Renault 5 turns 50 ahead of 2024 rebirth

Renault is celebrating 50 years since the launch of the Renault 5 hatchback.

First launched onto the European market on January 28, 1972, more than five million units of the supermini were sold throughout its 24-year life.

The second-generation R5 was effectively replaced by the Clio and Twingo in 1996, with attention now turning towards the reborn 2024 Renault 5 EV.

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To mark the occasion, the French marque has scheduled a number of events set to take place in 2022.

Later this month, attendees of the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique will see a Renault 5 Alpine Group II joined by the Turbo variant, with the latter to be driven along the track by former French racing driver Alain Serpaggi.

In March, the annual Rétromobile classic car show will host a booth dedicated to the Renault 5, with the recent electric prototype also making an appearance.

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Renault has confirmed it will announce additional information surrounding the modern Renault 5 at the event – which runs from 16-20 March – ahead of its 2024 launch as a fully-electric small car.

In addition, the brand will begin rolling out non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of the Renault 5 during March, which will allow fans to acquire unique artworks based on the car.

A series of specialised exhibitions and 1970s’ themed displays will round out the events taking place throughout the remainder of the year.

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The retro-modern Renault 5 EV will follow in the footsteps of the all-electric Honda e and Fiat 500e by rejuvenating and electrifying historic models within each respective line-up.

At the unveiling of the concept version in January 2021, Renault design director Gilles Vidal said, “the design of the Renault 5 Prototype is based on the R5, a cult model of our heritage”.

The front-wheel-drive Renault 5 EV is expected to feature a single motor producing approximately 100kW of power, with up to 400 kilometres of WLTP-rated driving range.