The Renault Twingo is a city car built by the French automaker Renault, launched at the 1992 Mondial de l'Automobile and going on sale in early 1993. The Twingo quickly became popular in Europe due to its unusual looks and its ease of use. It has undergone three restylings in 1998, 2000 & 2004, and is still in production.
The "Twingo" name comes from "Twist", "Swing" and "Tango" and it denotes the "fun and active" "personality" of this little car.
[] 1993
[] The project
It was designed under Patrick Le Quément, Renault's chief designer. Le Quément's belief was that it was a greater risk for Renault to take no risks at all, having seen its market share suffer from cars such as the Renault 9 and 11. The design of the Twingo resembles that of the 1982 Polish prototype Beskid-106.
The Twingo featured revolutionary features (at the time of launch) of a centrally mounted instrument panel, consisting of a speedometer, fuel gauge and clock, with the odometer and trip recorder selected by pushing a button on the end of the steering column stalk. This left just a strip of warning lights in the area behind the steering wheel. It also had a sliding rear seat, which could be moved to either increase boot space or rear seat legroom. The boot parcel shelf was also unusual in that it was attached to the inside of the tailgate, and lifted up with the tailgate. It could also be clipped back against the rear window when not required.
[] British market
When the car was launched, Renault's senior bosses said that the British market would not want a city car, so Renault did not produce a right-hand drive version. They were also concerned that it would take away sales from the recently launched Clio. Later entrants to this market and their incredible popularity in the United Kingdom, like the Fiat Cinquecento, Ford Ka, Vauxhall Corsa and Smart Fortwo, proved that this decision was a mistake. However, many LHD Twingos have been imported from Europe by customers, and all Renault dealers are able to provide servicing and parts for the vehicle.
Many parts (e.g. the JB1 gearbox, brakes, 1.2 8v diat engine) are shared with other vehicles across the Renault range, so many parts can be delivered to dealers very quickly indeed. All other parts can be imported by Renault dealers.
Despite the car's sales success, it still lags behind the Ford Ka in the A-class segment.
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