I stumbled upon this car Friday night when I went to the Tukwila train station to pick up Christopher coming home for Spring Break. I have not seen one of these since the 80s, and even then they were a pretty rare sight here in the US. I was carrying on a SMS text conversation with Chris as he approached. I asked him what end of the train he was on, and when he replied “second car in the front” I knew to park at the north end of the station, as I pulled into the parking lot my eyes were drawn immediately to this car. I texted Chris back saying “I’m parked next to the yellow (car).” He replied, “Do they even sell those here?” 🙂
The two photos above show some distinguishing characteristics. The first is an odd bulge in the bonnet on the passenger side. The second shows the 3-lug wheels. The latter might be a dead giveaway… we’ll see.
Do you know what car this is?
Well, it’s definitely a Reenawlt, but the model escapes me!
Reenawlt 15 coupe?
Thanks Vroomie, you helped to focus.
I guess Renault 15 GTL.
You guys are hitting VERY close to the mark but *just* missing. Here’s a hint, a specific detail difference to this model:
That’s the TDI Jetta in the background.
Oh, hello and welcome johnny ro! 😉
4 headlights = Renault 17
Ding! Mark gets it, a Renault 17. More pics:
Gotta love those window louvers!
A good friend in college had a Renault 17 Gordini Coupe/Convertible. I always liked that car.
Reason I didn’t know the model? When I was in ‘da car bidness,’ I tried to avoid working on Renaults, simply because they were…well, *weird.* No doubt the French built’em. They’re…*whimsical*.
To boot, what we got over here were pretty unreliable, ill-handling things.
I remember what my Dad said about Renaults (Chuck loves my Dad’s pithy sayings, and here’s another one, for the ages!): when Dad first saw the *rattan* headliner of a Renault ‘LeCar,’ Dad just looked up at it, thought for a second and said:
“Figures. A people who fight with their feet and f**k with their mouth’d put a rattan headliner in a f’in’ car.”
🙂
He then learned that some ‘gendarmeries’ used the excreable LeCars as police cars, which brought an uproarious peal of laughter from Dad (who did NOT often laugh out loud) who said, “WHAT?? Whatta they do with the criminals…take’em to “Le Pokey??’
🙂 🙂
Phillipe, no offense intended towards you, mind ya…just French car makers!
Vroomie, no troubles. I am Belgian!
My first car when I was student was a Renault 4, good memories and very practical.
About French Police and Renault… in 1971 they had Alpine Renault as police cars indeed.
(see http://phil-snapshots.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-drove-to-see-my-father-in-south-of.html)