French Fiat.

[Geronimo '74]

If I was looking for something quirky to drive, I’d buy that Renault in a heartbeat.
And park it next to some fancy expensive car AND feel like the bees knees!
Cool AF if you ask me.

[oldE]

They were light, had cushy seats and a ride to get you over rough roads. There were Gordini tunes which I think brought the power up to near 100. Every now and then the wife and I drive up a hill and laugh at how the poor Renaults used to struggle to make it to the top.
There were worse cars. Then again there were many more that were better.

Best
Les

[Oracle]

I had a '76 R12 my Dad bought for my sister and I.
Fuel mileage was abysmal.. Even my Dad was happy to sell it to my Uncle and then he really liked it, I mean the drive was very smooth but gutless in all aspects.
I hated that car.. I didnt want to drive my date in that car. Quirky stupid car..

[MFAFF]

The ones you saw were probably the Dacia built version…. Ironically built before Renault took over Dacia and now design and build specific Dacia cars and SUVs as a budget brand…..or rather as cars built without many of the luxury elements loaded into current cars.