The first Works Renault 5 Turbo rally car

In 1979, Renault Sport had its sights set on Group 4 rally competition. In order to field a car in the class, team principle Gérard Larrousse had to wait for 400 production examples of the Renault 5 Turbo to be built for homologation. By the summer of 1980, the homologation target had been met, and the French marque moved swiftly, selecting an example as the first Works car. This vehicle was adorned in the iconic Calberson-sponsored red-and-yellow livery.

This particular 5 Turbo was made by Renault at its Formula 1 department in Antony, France, constructed at the same time as Alain Prost’s single-seater race car. This is the only non-F1 entrant to have been built at this famed facility, with all other cars assembled at other Renault locations in Viry or Lyon.

The first outing for the Renault 5 Turbo took place just nine days after the car was registered, appearing at the Tour de France Automobile in September 1980. The car wore the number “4” and was piloted by Jean Ragnotti with Jean-Marc Andrié as the co-driver. The rally unfurled in an atmosphere of excitement, with Ragnotti and Andrié dominating the first seven stages of the rally. Unfortunately, the first outing didn’t end in victory, as an off-road excursion in the Col de Perty cost them five minutes, and they were forced to retire six stages before the end, suffering from ignition issues. However, this flamethrowing and vibrant Calberson-liveried Renault 5 had caused a hell of storm on its debut.

The next event that the car was campaigned in was the 1980 Tour de Corse, during October, and lasting for three days. The same driver pairing were clear favourites, given their debut performance at the previous event. The duo took victory in the first stage but were relegated to 4th place following a subsequent puncture. Ragnotti fought back to take the lead once and was headed for victory but an alternator belt failure, led to an unfortunate retirement. Despite this, the impressive performance, once again with the talented Ragnotti behind the wheel, made for yet another positive showing. The final works team outing was at the 1981 Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo, where it was used as a recce car to test tyres prior to the event.

This 1980 Renault 5 Turbo Group 4 will feature as part of RM Sotheby’s Monaco sale on the 14th May 2022. Photos © Courtesy of RM Sotheby's