Renault in Australia: The Useless Info File

[JohnW]

Thanks Simon. That anniversary might have passed unnoticed! I guess it also accelerated the uptake of efi systems, the better to control emissions.

And yes, another tick for the versatile and strong R12! It could even survive ADR 27A.

 

[One.four]

Virage price list
View attachment Virage price list_compressed.pdf

 

[One.four]

1971 sales
View attachment Renault sales 1971_compressed.pdf

 

[One.four]

Renault in Australia 1
View attachment Renault Australia history 1.pdf
View attachment Renault Australia history 2_compressed_compressed.pdf
View attachment Renault Australia history 3_compressed.pdf
View attachment Renault Australia history 4_compressed.pdf

 

[One.four]

Renault in Australia 2
View attachment Renault Australia history 2_compressed.pdf
View attachment Renault Australia history 2 1_compressed.pdf
View attachment Renault Australia history 2 2_compressed.pdf
View attachment Renault Australia history 2 3_compressed.pdf

 

[One.four]

Renault quits Australian manufacturing (cover page of 3 pages)
View attachment 101502

 

[One.four]

Renault to expand (cover page of 3 pages)
View attachment 101503

 

[One.four]

Renault 12 variant index
View attachment 101504

 

[One.four]

Virage press release (cover page of 2 pages)
View attachment 101505

 

[REN TIN TIN]

Hello One.four,

Nice posts but the attachments in posts #105 to #109 don't work for some reason.
Up to and including #104 are good.

 

[Mataloko]

I realise that this thread has been inactive for quite a while. However, thought I would try my luck with a question. I live in Launceston, and am selling a block of land. However, the Launceston City Council has told me that I need to have an Environmental Site Assessment conducted, owing to possible contamination from an engine works. This engine works they identified as being a company called Wilkes Renault Pty Ltd situated at 15 Percy Street, Launceston - they have given no indication of the years when the company operated. Despite extensive searching, I can find no evidence that Wilkes Renault ever existed. I have contacted the current Renault dealer in Launceston, Neil Buckby Motors, but they can shed no light on a Wilkes Renault. As there is obviouusly a lot of knowledge of Renault in Australia on this forum, I wonder whether anyone might be able to help with information.

 

[JohnW]

I realise that this thread has been inactive for quite a while. However, thought I would try my luck with a question. I live in Launceston, and am selling a block of land. However, the Launceston City Council has told me that I need to have an Environmental Site Assessment conducted, owing to possible contamination from an engine works. This engine works they identified as being a company called Wilkes Renault Pty Ltd situated at 15 Percy Street, Launceston - they have given no indication of the years when the company operated. Despite extensive searching, I can find no evidence that Wilkes Renault ever existed. I have contacted the current Renault dealer in Launceston, Neil Buckby Motors, but they can shed no light on a Wilkes Renault. As there is obviouusly a lot of knowledge of Renault in Australia on this forum, I wonder whether anyone might be able to help with information.

Wow. Hence the value of this forum. I've no idea about the Renault dealership, but you might ring up a company called Pitt and Sherry for help with the contamination problem, if indeed there is one. I did some work with them years ago and they seemed good folk. And they have been working in Launceston for decades I think. If they can't help they'll probably know where to direct you.

Good luck with it - and hope you aren't contaminated!!!

 

[Mataloko]

Thanks for the reply. I know of Pitt and Sherry, but any site assessment needs to be done by a certified person.

"The Launceston Interim Planning Scheme 2015 includes a Potentially Contaminated Land Code which requires that prior to development of land that is, or is adjacent to land that is, potentially contaminated, a report is provided by a suitably qualified person confirming that the land is not affected by contamination or is otherwise suitable for the proposed use.

A suitably qualified person is ... a person certified by the Site Contamination Practitioners Australia. The nearest such person is in Burnie. Anyway, I'll keep digging.

 

[JohnW]

Plenty such folk in Melbourne of course, but I doubt that's a helpful observation. Good luck with it. I thought P&S had gone towards that track but not apparently.

Cheers

 

[bungalbill]

Renault History in Australia , thread started by Simon from Adelaide.

This should be a very useful exercise but I disagree that a leaning to minutiae should be avoided. My own Renault history began in the suburbs of Melbourne in the 1960s, mentored by the late Norman J. Wray in Box Hill [Victoria]. His daughter Ann, is still alive and may be able to fill in the gaps in our knowledge, specially about Norm's employment history.
Once I had moved to Sydney in the 1990s I had continuing contact with Colliers' Motors in Granville. In the latter case, Bruce Collier is still alive and should be a fount of knowledge for the NSW perspective, as too would be the next generation of Collier brothers. I have no doubt that a similar source of local Renault History would exist in all of the others of States of Australia. I suggest that to compile a history as a definitive exercise should be started now and could be auspiced by the several Renault Clubs or indeed this Aussie Frogs forum. But don't avoid the smaller histories, they obviously go to the making of the whole and the minutea can be sorted out in the editing. In other words: put it together now while the participants are alive, if we wait too long it may be too late!
What do others think?

 

[Stew H]

Service des ventes speciales exportation

Simon, could provide details of how this scheme worked and how many cars came here via the deal.

I have a 17 G that a previous owner obtained in june 1975, got to aus in 1978. I got my license in the mid 80's so this was before i was into cars.
Stew

 

[Simon]

Simon, could provide details of how this scheme worked and how many cars came here via the deal.

I have a 17 G that a previous owner obtained in june 1975, got to aus in 1978. I got my license in the mid 80's so this was before i was into cars.
Stew

Gee, a reply to this question is a long topic in itself.

In a nutshell, back in the middle 1970's, you could get European delivery of various marques for import back to Australia. At the time, the combined Australian import duties and sales tax were in the order of 98% of the European list price (ex-taxes).

By arranging European delivery through a local dealer, the various Australian duties and taxes imposed on landing a vehicle in Australia reduced over the time you owned and used a car overseas. From one month of ownership and use, the duties and taxes reduced until once you had owned and used the car overseas for 15 months, the car could be imported into Australia free of sales tax and import duties. Effectively giving the owner a half-price car on return to Australia. For example, in January 1974, a 17TL was listed at $2,420 including delivery in Paris and six-months TT (Temporary Transit) registration, with the Australian list price being $4,948.

Renault Australia offered such a scheme, where the Renault 15/17 or fully imported Peugeots were available for European delivery, as these could be ordered with Australian compliance equipment, making it easier to register the car on its return. Non-Australian specification cars could be imported, but it was a roll of the dice as to whether it was accepted for registration – certain States were more accepting until the ADR requirements became more specific. Renault Australia were very specific than any Renault model outside of a Renault 15/17 was imported at the customer's own risk.

A number of Renault dealers appear to have taken the opportunity to buy a car overseas, use it for a holiday, and then sell the car on its return to Australia. Corin Motors in particular appear to have taken advantage of the opportunity, importing both Australian spec and other non-ADR complied models (such as Renault 5 and late model 17) – registration in Canberra appears to have been easier.

So your car was likely delivered with French red TT registration plates, it would be interesting if is is an Australian spec (fuel filler flap) 17G, or an exposed non-ADR spec version. Ads for numbers that were imported, no doubt there are records available, but I wouldn't be able to hazard a guess - certainly a good number of cars appear to have been imported under the scheme until the scheme was discontinued.

 

[Stew H]

Simon, thank you muchly.
It is adr spec 761.
Did these cars get a compliance plate fitted?
Mine does not have one. An orange 17G type 1317, spent 1978 to 1994 in Sydney before i got it.
Propose we start a list of tt rego numbers used. Open to Peugeot and Renault. Start with mine.
5663TT92 from 11/6/1975 to 31/5/1976. Then uk MOP390P 2/6/1976 to 6/10/1978.
I do not have what first nsw plate was but with 2nd owner had CB825. Anybody in RCCA remember it.
It still has a RCCA sticker.
Cheers
Stew.

 

[renault8&10]

Stew H,

I consulted a couple of long time RCCA members (who happen to have access to old membership records). In the early 80’s RCCA had a member who had a 17G (colour unknown I think) by the name of Chris Bostock. At the time, he lived in Drummoyne, then moved to Cammeray - both harbour suburbs in Sydney. Perhaps this is the CB825 numberplate?

Neither of my two friends remember him or an orange 17G (which were pretty rare even back then) so perhaps Chris wasn’t a particularly prolific member at the time. It appears he was only a member for a handful or less of years that we can tell.

NSW rego CB825 is currently registered to a 2009 white Toyota Kluger 4WD TIL 25 sept 2019.

Maybe that helps?

 

[Simon]

Simon, thank you muchly.
It is adr spec 761.
Did these cars get a compliance plate fitted?
Mine does not have one. An orange 17G type 1317, spent 1978 to 1994 in Sydney before i got it.
Propose we start a list of tt rego numbers used. Open to Peugeot and Renault. Start with mine.
5663TT92 from 11/6/1975 to 31/5/1976. Then uk MOP390P 2/6/1976 to 6/10/1978.
I do not have what first nsw plate was but with 2nd owner had CB825. Anybody in RCCA remember it.
It still has a RCCA sticker.
Cheers
Stew.

Sounds like a good vehicle! The right spec, right colour and with a good history! All of the (handful of) cars I've seen they were not fitted with a compliance plate, but apparently all of the Australian spec cars were noted as from the allocated import quota for Renault Australia when import quotas were in place.