the Renault 5 turbo 6 Christian wheels Leotard (1/3)
Until proven otherwise Christian de Léotard built 3 Renault 5 to 6 wheels :
- R5 TS
- the R5 Alpine
- R5 Turbo
- See as well the remnants of the R5 Turbo (2/3)
- See as well the end of the R5 Turbo (3/3)
the Renault 5 Turbo
It was after the race the Dakar with the R5 Alpine 6×6, Christian Leotard desired to thank Renault for creating a director, Renault 5 outstanding on a base R5 Turbo. She should make up the numbers in a garage in Paris to improve sales Renault.
Christian de Leotard disclosing very little information about its cars, I still do not have precise date of creation for this model…
Renault never made 4×4 until the late 2000, there was no usable to make a mechanical 6×6, Simpar and systems being too fragile and unsuited, Christian decided at the time to 2 engine in the Turbo 6 wheels.
Christian described me this self as a train fitted with 2 locomotives, a front and a rear, synchronized or not, in fact each motor drives a pair of wheels, they can be operated simultaneously or not.
It's a scoop, Renault 5 Turbo, is actually a 6×4 or 6×2, but in no case June 1×6.
Each engine is complete and equipped with its gearbox (The same model), and a rod system reduces boxes commands on 2 shifters coupled with a pantograph Leotard. By changing the speed of a motor, it automatically changing the speed of the other motor.
He explained that it was possible to ride with a motor or with 2. Consumption was lower without the Turbo engine !
I also have another scoop, the car was not finished, the front seats must be able to switch and allow access to a back seat, Turbo engine before who had remained on the rearmost axle, 90 cm below.
(12/09/2014) Waiting, Camille, Christian's son told me at the rear, there was a central bucket seat. Small, he made hundreds of kilometers in this place.
Anyway, I can tell you that this car rolled and she did a lot of mileage ! As against it never went in presentation in the famous garage in Paris.
I do not know why, but the R5 Turbo was parked in a garage near Nevers around the year 2000, A molding of its bodywork had to be done to produce ten copies based on Clio Sport in 6 wheels.
Sadly, the car (and garage ?) in burnt 2002. In 2019, the car is still in the same place pending reimbursement of the insurance.
See more here, a special article on the remains of the burnt R5 Turbo.
(12/09/2014) Passionate about drawing in 3D, I tried to reproduce as faithfully as possible the Renault 5 Turbo 2 to 6 wheels. I immersed myself in the world of Renault 5 on the Facebook group, I asked a lot of questions to specialists, and even Christian Leotard brought me some technical details. What emerged was a new model that I put on the 3D image bank of Google Sketchup, you can download it here :
Renault 5 Turbo 6 wheels Leotard – 1987
Following the death of his father, Camille Leotard found a number of pictures of this fabulous car I beg of you hand them here. I added Camille watermarks & Christian for the property and avoid global dispersions.
other sources
Three images of an amateur who crossed the car on its way
R5 This twin engine, a central R5 Turbo engine and an engine of R5 Alpine at the front, so it has two gearboxes synchronized by the gear levers through a catenary creation course Leotard !
Before engine
rear engine
Both shifters, thanks to Thierry Parent of Team ZS for having found and scanned these 5 photos of a time when he really gave himself for the difficult design of this extraordinary car. He was really happy to have contributed to a number of Leotard cars, to have built and piloted them. Today in 2019, Thierry Parent has died, I had the chance to meet him once in Montlhéry, he gave me a lot of information and pictures but he left us really too early.
Photo taken from a 1987 video with the Mercedes 190 GE du Dakar 1986
In the background of a photo of the Mercedes 280 GE Café de Colombia n ° 317 of Paris-Dakar 1988, certainly of poor quality…
Appeared in vintage car n ° 5 alongside the Peugeot P4 Pompier 6×6 de Christian.
The sad end of the R5 Turbo 2 to 6 wheels (photo and video of Christian Leotard – 2013)
the models
This model exists in miniature !
Version Circuit 24
My friend Alexandre Martin's version, he designed it, it was for sale at one time, I don't know under which brand.
In any case, Christian de Léotard ordered him 10, Alexander delivered him, and Christian never paid them… Christian did them roughly, see the photos below… Alexandre had taken care to take photos, same of the package. He was really disappointed at the time…
It’s the bad side of Christian, he didn't pay his bills.
See the website Alexandre Martin Mini-Auto
See the website Alexandre Martin's Citroën BX
Still other versions
The artist views
These drawings come from Christian de Léotard but I don't know who they are. Admire two illustrations from the R5 6 project×6.
I had what I consider a gift from him,
a large format drawing on tracing, slightly damaged or, but admirable.
Could this be the original of the following ?
This lithograph was on sale at the Automobile Museum of Mougins (06) in May 2007, in the Museum shop. It is produced on CANSON A3 size paper. R5 is numbered No. 177/250 and signed Corinne de Maruy (?). Thanks to Jean-François Schlosser (Jeff Jeff) for his beautiful scans. (10/03/2008)
Another artist's view, much more recent (2019) from sklobeton.studio, a rims-oriented artist, see his instagram
And children
A son of Stéphane to come out of his father's collection Pif, he has dragged the newspaper on the table, open to that page…
What a coincidence that he looked ! Like what Christian de Leotard was known in his time !!!
I remember, when I was a teenager to have seen pass me a Mercedes G 6 wheels which was not decorated but who would participate in the Dakar.
I remember the site oto6.
But I do not remember all of that R5 Turbo 6 wheels !!!
sacred discovery, sacred vehicle 🙂
Too bad a fire have destroyed (in 2012 ? rather 2002 ???).
I look forward again becomes rolling.
cdlt
Hello Emmanuel
How lucky to have seen a Class G CdL !
It is indeed 2002 for fire, Sadly…
Hello,
FB tonight new photos of self, recently taken by a “Urbexeur”, according to which the car is still in his garage, half burned like the picture you posted here …
She is always well without any protection ?
cordially, Laurent
Thank you to Lawrence, altogether it is always in the same place with fewer protections, more and more people know the place…
Hello, living near Nevers, do you have any more specific information on the location of the car ? cordially
Hey, Stee with Bridgeѕ.
Reaⅼly “The Renalt 5 turbo 6 Christіan's wheels of
Léotard” iss truly an intriguhing subject
Ѕimply wanted to say that I liked reaԛding your bl᧐g.
Hello,
In the photos of his sad end, we can guess a part of the front engine and the aluminum intake manifold characteristic of a turbo alpine engine. So that would mean that at the end of his career the naturally aspirated Alpine engine had been replaced by a turbo model.
cordially, Fabrice.
what a magnificent car from France. best regards from germany. charles henri juchem. 🙂
Wow!!! what a disaster a heritage that goes up in smoke and nobody cares about. I don't know where she is but maybe it could interest a passionate club or a person with financial means and a lot of love.
Hello Pascal
Lots of people tried to get it out of there to rehabilitate it, but unfortunately no way to officially release it, even with means and a lot of love… It's sad, but for now it's like that.
And the R5 will not improve over time… For the moment we still recognize it…
thank you for your message, I hope we hear you
good morning Marc,
Since 1980 i live on boats, I sold and transformed (or at least I made the plans and plans for) old barges and hulls, under the name of Living on Water…
I was a motorcycle mechanic, and I collected a few trucks, atypical and amphibious machines, most to restore, stored in a garage in Nevers (of which two 6×6 amphibians : an Alvis Stalwart et a Condec Gama-Goat)…
So I met Christian de Léotard around 1985, he lived in his barge “Catherine” at the Port de Javel and we sympathized all the more since I had done the 1st Abidjan-Nice rally in 1976 on my Ducati Scrambler motorcycle 450, so I followed the Paris-Dakar, dreaming of its six-wheelers like fantastic cars by Thierry de Montcorgé (at the I Abidjan-Nice Buggy De Montcorgé-Porsche then at the Dakar “Jules” Range-Rolls, etc) that i see from time to time…
We did Lélé and I a lot together, traveled with his Mercedes 6 wheels in the rain at shameful speeds, bought fire trucks and 2hp, he lent me 2 or 3 month a C15 De Léotard 6 wheels, we went to the last Heuliez auction in Cerisay, among other routine activities…
Having all the permits, I even lugged a fairly new bus for him from the RATP depot in the northern suburbs to Villeneuve-la-Garenne where he had to wait for his embarkation to Africa…
I helped him a little for his boats, made her his business cards and corrected her texts and letters…
Living in a boat in the 16th in front of the Bois de Boulogne, I often went to visit him at his home near the Mirabeau bridge, and on occasion he would change parking lots a Hollanders or an ambulance at 6 wheels…
Then his health problems worsening, he stayed at G. Pompidou hospital where I went to see him every 2 or 3 days.
Apart from his very devoted friend and neighbor, I’m probably the last to see him alive.
A small precision : The photo of the R5 six-wheeler on the access bridge to his barge-workshop was taken at my request by Christian (i believe with my disposable camera), and I'm the one driving ! It was not in working order, we both pushed it by hand…
It seems to me that Christian had told me (so necessarily well before September 2014) that the R5 had finally been scrapped… So it would not be the case ?
François Tremaud
Hello Francois
Thank you very much for all your great memories with Christian, I look forward to getting to know you and meeting you.
Thanks also for the info on the R5 on the barge.
Hey no, for the moment the R5 is not yet scrapped, always in the same condition in his garage.
Yours
Marc
Is it not possible to bring the body to me so that it does not get lost? or maybe buy them with papers? Who is the contact person on site?
Hello Dirk
Unfortunately there is no contact on site, this garage has been closed since 2003…
If you are trying to rescue, we wish you courage.
Friendly
Marc
Hello,
Sadly, there seems to be a dispute over the property of the R5Turbo 6 wheels.
You have new information about it ?
Marc hello I would like to give you some information on the r5 collector for me ( Eric) we exchanged at the new year because I passed in the garage by chance and for a few days all moves cars removed… scrap, wrecks ,the 205, the R5 Alpine,the BMW motorcycle and the gas cylinders. Trees were also cut .
Do you know Marc ???
Sincerely Eric .w
Hello Eric,
Thank you very much for your information, I just talked about it in this little article here : http://www.sixmania.fr/la-fin-de-la-r5-turbo-6-roues-de-christian-de-leotard/
The garage is going to be demolished to make way for new construction I guess. The world has to move…
Hello,
Your approach can only please the car enthusiast in general and vehicles “out of the ordinary ” that I am : Over LM2, by Montcorgé, Tissier, Studebaker Forward , Pacer…and, of course the creations of Christian de Léotard…Being a teacher of history and artistic and audiovisual culture in BTS, if I can be of any use to you, do not hesitate… if not, I'll be tempted to buy a six-wheel C15 from Léotard-Chausson… Spread the word. Good “The element” your, François, near Bayonne-Biarritz.
Hello Francois
Thank you very much for your very nice comment, if you want to write some articles for Sixmania, you are welcome ! In this case leave me an email on marc@sixmania.fr, otherwise do not hesitate to send us pictures of your future C15.6 CdL