The late 1970s Renault 4 TL pictured here is one of my favorite cars from the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark. It’s also one of the most awesome cars I’ve seen all year. If you’ve been reading Ran When Parked on a regular basis you’re already familiar with my soft spot for the Renault 4.
Rusty and dinged up, this car oozes character. You’ll note that it’s fitted with mudflaps and a hitch, so it’s not the kind of Renault 4 used only for quick trips to the local store; this one has been working all of its life. None of the rust looks awful or beyond repair, though I didn’t check to see what it looks like underneath. I did notice some yellow paint on one of tires, which indicates the owner recently touched up some scratches.
I’m a little bit perplexed by some of the extra lights. There are turn signal repeaters on the front fenders, and reverse lights integrated into the hatch. The Renault 4 came with both of these in various markets and at various points of its production cycle, but the ones on this car aren’t stock. Does anyone know if they were added by the dealer, or if they were installed by the owner?
The car is owned by a female photographer, who simply loves her car.
The turn signals on the front fenders are obligatory in Denmark. Cars meant for Denmark were normally supplied with Renault’s own round sidelight with the Dauphine crown on. The Danish-manufactured Ermax lamps on this car are after mounted, maybe by the Danish general importer. They are sittinbg lower than normal mountings.
Tom
Interesting information about the turn signal repeaters, thanks! And I can see why she loves her car — it’s awesome!
The repeater lights on the fender and the reversing lights were probably added by the Danish dealer or distributor. The Renault 4’s in Italy have diamond-shaped repeater lights.
My very first car was a navy blue Renault 4. The floor plate was so rusted you could see daylight through it. My friends said it suited my personality, I’m still not entirely convinced they meant it as a compliment.