1981 Renault R4 - GTL

On 28 August 1961, Renault presented its in-house Project R112 to the French press as an affordable car under the name ‘R4’, which was officially renamed ‘Renault 4’ in 1965. The very simple yet functional design, featuring flat glazing, sheet metal forming without significant draw depths, a flat floor pan and very basic equipment, not only enabled cost-effective production but also resulted in a low kerb weight. In August 1967, the R4 underwent its first major facelift. The exterior changes included a new anodized aluminium radiator grille with a central strut, whose wider surround incorporated the headlights, as well as new, more substantial bumpers, which remained in use until the end of production. In the autumn of 1973, the R4 was fitted with the gearbox from the R5 and R6, featuring a ‘standard’ gear-changing pattern. In the autumn of 1974, the R4 models, much like the larger Renault 16, were fitted with a black plastic grille. With the introduction of the Renault 4 GTL (1'108 cc with 34 hp) in early 1978, this model was fitted with a grey plastic grille and standard side protection strips made of reinforced plastic. The bumpers were painted rather than chrome-plated, and the trim strips were omitted. The first Renault 4s had four drum brakes. Later models with larger engines had disc brakes on the front axle. This beautiful Renault 4 GTL was first registered on 1 December 1981. The early history of this iconic French car is unknown, until it was acquired by the seller just under a year ago. He had the bodywork – which was in extremely good condition and had no welded repairs – repainted and fitted the interior with new seat covers and door panels. As a mechanic himself, he overhauled the brake system and suspension, replaced the clutch, the shock absorbers, the exhaust, and fitted new tyres to the new rims. The R4 is now in very good condition and the 98'000 km shown on the odometer is likely to correspond to the actual mileage. The most recent veteran MOT was carried out in October 2026.