Renault 12 Gordinis have been sought-after in collector circles for over a decade now. They are a common sight at local car shows and even non-Gordini 12s are starting to pop up here and there. One that immediately comes to mind is a U.S.-spec 12 station wagon that is regularly displayed at the Avignon Motor Festival.

On the other end of the spectrum it’s not particularly unusual to find a Renault 12 that was abandoned in a field or pushed down a ditch and burned many moons ago. An abandoned factory several miles away from here has three Renault 12s rotting behind it – actually, one is cut in half so make that two and a half.

What is almost unheard for 12 aficionados is finding a seemingly unrestored example that serves as a daily driver. Low and behold, we encountered just that in the streets of Annecy, France.

This late-1970s TS model is a little rough around the edges and it shows signs of having spent a sizable chunk of time on the salted roads of the Savoie region.  Save for the foglights it appears to be mostly original.