A revival for the classic Renault 5
When Citroën, a French carmaker, launched its futuristic DS in 1955, Roland Barthes, a structuralist writer, described it as 'spiritual'. The car's initials (déesse) said it all: 'goddess'. In later decades France's car manufacturers became better known for inventing sensible people-carriers and other functional vehicles that merely did the job. Now, however, Renault, another French carmaker, has tapped into that retro cool with a new runaway success: a fully electric remodelled version of the Renault 5, first on the road in 1972.
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Reuters
4 hours ago
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Breakingviews - Renault exit could grease Nissan's turnaround
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Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
More than 80,000 Citroen cars recalled over 'potentially fatal' airbag fault
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Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Roger Moore's favourite James Bond car hits auction… but the motor used in an iconic chase scene is not an Aston Martin
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BOND star Roger Moore's favourite James Bond car, seen in iconic chase seen, is due to be auctioned. It's not a vintage Aston Martin due to sell but a small French hatchback used in the iconic For Your Eyes Only chase scene. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 The little motor was scene in the iconic Roger Moore 007 film For Your Eyes Only Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 Its not a vintage Aston Martin up for sale Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 Each of the six 2CVs used for filming were fitted with bigger engines Credit: HeritageAuctions/BNPS The tiny Citroen 2CV is currently available for purchase after it was rescued from a French scrapyard. Six of the little motors were destroyed during the filming of the chase scene. This is the only one of the six to ever be offered up for sale at auction. A month long online bidding war has been started for the little car with bids already reaching $120,000 or £89,000. It's hoped that the motor will fetch a price of about $500,000 or £370,000 by the time bidding closes on July 17. The iconic chase scene featuring the little 2CV sees Moore jump into the passenger seat of Melina Havelock's (Carole Bouquet) Citroen to escape the gun fire of villain Hector Gonzalez's goons. In the ensuing chaos of the chase the 2CV ends up flipping onto its roof to avoid a bus. It's then flipped back onto four wheels by Bond and some helpful locals before fleeing once again. The small 2CV is eventually rolled down a hill by one of the pursuing Peugeot's, ending up partially crushed before being reversed off towards a sharp turn by 007. In the iconic chase scene Bond takes the tiny Citroen off-road through olive groves and says the famous line: "I love a drive in the country, don't you?" Iconic 90s Ferrari Jeremy Clarkson dubbed the 'greatest car in the world, ever' up for sale for eye-watering price Six bright yellow 2CV's were left damaged in the filming process of the chase scene which sees Bond jump one over the last pursuing Peugeot. The 2CV up for auction is one of only three to avoid complete destruction. All three surviving 2CVs received a few dents and scrapes with the model up for auction boasting a missing headlight and a fair few scratches in the paintwork. The models used for filming were fitted with more powerful engines not available in standard 2CVs. Standard 2CVs were powered by a 602cc flat-twin engine mustering around 33bhp. 8 Moore said the car was his favourite and wrote in his memoirs about the fun he had driving it Credit: HeritageAuctions/BNPS 8 The motor sustained some damage during filming Credit: HeritageAuctions/BNPS 8 Bidding for the car will close on July 17 Credit: HeritageAuctions/BNPS The six Bond vehicles used in filming featured a larger 1.1-litre engine that was lifted from the Citroën GS. No roll cage was fitted to the one up for auction as it was used specifically for driving shots with Moore and Bouquet. Moore gave a Top Gear interview stating the little French hatchback was his favourite Bond car writing later in his memoir about the fun he had driving the small motor. The three surviving motors were split up after filming with one sold off to a UK collector. One was taken by Citroen for the firm's private collection and the third, which is now up for auction, was sent to a recycling facility in Paris. The famous little car was rescued from the scrapyard and sold to its current owner in 2004. It has been fitted with replacement yellow doors and boot lid, yellow roof, and seats. The car is being sold for display purposes only and is not considered to be roadworthy. A certificate of authenticity will be provided to the winning bidder. 8 The iconic chase scene saw six of the small cars get wrecked Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 Only three survived the filming
