50th RCCV Run Point Leo

Covert

Covert

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Covert
Sorry David, I could not make it, yet by all reports I heard it was a really great day, cold and some rain, yet the 80 or so cars that turned up sounded great.
I heard that you guy's saw some new Renaults at Renault Australia, a Traffic, Master, Kangoo and the new Megane.......
How about anyone who went to this event filling the renault dudes who could not make it, I heard some past members also crawled out of the woodwork to make a appearance. I heard that there were quite a few alpines, interesting renaults, even a R12 Gordini wagon, now thats a strange one, sounds like people were having fun at the event with their interesting renaults.
 
Yes it was an excellent week end, Renault Australia gave away a couple of door prizes, one was a Clio Sport for the day that my wife won and also a fabulous Renault F1 pedal car that someone got to keep.
My wife was rapt zooming all over the place in a Clio Sport and I was rapt because it ment I had the 12G all to myself up Arthurs Seat and down through Red Hill.

You'll love the new model out next year Volker. The Megane sport goes on sale here next year, 2 litre turbo, 220 HP and 6 speed box. I want one already and I don't care if people think the Megane 2 is funny looking.

We've got Renault Australia thinking, with 80 Gordini fans all in the same place we kept telling them that the Clio Sport would sell better if it was called a Clio Gordini, Mini have the Cooper, Holden Monaro and Fiat are bringing back the Arbath so why not Gordini.

It was such a fab week end I can't wait for the next 50th birthday party.
Should be lots of photos and articles in the next mag.

David.
 
Clio Gordini? Sounds like s*%t to me... IMHO :)

The car is developed by Renault sport and has nothing to do with Amédée Gordini.

Besides, Renault wants more than just the old Renault owners to buy Clio Sports, they NEED people who have heard of them from overseas reviews, articles and stories to buy them and not get confused with a legend that they probably know nothing whatsoever about. Half of the people on the Oz Clio mailing list have never even touched a Renault before, maybe they wouldn't have if it was called a Clio Gordini.

Of course, Renault have released the Jean Ragnotti and PS2 versions of the Clio Sport in Europe. If the Gordini name is going to get put onto a Clio Sport then let it be in the name of a Gordini version of the Clio Sport for Oz, like the JR or PS2 but for Oz. It could then be a Clio Sport 2.0 16V Gordini, rather than a Clio Gordini 2.0 16V.

Releasing another Oz only, limited series, numbered run might help out sales, if they can get the cars in a special form to Oz. Renault France seems to like to release runs of about 200 only, and in press releases they say for France only, but really mean for mainland Europe only as I know someone who has ordered a JR and lives outside of France.

<small>[ 01 July 2003, 03:22 AM: Message edited by: Craig ]</small>
 
Craig, I think you missed the piont, First of all, none of us were serious and really, whats wrong with it. The whole world is going retro is it not? Renault Sport exists because Renault took over Gordini and Alpine, so there is family ties. In Europe the Gordini name is just as well known (or unknown as the case may be) as Cooper, Karmen, Arbath. Here in Oz, Holden bought back the Monaro name and they stopped making Monaros before Renault stopped making Gordinis and I don't recall a famous racing engineer by the name of Monaro. Do you? I doubt the Gordini name will ever return but there is a strong argument to use it. Besides all that, the main reason they can't use it is because they don't own it.

David.
 
I agree, I have been saying for years that renault should be using their old names, an that is all it is now, a name. So even if it's a sticker pack, some wheels and a better exhaust, better inlet and rechipped computer, it had a link with the past. It is building on what has come in the past, and is here now in the present, I thing renault need to do more of these things. Celebrate what they have done in the past to build the future. Ferrari Porsche use these things as there whole basis of selling cars, and renault has a colourful history it choose to ignore most of the time, always only pushing current goals. And I'II say thats australian eye's looking at renault history here........ As we are unable to see or get the benifits of renaults 100 years in motorsport at goodwood festival of speed.......... or anything renault france does...... And the Jean Rag RS clio, even the japanese have then as limited imports through private companies there, they know who he is, as a driver enthuisast base.
 
Sorry for my grammer early this morning, just re read my post .. mallet Renaultsport Clio Gordini I think it sounds good...... Like the Subaru WRX ClubSpec etc they could be in various colors with the white stripes...... now how would the white stripes go R8G style or R12G style? or a new modern stripe?

:confused:
 
Sorry for my grammer early this morning, just re read my post .. mallet Renaultsport Clio Gordini I think it sounds good...... Like the Subaru WRX ClubSpec etc they could be in various colors with the white stripes...... now how would the white stripes go R8G style or R12G style? or a new modern stripe?

:confused:
 
Ah, but Renault don't do "retro" really do they?

..and I think just as well. Why look backwards in time when there are so many new avenues opening up in the future?

So I think it may not fit in with Renaults style - revival of the past is not something they do often (except for a few subtle styling hints now and again!)

Gordini's were great cars. Lets not dilute their value by sticking the name on future stuff. Renault learnt that pretty quickly with the R17 Gordini I think (Gordini in name, TS in engineering)
 
Well, reading what Covert has to say, he says Renaultsport Clio Gordini. Davids first post indicated that you would want to drop the Renaultsport name. If it was a special edition like the JR.. then as I said.. possibly.

Remember the correct name of the Clio Sport though (from Renault docs):
Renault Clio Renault Sport 2.0 16V.
Gordini edition... if they could use the name...
Renault Clio Renault Sport 2.0 16V Gordini.

Anyway.. can discuss that when it happens.

The thing I do like that they are doing is at least using the name from the old cars as the alloy wheel name. Eg for the Megane II, the 16s are Nervastella or Reinastella, 17s are Nervasport.
 
hmmm renault thinks enough of it's older models to name them as wheels for future models, now thats a good one........... I think that is typical renault in their slack all over the place marketing efforts, just to add to quite a few bad attempts over the years of model brand building efforts. I think they have done quite a bad effort. To me they are still very euro french centric in that way, as when I was in europe last year it dawned on me that they are very much still looking inwards to europe. They use their F1 advertising there, their links to design and styling to advertise their car, ie <a href="http://www.atelier-renault.com" target="_blank">http://www.atelier-renault.com</a> and their showroon in paris, which is quite small for the expanding company they propose to be.

Of course these are all passionate views, and people have many different ideas, I just feel once again renault here in australia are looking quite slack, quiet, and may have a hang over after their recent media campaign blitz. Which if you read some circles they seem to either have spend good money, or have just poured it down the drain, ie models sold to advertising shown in one case.

So I think say for local advertising, if they could badge some cars as a limited edition, do something like use the Gordini name locally, at least they are trying something, giving it a go, France has the Jean Ragnotti clio, England has the clio cup, and Australia could name the lightwieght clio the Gordini. Oh I know the gordini purists will shout from the sky's, what have these demon marketers done........ send them to the stake to burn.... "The R8G was a true gordini and the R17 is just a name....." ho god the world is falling in. Having been to the Gordini day I see it in a way that it's in the spirit of the man, the car is a gordini because of the motorsport angle, and that it uses any amount of parts from the base to make it go faster, alpine, gordini, perry ferry etc...... so if the clio sport light version was to get the gordini name, is that car not in the spirit of the man, I know those dudes in france would be into it, as they are into the spirit of racing their renault's on the road, track etc. And if renault gave them a car that had that spirit, I know they would be happy, I know I would and I know that that lightwieght Clio is not in australia, so in the end it's all a mute point.

But after that huge off the subject matter...... I'd like to know what sort of cars show up to the drive day, modern renault versa Older one, models etc...... a question for anyone that went to it............
 
Now Covert, you are rapidly approaching obtaining the moniker of "list troll" with these comments!

I'm sure you will agree, the "Gordini" badge would be more recognised in Europe than in Australia. So now you want to create a "Clio Gordini" for Australia, where the recognition is the lowest? Doesn't sound right to me, unless you want to spend $20million informing the great unwashed what a Gordini is first - and THEN dilute it by sticking a badge on a car which has no Gordini input whatsoever

Leave Amadee Gordini alone. He did some great things in the past, he's dead and not coming back.

Move on to the future! approve
 
So then then these other car companies who are using names from the past are wrong as well, marketing their NICHE sport's models to drivers, enthusiasts etc by using a name from their past with a sporting heritage

Abarth
Fiat stilo 2.4 20V ABARTH (3DR SELESPEED)
<a href="http://www.showroom@fiat.co.uk/vip/Overview/fiat/stilo%203%20door/new.asp" target="_blank">http://www.showroom@fiat.co.uk/vip/Overview/fiat/stilo%203%20door/new.asp</a>

Cooper
Mini Cooper and Cooper s
<a href="http://www.mini.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.mini.co.uk/</a>

Ford
Falcon GT and soon GTHO
<a href="http://www.ford.com.au" target="_blank">http://www.ford.com.au</a>

Ford
Mustang Mach1
<a href="http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/mustang/" target="_blank">http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/mustang/</a>

Nissan
GTR all the way from the 70's skylines
Z 350 bringing back their model legend

to name a few.............

All these car companies are doing well by investing in the past, it is naive to think at various drivers interested in motorsports in australia would not know what a "gordini" was, R8G ,Bob Watson, R12G's rally past here etc, often people comment on cars from the past. Renault could use them in advertising here, bring back the legend, use footage, pictures of past glories here, hmm put a R8G or R12G in a showroom next to it's modern cousin. Small run print advertising in motoring magazines, etc

We are talking niche advertising for a niche market, I say bring the name back.......... don't put it in the draw to be forgotten and pushed away........... like alot of things renault seems to do, maybe you understand and like that about renault europa??? wink

And what's a list troll???????
 
With the possible exception of the Fiat, all those other brand identities have played a huge part in Australian & American car culture - we have all been exposed to various forms of media extolling the virtues of Mustangs, GTHO Falcons & Mini Coopers

Gordini I believe is definitely a whole lot more "invisible" to the general population. Not to say it can't be revived, but why bother?

As I have said, Renault rarely do retro. Looking to the future has to be the better way - otherwise we spend our whole lives trying to revive the past - and in Renaults case, maybe that's not always a good thing (ie. If you are trying to sell a new Clio, do you want to remind people of rusty R8/R10's or clapped out R12's?) question
 
I think I have to agree with Covert all the way here. I think Renault need to proove to young buyers that there are a huge international company with a long history, not some unheard of make thats just arrived, and a special Clio Gordini showing it's long and successful motorsport history including winning the Australian Rally Championship could be just what there need, it doesn't matter if it's only a Gordini badge, what does matter is that it will make buyers feel like there buying a piece of modern history that has stronge ties with Australian motorsport. I really beleive that sometimes Renault should look at the past to see the future. The future is great for the engineers and the products themselves but marketing shouldn't allow people to forget the acheivements of the past, otherwise those acheivements were a waist of time.

Anyway, enough dribble from me.

David.
 
I have no problem with Renault using the Gordini name as long as the car is worthy and isn't a base model with some spoilers. As an alternative what about creating a new link to motorsport via the F1 links. Try Williams or Bennetton as a current link. Just a thought.
....and stop ragging on 17 Gordinis or Ts's.
 
ok guys

did anyone gets any pic's of this meet ?

by the way, I'm not to keen on the Gordini name.
RENAULT SPORT Does the job nicley.

Who the hell is GORDINI anyway ?
Thats what people would be asking them selfs.
 
hey reno17,
Does that mean your taking the Gordini badge off your 17 & putting "Sport" in it's place. Sacre' Bleu' vot next, vegimite on quasonts.
Viv La France'
whip roll_lau
 
Apoplogies Europa. Might have misconstrued your comments on 17 Gordini's and TS.
 
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