Javi Martin
The automobile for the common of the mortals, is a simple means of transport, a machine that allows us to go from point A to point B comfortably, in a relatively short period of time and also, with a certain freedom. But really the car has a lot of passion, if it weren't for a handful of fans of these machines, today, no one would have cars to boast about, because despite being a simple means of transport, everyone boasts of a car. We have commented on it several times, but we will never tire of saying it.
Y part of that passion comes from racing, especially from tests that are not currently carried out or are done for mere tribute, since most were run on public roads. Among those mythical races, we must give special thanks to one of them: the Targa Florio, one of the most famous races in the world that was held in Italy, in Palermo, whose first edition dates back to 1906. This race was guilty that some of the most famous people in the automotive world felt that first 'call', got excited about the car and later found their own car brands as was the case with Enzo Ferrari, for example.
But at the same time as Don Enzo, a few kilometers away, there was another Italian watching the same race and feeling the same contagious thrill of racing, also founding his own brand. I mean Amédée Gordini.
Gordini is a name that has always been associated with Renault, but in the beginning he was working in a workshop owned by Eduard Weber, creator of Weber carburettors and in Isotta-Fraschini, where he met a person who will surely sound much more familiar to you: Alfieri Maserati.
As for her time at Renault, almost all of us know her, famous are the Renault Gordini, especially the R8, that so many fans and followers accumulated throughout Europe, although especially in France thanks to the Gordini Cup. The Renault 8 Gordini was the main cause that our protagonist did not have the expected reception, although the characteristics of the model also have a lot to do with it and that the Gordini name was actually put by marketing, since the car is the complete work of Renault.
Replacing a myth is never easy
It does not need an introduction, you are seeing it in the photos, but our protagonist is the Renault 12 Gordini, a model that came to fill the gap that the R8 Gordini was going to leave in the 70s, but failed to erase the trace of it.
At the beginning of the 70s, the replacement of the R8 Gordini was inevitable, although for many, the car still had a pull. Renault had already passed its entire range to front-wheel drive and the only vestige that remained of the 'all behind' was this. The change from one model to another was welcomed, mainly by the capabilities of the new R12, which outperformed the Renault 8 in everything and proved over time to be a spectacularly reliable and durable model. Not in vain, the Sierra-type R8 engines were also used (they were even used in the Renault Twingo, with the consequent and necessary modifications).
As the new 12 took the place of the 8, it was also chosen to bear the Gordini stamp and the fans were very disappointed. The Renault 12 Gordini was presented to the public at Paul Ricard, during a special event called 'G Day, 'which was attended by 2.200' gordinistas'. In that event, the R12 Gordini already took the first step in its unsuccessful commercial life, because in a demonstration lap it only managed to get five tenths of the R8 Gordini out of the R12 Gordini, very little difference for the figures announced by the 8. In addition, being a front-wheel drive the show was minimal compared to the Renault XNUMX, always "showing" the rear in the curves and even giving the occasional spin.
The idea was not bad, The Renault 12 Gordini mounted the four-cylinder engine of the R16 TS with 1.565 cubic centimeters, two Weber carburettors and 113 hp (It was also used in other models such as the Renault 15, the Renault 17 or the Lotus Europa). The block and cylinder head were made of aluminum, the latter having a single camshaft. It had a high consumption, very high as usual today, sometimes exceeding 15 liters.
But Renault allowed to get more out of the engine, selling a kit directly through its commercial network, which modified a large part of the engine: pistons and segments, connecting rods, liners, camshaft, valve springs, some new intake trumpets. rocker cover ... the displacement increased slightly (up to 1.596 cubic centimeters), the engine speed reached 7.200 revolutions and the advertised power was 160 hp SAE.
The change was manual of five relations and both the steering, as the brakes and suspensions, were tuned especially for the occasion, although some of those who know about the subject assure that the development was not even half finished and was launched early for commercial reasons. Even so, some journalists praised his behavior and his performance, capable of exceeding 180 km / h, doing the 400 meters in 17 seconds and the kilometer in 32 seconds. One of the most characteristic things of the R12 Gordini, such as the lack of bumpers, is only presented in the first units and it was to reduce the weight, which was also helped by the seats, which were somewhat lighter in construction.
In the end, the R12 Gordini was only manufactured between 1970 and 1974 reaching 5.118 units, caused by its lack of success in competition and poor reception from fans. Now, as a classic model, it is well valued and as an example, it is easy to find units exceeding 20.000 euros (the most common are prices that vary between 23.000 and 26.000 euros, although you can find units for more than 30.000 euros). Although, again, it loses again against the Renault 8 Gordini, whose prices rarely fall below 40.000 euros.
In Spain we settle for the Renault 12 TS from FASA
However, even if you see some units in the second-hand market with national registration, the Renault 12 Gordini never reached this side of the Pyrenees. In Spain, FASA manufactured the R12 in Valladolid since 1970 after its presentation at the Barcelona Motor Show. The reception was sensational and the car, a bestseller in our country, selling thousands of units, but never the Gordini version.
As it used to happen and as it did for a long time, in Spain we were one step behind France and the Renault 12 never had the same versions. Here, for example, the Renault 12 S began to be offered, which was based on the French 12 TS but it received some details that only the units manufactured by FASA had such as the headlights of its own design, the wheels or the decorations. The engine produced 68 hp thanks to a double carburetor, which was then accepted with something interesting, but they were far from the Gordini.
The S gave way to the Renault 12 TS, which mounted the block of four cylinders, 1.397 cubic centimeters and 70 HP, which was an evolution of the R12 S without any connection to the French TS. It was the most powerful version we had in Spain manufactured by FASA, whose top speed was 148 km / h. Alberto Mallo, in a test for Velocity magazine (number 789, published on October 23, 1976), claimed that he could comfortably roll at 140 km / h with the engine turning slightly above 5.000 rpm, a speed at which, according to the same tester, it came easily.
Arrival of the Renault 18 ended his life Renault 12, having left more than 450.000 units in Spain. A figure that is not bad at all, knowing that in those years, SEAT dominated the market with an iron fist and that there were rivals such as the Simca 1200 or the Citroën GS. Too bad we couldn't have the Renault 12 Gordini around here, although it won't have the same aura as the R8 ...
