Renault 14

The Renault 14 was an automobile produced by Renault of France between 1976 and 1983.

Featuring front wheel drive, the R14 was developed as a competitor to the small hatchback class which had been opened up by the VW Golf. For much of its life, only one engine option was offered – a 1.3L overhead valve unit sourced from Citroën!

However, things would get off to a bad start when a disastrous launch advertising campaign which compared the car to the shape of a pear, and combined with a reputation for premature body corrosion saw the 14 being dubbed as the "rotting pear" by the motoring press. A preview at Paris' Pompidou Centre as a bare bodyshell also did little to win it customers. Renault attempted to relaunch the 14 in 1978 with enhanced equipment levels, but the damage was done and the production run ended in late 1983 with less than a million units sold over a seven year period.

Its joint successors, the 9 & 11 appeared in 1982 and early '83, respectively.