the Renault 5 TS 6 Christian wheels Leotard
Until proven otherwise Christian Leotard built 3 Renault 5 to 6 wheels :
- R5 TS
- the R5 Alpine
- R5 Turbo
The first Renault 5 is the TS, it was made about the same time as the R5 Alpine since there is a photo of Dakardantan on which we see the two 6 wheels at the Trocadero in Paris at the start of the Dakar 1980.
The Black version
The first version of the Renault 5 TS 1976 was black, disguised as R5 Alpine and 6×2. It did not yet have the raised rear as on the following versions.
In the years 1980, the article published in the magazine Lui said the: “R5 Alpine, 165 Km / h”
The cost of processing bodywork and mechanics of the & rsquo; time was d & rsquo; about 40 000 francs.
For information, when Dirk Dutschmann saw this photo in the press, he had a dream, also have his R5 Alpine 6 wheels, as it was in this photo. He had picked up a plan and stuck it all on cardboard…
The rest of this R5 Alpine bis is here
The Gray version
I don't know how long she stayed black, but one day she left for a change of look at the bodybuilder André Lecoq helped by Sinpar (RNUR branch – Renault) for motor skills.
That R5 was set 6×4 then 6×6 with many d & rsquo; trouble because the first deck, which was a Renault 4L bridge with an output bridge R6 4×4 Sinpar, then with an R6 axle on the 3rd axle.
It was so loud and vibration that & rsquo; she finished in 6×4 after 2 bridges and 2 broken boxes.
Given the & rsquo; addition to paying for Renault, they asked Sinpar to stop the delirium and that if Christian de Léotard wanted to continue spending, c & rsquo; was at its expense, so he stopped dead and put it back in 6×2.
How to distinguish the R5 TS from the R5 Alpine ?
They both have the Lecoq raised roof, but the TS has a sunroof, the front of the riser is glazed (but often hidden by a deflector), the rear side windows are complete, from the riser to the bottom. On the gray version, an interior bar draws a small long window at the top and 2 windows underneath, on the end of this version, a kind of exterior fairing closes the small upper long window, as if there were 2 window panes.
On the 3 following pictures, have clearly seen the glass opening in front of the riser.
The Green Metallic version
Christian de Léotard decided to repaint it in metallic green in 1986 with R5 The rims Car.
The Red version
Today & rsquo; hui this Renault 5 TS is red and 6×2. Physically it has changed a bit, the glass opening of the riser was blocked, the side bar of the rear windows became real and the window below is no longer separated in 2 vertically.
She slept at the bottom of a campsite for a few years, then was resurrected and emerged !
Le site on which I j & rsquo; have found prohibited reproduction, but c & rsquo; is signed, no problem, and j & rsquo; have the & rsquo; downstream creator ! So the day of the TS restarting !
Today & rsquo; hui is in a Renault collector 5, Cathy Garnier, in the departement 71.
Cathy offers us some photos of the Renault 5 of Leotard, so that & rsquo; it is aujourd & rsquo; hui, the body is attacked enough but the car runs without any particular problems.
It n & rsquo; there is no trace of the transmission Sinpar, even the monkey bars were changed
Triangulations have been added to the rear wings of the R5 to strengthen the chassis
There would be a lot of body restorations to
There are also ground-reinforcement bars in & rsquo; cockpit
There is more legroom but also a huge rear deck compared to a conventional R5
Which place !
Include the reinforcement bars in the trunk
connoisseurs recognize !
A priori this prominence makes it possible to hold the hanger bar of the 3rd axle
C & rsquo; is giant, and sunroof please 🙂
here, I let you go around this fantastic Renault 5, and a huge thank you to Cathy Garnier.
nice article…
Not completely finished for my taste, but thanks !!
Hello and thank you it is with sadness that I have to learn this sad news .
Christian was a great man with a big M!!!!
I will miss him because with him every conversation was a dream !!!!!
Bon voyage friend 🙂
Bravo and thank you it is a great tribute! Collector!
I got to know Christian de Leotard in his workshop in Anière where for many years this car stayed, I met him in Niger on the Dakar journey in the years 80 where he had entered two cars based on Mercedes G in version 6×6 with a V8 engine and an automatic gearbox the second rear axle was driven by belts,
I had lost sight of Christian and I see today that he left there is 5 years. With him in the years 73, I bought Traction that he was rehabilitating north of Paris. Then in 1980, It was with him that I went to the Dakar on the 6×5.
The car was purchased from Renault rue de la Pompe and transformed by the two of us into 3 weeks. The Paris Dakar was a fantastic experience. We gave up
after Bamako, at the request of our sponsor Marantz who wanted to exhibit the car at the Salon du Son in Paris.
Christian was a hell of a guy !
Thank you very much Francis for these precious memories, i guess the 6×5 is not a typo ?! It's clear, we miss him, we don't get used to it…