A Grand Monday: Renault 5 Campus

The second-generation Renault 5 - or Supercinq, as it was known in its home nation - was a significantly different car to its predecessor, despite its similar looks.

Indeed, Renault's decision to keep the car's profile broadly the same, albeit flatter and squarer for the late Eighties, was to not detract from the original R5's following. After all, it had enjoyed a 13-year production run and was still one of the best-selling cars in France. 

Under the skin, the new R5 was better packaged, with a transverse rather than longitudinal engine, and a wider, more spacious cabin. It was also a hoot to drive and, indeed, still is.

This 1990 example is the entry-level 'Campus' model - a rather basic affair, albeit one that was also the most popular R5 of the 1990s, with Renault keeping it in production alongside the Clio until 1996 to cater for the demand for a more basic, budget-priced car.

As a classic, this one is also budget-priced. You can't argue with a car that has eight months' MoT and has been freshly serviced for just £400. Sure, it has a few cosmetic glitches, but it looks like it should respond brilliantly to a really good polish, while the MoT history is reasonably good. The car has had some welding in the past, but nothing that sounds too horrendous. Besides, it's £400...

Even if it lasts until the MoT runs out it's a bit of fun for someone, and it's also a great choice of characterful starter classic for a younger enthusiast. Plus, it comes with an ageless Northern Irish number plate, which will always have a bit of value to it, too.

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