Renault / Renault 12 TL

Renault12 TL: strong and stylish

Overview

The Renault 12TL is manufactured by a French automaker. It is a plain and simple family car that is named after its maker. Comfortable and spacious interiors along with stylish features are some of the external characteristics. It is characterized by low consumption of fuel and high quality performance. However the noisy functioning of the engine was very crucial and the non-power steering was considered as a major flaw. The car's ventilation system also failed to impress the adjudicators. The manufacturing of this car was completely stopped in 1980. The model still went on to be sold by other Renault affiliates. The Romanian manufacturer went ahead with the sedan production. The car was a successful vehicle going by the sales.

Other versions of the same series

The car was only a saloon with four doors at the Paris Motor Show. A 1289 cc engine powered both L and TL specifications and is rated at 54 PS. Two different reclining front seats are more expensive with TL features in place of just a front seat. The bench seat in the front, boot lights, arm rests and glove box, are replaced by the extra lights that are used for warning purposes while in traffic. The outlining features were highly distinguishable from the other versions. Sometimes the car had extra headlights and the sidewise chrome strip in the body. There was also a tachometer and coolant temperature gauge.

Renault 12 Alpine

The alpine model was designed particularly for sports related purposes to enhance local rallying image. 1397 cc engine representing the R5 series of the alpine version is assembled together with imported body parts. Fiber glass bonnet, tuned suspension and painting schemes outline the main features. The engine was found to have 108 HP and had a top speed of about 109 mph. The new suspension format is pretty similar to the power plant usage. It was rated as ‘outstanding’ by the CORSA magazine. The manual assemblage of the Alpine car incurred an expense that was 40 per cent more than normal. The rarity of the available parts was also responsible for the extra costs.

Renault 12 Gordini

The Renault 12 Gordini was meant for high performance and had a 1565 cc aluminium block. There were also a tuned suspension system and the rear wheels had normal disc brakes. The gearbox and the reinforced crankshaft accompanied by the disc brakes (ventilated at the front and normal in the rear) produced 92KW; 123 HP. The vehicle was able to attain a top speed of 115 mph. The color combination of the car was a strong pastel color with white stripes all over. However the French version with blue stripes became the most popular. After the late seventies of the twentieth century, there was a rapid decrease in the sales.

Impact on the market

The American market witnessed the eventual evolution of the car model. 12, 12L and 12TL were the three trim lines that helped diversify the price range. The Renault 12 TL was a little bit larger in comparison to the similar European imports. The longitudinal front wheel drive system was its unique property.