A Week of Retro Chic | Axon’s Automotive Anorak

Unusually, however, the might of the French motor industry was caught napping with initially nothing to offer in this rapidly growing new sector. Sure, Renault had presented its retro Fifty concept car in 1998 – a RenaultSport Spider-based mid-engined model celebrating the 50^th anniversary of its iconic 4CV, but it had no plans to ever productionise the one-off prototype.

Slow off the mark, Renault was the first French manufacturer to eventually reveal some nostalgia-inspired vehicles that the public would actually be able to buy, starting with the very capable new Alpine A110, reviving both the celebrated Dieppe-based Alpine marque and the iconic A110 Berlinette of the early 1960s.

Though still a little tardy, Renault finally got around to previewing its modern all-electric take on the popular R5 of the 1970s-80s, with this model finally due to enter Renault showrooms soon, after a very elongated ‘teaser’ launch. Renault will soon be adding a new electric R4 for the 21^st century, as previewed back in late 2022.

For the 2018 Paris Salon, Peugeot used the show to unveil its star turn: a beautiful, modern, electric concept interpretation of the elegant Pininfarina-designed and built 504 Coupé. Sadly, this was to remain a unique prototype, as was its PSA/Stellantis sibling, Citroën’s CX-recalling Cxperience concept of 2016.  The Citroën Tubik concept of 2011 was inspired by that most versatile and iconic of all light commercial vehicles: the Citroën HY, with fibreglass bodied trailers and an ingenious Italian body kit to convert a modern Sevel-built PSA Citroën, Peugeot of Fiat panel van into a convincing Citroën HY van for the modern world, now commercially available, but not from Citroën itself.

Whether the successful introduction of the new Volkswagen Type 2-inspired retro VW ID-Buzz might prompt Citroën to launch a modern version of its HY/Tubik, we can only guess and keep our fingers crossed. Until such time, over the last week or so, a trio of new retro-leaning French concept vehicles have been teased, with two coming from Renault in the form of a modern R17 and an Estafette van, plus DS Automobile’s interpretation of the prestigious Citroën SM.

DS SM Tribute

Taking the most striking of these first, the new DS Automobile SM recalls one of the most notable moments in Citroën’s long and illustrious and history, when the company dug deeply into its reserves of Gallic flair and pulled out an exceptional icon. The 1970-75 Citroën SM was such a car, and at the forthcoming Paris Mondial l’Automobile Salon next month, this new DS homage will be used to celebrate 10 years since the DS sub-brand branched off from Citroën.  

The sticking SM Tribute has been penned by the DS Design Studio Paris team as a concept car, but it was created under the brief of reinterpreting the iconic SM for today. There’s even a suggestion the SM Tribute will influence future DS offerings with Thierry Metroz, DS Automobiles Design Director, stating: "We are working on the genes of our iconic models to fuel our research into the shape of future models that will come along at the end of the decade.” 

The idea of a new DS flagship model was hinted at by the premium French brand earlier this year, and it would be a position this SM Tribute would seem to fill neatly should it hopefully find its way into production. DS says the design team worked “as if SM had continued to develop over the past five decades.”

The similarities between the two cars are immediately obvious, with Robert Opron’s original sleek, aerodynamic styling being carried over, but the overall proportions are also not far off, despite the new car being 3cm longer and 2cm taller. The SM Tribute is 14cm wider and sits 3.5cm lower to the ground than the original 1970s model, however. 

Renault R17 x Ora Ïto Concept

French designer Ora Ïto has reinterpreted the iconic Renault 17 sports coupé of the 1970s with this sculptural show car, the one-off R17 electric restomod x Ora Ïto. Originally introduced in late 1971, the innovative R17 featured four iodine headlights, bumpers surrounding the front grille and a black-louvre trimmed tailgate. It appealed to a demanding clientele, with its 1.6 transverse electronic fuel-injection engine driving the front wheels. Close to 100,000 examples were produced between 1971 and 1979.

With carbon coachwork allied to a retro-futuristic interior, all picked out in an exclusive Galactic Brown colour to reflect the 1970s, the R17 is reincarnated in striking ultra-contemporary styling and with a never-before-seen 274PS (201 kW) electric motor offering 248 miles of range. The sporting electric concept will make its public debut at the 2024 Paris Motor show 2024 in October.

Designer Ora Ïto says: “We have teleported Renault 17 into the future while respecting its most distinctive elements to add fluidity and elegance without distorting the avant-garde design of this legendary car. In fact, the spirit and overall lines of the sports coupé have been retained and enhanced by a bold vision of this restomod.” 

The Ford Capri-rivalling Renault 17 originally came with a sporty cockpit, comprehensive equipment and distinctive sports petal seats. Ora Ïto wanted to keep the spirit of these elements while adding a true touch of modernity. The finished result has a streamlined dashboard, new fabrics, revived door panels and redesigned seat cushions. The resultant new Renault 17 is a classy, elegant and edgy sports coupé that marked the 1970s with its radical style.

Renault Estafette Concept

The nostalgic new Renault Estafette Concept encapsulates something of Renault’s vision for its electric utility vehicles moving forward. The original Estafette of 1959 holds the distinction of being the first ever front-wheel-drive vehicle to be made by Renault, it being launched two years ahead of the front-drive Renault 4.

Though not a big seller beyond the borders of its native France, the first Estafette became a regular part of the French scenery, the van being commonly used by the Gendarmerie and a common sight dotted around the perimeter of the Le Mans track during the 24 Hour race, its distinctive sliding driver and passenger doors giving it a competitive edge over its more capacious Citroën HY rival. 

Recently revealed at the Frankfurt IAA Commercial Vehicle Show, Renault claims that its new Estafette gives a glimpse into how Flexis – an independent company launched by Renault Group, Volvo Group and CMA CGM Group – will rise to the challenges in the energy transition and last-kilometre logistics. The Estafette Concept is designed for cities and is a compact yet spacious all-electric van, combining the current Renault Kangoo L2’s length, Clio’s agility and Trafic L1H2’s load capacity.

The new Estafette Concept has much more in common with Renault’s emblematic 1959 van than the jovial round headlamps; they are both radically innovative and practical. The original Estafette was the very first Renault brand vehicle to fit the entire powertrain – engine and transmission – at the front to free up all the space behind for loading. 

The new Estafette 4.0 is the first to feature the FlexEVan electric platform, which is poised to upend the utility vehicle landscape. They were both designed to make life easier for delivery drivers, tradespeople and retailers, and are both remarkably compact – ample inside yet easy to park. They both have two sliding doors for unparalleled convenience and safety.

The eventual arrival of the new production Estafette in around two to three years will give Renault a useful lead on retro-inspired electric vehicles with its nostalgic R4, R5 and Estafette models. Hopefully, the rest of the French motor industry will soon follow suit with modern interpretations of some of its most outstanding past models available for the public to buy.