1981 Renault 5 Turbo
Chassis no. VF1822000B0000787

'Of all the cars to come from that hedonistic high-boost era, the Renault 5 Turbo is one of the few to still hold us in its thrall. The lunacy of the mid-engined, wide-body concept surely sees to that, but reputation, rarity and rally pedigree are the magical fairy dust that ensures it retains a mystique and potency matched by few forced-induction cars before or since.' – Renault Sport Club.

Not to be confused with the conventional front-wheel drive Renault 5 Gordini Turbo or GT Turbo, the Renault 5 Turbo (and later Turbo 2) was a mid-engined homologation special built in limited numbers for Group B rallying between 1979 and 1986. Renault's considerable Formula 1-derived turbo-charging expertise was applied to the humble 1.4-litre overhead-valve engine, resulting in a power increase to 160bhp (in road trim), an output sufficient for a top speed of 260km/h and a 0-100km/h time of around 7 seconds. In the Turbo, this remarkable little engine was mounted amidships (where the rear passenger seats had been) and drove the rear wheels via a five-speed transaxle.

A thinly disguised two-seater supercar, the Turbo was first seen in prototype form at the 1978 Paris Salon and made its competition debut in 1980 on the Tour de Corse, where Jean Ragnoti's 250bhp works car led the event before succumbing to electrical trouble. In 1981 Ragnotti/Andrie won the Monte Carlo Rally outright for Renault and the following year Ragnotti won the Tour de Corse again. Faced with increasing competition from teams running four-wheel drive cars, Renault responded with more powerful 5 Tour de Corse and 5 Maxi Turbo variants, Ragnotti adding another Tour de Corse win in the latter in 1985. At the end of the season the works team retired the 5 Turbo from competition. Had Renault chosen to contest a full international programme with the 5 Turbo rather than concentrating on French national events, then its record at the highest level would surely have been even more impressive.

According to the accompanying Production Certificate issued by Renault on 24th March 2018, this particular Renault 5 Turbo left the factory on 14th April 1981 and was ordered with following options: metallic paint (Noir Irisé), Savane brown leather interior, and De Carbon shock absorbers. It is one of only 15 delivered in this colour.

This car's one and only owner was Catherine Larsen, widow of Formula 1 racing drive, the late Didier Pironi. It was registered under the name of Recofi Couture SA (Didier Pironi's company, of which Catherine Larsen was the manager). Amazingly, the Renault has covered only 12,550 kilometres from new and is still fitted with its original tyres. The car remains in original condition but would need to be serviced before returning to the road. This rare and highly collectible Renault 5 Turbo is offered with a cancelled Swiss registration document.