It sounds like a tabloid story, but it’s really true. A 1982 Renault 5 that is still brand new has turned up in France. The odometer reads 12 kilometers. The owner saved for years for her dream car, had it delivered to her home and then never dared to drive it. Now, after 43 years, this time capsule is coming back into the light.
Savings and driving anxiety
The story begins in October 1982. ‘Madame M’ steps with all her savings (40,000 francs, a fortune at the time) to the dealer in Chalon-sur-Saône and orders a Renault 5 TL. She chooses the rare color Bleu Schiste and waits anxiously.
However, there is one problem: she does not yet have a driving license. The car is therefore delivered to her home with temporary plates (WWA) and driven directly into the garage. The final license plates are in the trunk, ready to be mounted as soon as she passes.
She eventually does pass her paper, but then anxiety strikes. She does not feel comfortable behind the wheel and decides to abandon the car. For a while, she thinks. But days become weeks, weeks become years. The garage door closes and stays closed for 43 years.
12 kilometers on the clock
When the door swung open again recently, the discoverers saw something almost nonexistent: a factory-new car 43 years old. The layer of dust is thick, but underneath is pristine paint. The odometer reads 12 kilometers: exactly the distance from the dealership to her home.
The interior is untouched, the engine never ran again. It is a museum piece accidentally preserved by one woman’s fear.
Under the hammer
The car was fortunately rescued from the household effects and is now being prepared for sale. On March 15, it will go under the hammer at auction house Aguttes. What should such a unique R5 fetch? You can bet collectors will shell out big money for it. It is probably the only R5 in the world that is still truly new. A bittersweet ending for Madame M, but a dream start for the next owner.
