Autocar 8th January 1977
The nice thing about going into the secondhand car market for a coupe like
the Renault 15 or 17 is that you usually buy status without the expense,
and performance without too much complication. The Renaults, like the Capris
and Mantas with wich they compete, are stylish and compact packages, hiding
mainly utilitarian mechanicals.
The Renaults are easy to classify, as they fall neatly into an accepted
European type of car. This class is usually a two-door or three door coupe,
can seat up to four grown-up passenger (but sometimes in a frankly two-plus-two
seating layout), can almost be insured as a saloon car. and can usually
be serviced and maintained like one. Often only the styling and fittings
are special and unique. The dealers' mechanics have no problems in dealing
with them.
In the 1960's, cars like this were rare, but now most manufacturers seem
to sell one. The Ford Capri is the most typical market leader, though others
like Lancia, Opel, Toyota, Volkswagen - and Renault - all have strong contenders.
It is a well-stoked and interesting market sector, offering plenty of pleasurable
choice for buyers.
How the Renault 15/17 evolved
Renault, Like their rivals, took several short cuts when evolving this range.
On the other hand they, as masters of the art, indulged in "Mechanical
Meccano" rather more seriously than most. The basis of the cars is
the Renault 12, and they have been on sale in France since the autumn of
1971. The first cars reached Britain in August 1972.
In spite of the smart and very useful three-door coupe bodywork looking
very exclusive, it is in fact grafted on to the straightforward Renault
12 floorplan and suspension. This, compared with other Renaults, was unique
in that its front-drive power pack had the engine placed ahead of the transaxle,
whereas all the other cars had their engines behind the line of the front
wheels. The Renault 12 was also the only model without independent rear
suspension; in the 12's case a 'dead' axle beam was employed, with coil
spring and radius arm suspension.
At this point, and it is important to the secondhand customer trying to
sort out their alternatives, we have to begin to explain the various combinations.
With Renaults it is more difficult than with, say, a Capri. Not only are
there bodyshell differences, and the expected engine differences, but special
brakes and special gearboxes to be considered. The situation was made more
complex because two models - the 15TS and the 17TL - were mechanically identical
but with different bodyshells!.
To deal with the bodies first - as announced, and sharing the same basic
structure and lines, the 15s and the 17s were visually different. The 15s
looked like three-door saloons, with long rear quarter windows and rectangular
headlamps. The 17s looked more like high-fashion coupes, with abbreviated
quarter windows and stylised quarter panels embellished with air-outlet
grilles, along with twinned headlamps. There was the option of a sunroof,
which sold well.
Mechanically the tree basic versions were 15TL, 15TS/17TL, and 17TS. The
15TL, mechanically was almost exactly the same as the Renault 12 except
that its engine was boosted to 60bhp from 53bhp (the Renault 12TS, which
followed also used this power pack without any differences).
The 15TS/17TL engine was that of the Renault 16TS slightly boosted from
83bhp to 90bhp, and of 1565cc, but with one important difference. Whereas
the 16TS unit was fitted "back to front", and close to the driver's
feet, in the coupe installation it was ahead of the front wheels. There
was no cooling fan problem as this was a thermostatically controlled electric
unit mounted on the radiator. Because the 16TS engine had been completely
turned round, however, the equivalent gearbox could not be used. Therefore
as for the 15TL, a Renault 12 gearbox and transaxle, mated to 12 Gordini
driveshafts (a model we never saw in Britain), was chosen.
The 17TS was a much more special animal. The 1,656cc engine was super-tuned
with the aid of Bosch fuel injection, to no less than 108bhp and was surprisingly
untemperamental for all that Mated to it was a five-speed gearbox as normally
found on the 12 Gordini.
The other surprise was in the brakes. The 15TL used the normal disc from
drum rear layout from the 12. The 15TS/17TL, however had the benefit of
ventilated front discs (a very early production-car application), and on
the 17TS these were linked to rear disc brakes into the bargain. The most
important opyion was Renault's "own-make" automatic transmission,
available at first on the 15TS/17TL only - it was added to the 15TL options
list in 1974.
Mechanical specifications of all but the top-line have been remarkably stable
and the 15GTL. for instance is still the same car today as the 15TL was
in 1971. In January 1974, only 16 months after its introduction to the British
market, the 17TS engine was enlarged from 1,565cc to 1,605cc with a cylinder
bore change (77mm to 78mm). This sounds trivial, and was, but it was done
to make the unit common with those supplied to Alpine-Renault for their
rear-engined machines; and the need for this, incidentally, was to take
Alpine out of the 1,600cc competition class, and to allow them to enlarge
their works engines to around 1,800cc which was the safe practical over-bore
limit.
Only seven months after that the 17TS became the Gordini, again a marketing
rationalization, more important in France than anywhere else, but without
mechanical change. Finally, in April 1976, the rather clumsy range, with
too many models often overlapping, was severely rationalised. Now there
are but two versions available in Britain - the 15 GTL (effectively the
old 15TL with different styling and revised interior), and the 17TS (an
amalgam between the old 17TL and the Gordini). The Gordini with its special
feul-injected engine, has been dropped, and the 1,605cc engine in carburettor
form was enlarged to 1,647cc (by another trivial 1mm bore increase - to
79mm) to make it common with the 16TX unit. The new engine's power was 98bhp
at 5,750rpm, with a more robust low-speed torque curve than before. We expect
the car's performance to fall midway between that of the old 17TL and the
17 Gordini. These two cars, of course, continue in full production and are
still very familiar to Renault dealers and new-car customers.
Testers' viewpoint
With the first models, we rather objected to the obviously stylized facia
and fittings, where looks sometimes came before function, and we are much
happier with the revised models, which are not yet to be found in the secondhand
market. The 1,289cc models are surprisingly fast and economical when an
all-up weight of a ton (with driver ob board) is considered. The typically-French
ride and handling are not at all sports-car-like, and there is considerably
more understeer than with, say, a Capri. In this respect the car flatters
to deceive. The three-door layout is very useful, even if the loading area
is not easy to reach over the high rear sill. There is more rear seat space
than in many coupes, though headroom is restricted. The 17 Gordini model
we thought to be surprisingly flexible and untemperamental, in spite of
its highly-tuned engine.
What to look for
Your first problem will be to find enough cars from which to make a choice.
Renault 15s and 17s have not sold anything like as widely as the more mundane
Renault saloons. The 17 Gordini (17TS before and after that name was used)
is the rarest of all.
There are more than 400 Renault dealers in Britain, so there should be absolutely
no problem in locating spares, and the expertise needed for service. Although
the cars look exotic and "different", it is reassuring to remember
that the under-pan and basic suspensions are common with the fast-selling
Renault 12, while engines are shared (in all but detail) with Renault 12
TS and 16TS/16TX models.
Remember that the 17TS Gordini variant has always been more "special"
than the others - with its four-wheel disc brakes, five-speed gearbox and
fuel-injected engine. This means that it will be that much more expensive
and parnickety to maintain, and the spares prices bear this out. As with
the Capri, of course, it is possible for a customer to tune his need to
the models available. A 15TL or 15GTL, for example, is a much more pedestrian
machine than a 17TL, even though it has a maximum speed in the mid 90s.
Insurance premiums vary accordingly.
No British-delivered 15 or 17 is more than four years old, so none should
be showing any signs of rust corrosion. Our experience of recent Renault
models, however, suggests that rust proofing from new is well up to scratch.
All cars brought into Britain have an extra Tectyl treatment on landing.
Unless status is important to you, buy a 15TS in preference to a 17TL, as
the cars are mechanically identical, with the same gearing and suspension.
The only difference is that the 17TL has the more sporting looking bodyshell-but
is the price difference (see out Selling Price table) worth it?
Generally speaking the cars have no weak design points, through naturally
the high-tuned 17 Gordini engine asks a lot of the basically Renault 12
transmission. Fortunately the current series of front-wheel-drive shafts
are very strong and long lasting, just so long as the U/J "boots"
are still intact.
Engines, in particular, last for a very long time, and even at four years
old should not be in need of major attention. The 17 engine is a wet-liner
unit, which means that engine overhauls should be simple and not to expensive.
The gearbox linkage is better on this type of Renault, with its short connection
to the box under the toeboard, than for other types with the gearbox away
ahead, in the nose. Automatic transsion cars are rare, and take some of
the car's character away. We would not recommend such a combination - as
a buyer will really be losing part of what he is paying for.
Be sure to consider the 15/17 as a nicely styled three-door saloon rather
than a sports car, then you will not be disappointed. Sporting it is; a
sports car it is not.
Milestones
Sub boxed section from 15/17 article.
Renault 15
August 1972 First imports to Britain of 15TL and 15TS models (announced
September 1971 in France). Front-wheel-drive-cars based on Renault 12 floorplan.
15TL has 1,289cc engine and 60bhp. 15TS has 1,565cc engine and 90bhp. Three
door closed coupe bodywork and sporting style.
Optional automatic on 15TS model April 1974, Optional automatic transmission
became available on 15TL from August 1974: Rev-counter standardized on 15TL,
and electric wipe/wash on all models.
From April 1976 Range revised, rationalized, and re-styled. 15TS discontinued
making it fairly rare, and 15TL becomes 15GTL.
Renault 17
August 1972 First imports to Britain of 17TL and 17TS models (announced
September 1971 in France). Front-wheel-drive-cars based on Renault 12 floorplan.
Both cars with 1565cc engine but 17TS has five-speed gearbox, four-wheel
disc brakes, fuel injection and 108bhp, 17TL has 90bhp. Sun roof available
as option on 17 models.
June 1973 17TS discontinued with original 1,565cc engine at January 1974
New version of 17TS introduced with 1,605cc fuel injected engine. From August
1974 17TL continued with minor changes including hazard warning system.
17TS becomes 17 Gordini basically as before with air horns and hazard warning
system. April 1976 Range revised, rationalized and re-styled.
17TL and Gordini both discontinued and replaced by new version called 17TS.
New 17TS has 1,647cc engine 98bhp and single twin-choke carburettor, Rear
disc brakes not fitted.
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