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Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Britain's rarest car once loved by budget drivers is revealed – with just 2 left in circulation
DRIVEN TO DEATH Britain's rarest car once loved by budget drivers is revealed – with just 2 left in circulation Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A ONCE-popular French hatchback, long loved by budget drivers, has been driven to near extinction — with just two left on Britain's roads. The Renault 6 TL, a 1970s favourite known for its blend of practicality and modest luxury, is believed to be one of the rarest cars in the UK today. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Car experts at the time praised its economy and character, calling it more distinctive than many of its competitors Credit: Alamy 3 The model was based on the Renault 4 platform but aimed slightly higher up the market Credit: Alamy First spotted on British roads in late 1969, the Renault 6 TL was especially popular among drivers looking for comfort and reliability without breaking the bank. Manufactured in France and later in Spain, the TL model launched in 1974 as a more refined version, boasting extras like front disc brakes, heated rear windows, reclining seats, childproof locks, and winding windows. The model was based on the Renault 4 platform but aimed slightly higher up the market, appealing to motorists who wanted something trendier without the price tag of the larger Renault 16. Its 1.1-litre engine delivered a smooth drive, and the generous boot space made it ideal for family holidays or country getaways. In its heyday, the Renault 6 TL offered what many considered 'affordable luxury.' Priced at just over £1,000 in the mid-1970s, it was costlier than rivals like the Citroën Dyane but offered better performance and features. Car experts at the time praised its economy and character, calling it more distinctive than many of its competitors. Production of the Renault 6 ended in France in 1980 and finally ceased in Spain in 1986 after over 1.7 million units were built. But like many workhorse vehicles of the past, it slowly vanished from British roads as newer models took over and older ones succumbed to rust and wear. Today, only two roadworthy Renault 6 TLs are left in the UK – one of which belongs to Terence Byrne. Based in County Down, Terence bought his 1974 TL in memory of his late wife, Jennifer, who adored the model. He named the car JEN 74, and it now serves as a tribute to her, turning heads at classic car shows. The vehicle had once replaced his Ford Escort Mk1 back in the 1980s, proving to be just as capable across fields and stone tracks as it was on the road. Decades later, after reconnecting with the Renault Classic Car Club, Terence was finally able to find another – travelling all the way to Wimborne, Dorset, to bring JEN 74 home. Classic car enthusiasts say the Renault 6 represents a forgotten chapter in motoring history – a time when cars were simple, practical and built to last. While it might lack the sleek styling of modern hatchbacks, it more than makes up for it in charm and character.
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Britain's rarest car once loved by budget drivers is revealed – with just 2 left in circulation
A ONCE-popular French hatchback, long loved by budget drivers, has been driven to near extinction — with just two left on Britain's roads. The Renault 6 TL, a 1970s favourite known for its blend of practicality and modest luxury, is believed to be one of the rarest cars in the UK today. 3 Car experts at the time praised its economy and character, calling it more distinctive than many of its competitors Credit: Alamy 3 The model was based on the Renault 4 platform but aimed slightly higher up the market Credit: Alamy First spotted on British roads in late 1969, the Renault 6 TL was especially popular among drivers looking for comfort and reliability without breaking the bank. Manufactured in France and later in Spain, the TL model launched in 1974 as a more refined version, boasting extras like front disc brakes, heated rear windows, reclining seats, childproof locks, and winding windows. The model was based on the Renault 4 platform but aimed slightly higher up the market, appealing to motorists who wanted something trendier without the price tag of the larger Renault 16. Its 1.1-litre engine delivered a smooth drive, and the generous boot space made it ideal for family holidays or country getaways. Read more on Motors In its heyday, the Renault 6 TL offered what many considered 'affordable luxury.' Priced at just over £1,000 in the mid-1970s, it was costlier than rivals like the Citroën Dyane but offered better performance and features. Car experts at the time praised its economy and character, calling it more distinctive than many of its competitors. Production of the Renault 6 ended in France in 1980 and finally ceased in Spain in 1986 after over 1.7 million units were built. Most read in Motors But like many workhorse vehicles of the past, it slowly vanished from British roads as newer models took over and older ones succumbed to rust and wear. Today, only two roadworthy Renault 6 TLs are left in the UK – one of which belongs to Terence Byrne. Based in County Down, Terence bought his 1974 TL in memory of his late wife, Jennifer, who adored the model. He named the car JEN 74, and it now serves as a tribute to her, turning heads at classic car shows. The vehicle had once replaced his Ford Escort Mk1 back in the 1980s, proving to be just as capable across fields and stone tracks as it was on the road. Decades later, after reconnecting with the Renault Classic Car Club, Terence was finally able to find another – travelling all the way to Wimborne, Dorset, to bring JEN 74 home. Classic While it might lack the sleek styling of modern hatchbacks, it more than makes up for it in charm and character. 3 Production of the Renault 6 ended in France in 1980 and finally ceased in Spain in 1986 after over 1.7 million units were built Credit: Alamy
Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
UK's rarest cars: 1974 Renault 6 TL, one of only two left
Some cars are so taken for granted when new that it is not immediately apparent when they start fading away. The Renault 6 was once the vehicle of choice for the individualist motorist of a limited budget, but today Terence Byrne's 1974 TL is one of only two remaining on the road in the UK. Renault commenced Project 118 in 1965 and its role was to be the ideal car for buyers who aspired to greater luxury than offered by the ubiquitous 4 and who could not afford the larger 16. It would also have to rival Peugeot's new front-wheel-drive 204 and, more importantly, Citroën's forthcoming Dyane, a five-door hatchback based on the 2CV. The result was the 6, which shared a platform, asymmetrical wheelbase and dashboard-mounted gearchange with the 4. The two also had an 845cc engine in common, although the 6's unit was in a slightly more powerful form. Renault unveiled its new model at the 1968 Paris motor show, with a delightful commercial illustrating its strong points. UK sales began in late 1969. This newspaper found the 6 'a sensible and civilised car'. Meanwhile, Renault GB claimed: 'It doesn't have a lot of complicated controls.' The upmarket TL debuted the following year and its specification included a 1.1-litre engine, front disc brakes, front door armrests and separate (rather than a bench) front seats. An impressed Car praised the 6 TL's fuel economy and thought it possessed 'more character than any of its classmates'. Renault facelifted the 6 in 1973 with a grey plastic grille and promised the TL could reach 70mph 'without fuss or fatigue'. Autocar regarded it as 'not perhaps the most beautiful small estate around but certainly the most practical'. By then, the 6 TL cost £1,030 compared with £816 for the Citroën Dyane 6, although the Renault was more powerful and better appointed. Nor was there a direct UK-produced rival to the 6 as a compact front-wheel-drive five-door saloon. British Leyland never built the Austin Allegro in hatchback form while the Austin Maxi 1500 was larger than the Renault and more expensive at £1,379. A potential 6 TL buyer might have looked to the £1,056 Simca 1100 LS, although its strongest competitor was probably the Renault 4 De Luxe, which offered much the same formula for only £947. However, investing in a 6 TL meant not only greater performance but luxuries beyond the dreams of the average 4 owner; winding windows, reclining front seats, heated rear window, rear childproof locks, ashtrays for the back seat passengers and a dipping rear-view mirror. Renault further assured UK drivers the 6's lack of front quarter-light windows was because they were 'the thief's usual method of entry'. French production ended in May 1980, while the last of 1,743,314 examples of the 6 left Renault's Spanish plant in March 1986. Byrne's interest in the 6 began 1981 when a yellow 1976 TL replaced his Ford Escort Mk1. 'Being an electrician and part-time farmer, it was so versatile, floating up fields and stone lanes with ease,' he says. That 6, as with so many cars, eventually succumbed to corrosion, but Byrne never forgot it. Decades later, 'my lovely wife Jennifer passed away' and he decided to find another example 'because of her love for the old Renault 6'. Byrne kept looking and in 2018, during a visit to the Classic Car Show at the NEC, he met Brian Whiteside of the Renault Classic Car Club. Whiteside told Bryne that he owned 'a yellow R6 but was not selling. However, as a member of the Renault Classic Car Club, I noticed that in 2021 he was selling some of his collection.' Byrne travelled from County Down to Wimborne in Dorset to collect the 6 TL. Today, it is driven at least monthly and 'gathers a lot of interest at shows'. The Byrne TL goes by the name JEN 74, in honour of his late wife. From a 2025 perspective, its rather appealing lines are a reminder of how different the Renault seemed from the likes of the Hillman Avenger or the Triumph Toledo. The interior provided space for four well-proportioned adults, while the strip speedometer resembled a gauge from the 1964 TV series Stingray. And JEN 74 is also a prime example of how the memories invested in an old car are as important as the engineering and design.
