As far as family cars go, almost nothing bad can be said about the 1964 Renault 16 and the following model years. It was exemplary in almost all respects: it holds the honor of being the first four-door hatchback with folding rear seats, which gave it a versatility unseen before, and for a small, relatively under-powered vehicle, it was comfortable, safe and fun to drive. Its front wheel drive and independent suspension gave it assurance and a smooth ride on even the bumpiest of roads. Surprisingly for a car of this class, it also featured front disc brakes, which were uncommon back in the early 60s.
1964 Renault 16
The early models of the Renault 16 featured a 1.5-liter, four cylinder engine producing 55 horsepower. Available in 1968, the TX model had a 1.65-liter engine that produced 93 horsepower, allowing for a top speed of 105 miles per hour, and a 12 seconds 0-60 acceleration time. For a car in this class, these numbers are and remain impressive!
The Renault 16 benefited from constant, well-considered improvements over its 15 year production time, including electric windows, a five-speed manual transmission and more. The 1964 Renault 16 has a special place in the halls of automotive history as a car that did almost everything right!
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