A Renault 12 was the very first car I ever drove...sort of. Lets say, the very first car I ever selected a gear! But with overwhelming shame, I had to ask for a neighbour to park it back in the space before my dad would wake up. Couldn master the clutch. It was a Renault 12 tl from 1979, and i was 12 in 1982. The engine was in the region of 1200 cc.
With 13 though, I could go around the town, because at 13 you are as big as an Adult, and can blend without suspicion in the traffic. I did some trips around the coast with 13 and 14, parking the car in remote residential areas.
I remember the dash had a glove compartment in the top with a lid, and the gears were a bit tricky to select. I also feared a bit of the wobling suspension, a bit soft. And the "goo" in the header tank, as every Renault from this period must have. But gave me confidence for my future life of driving.
In 1982, this car with 3 years old was already a rotbox, but then, I lived by the sea. Eventually, my dad trade it for a BMW 520 with two Stromberg carbs, and that was like going from a Cessna to a F-16.
I miss that R12...
With 13 though, I could go around the town, because at 13 you are as big as an Adult, and can blend without suspicion in the traffic. I did some trips around the coast with 13 and 14, parking the car in remote residential areas.
I remember the dash had a glove compartment in the top with a lid, and the gears were a bit tricky to select. I also feared a bit of the wobling suspension, a bit soft. And the "goo" in the header tank, as every Renault from this period must have. But gave me confidence for my future life of driving.
In 1982, this car with 3 years old was already a rotbox, but then, I lived by the sea. Eventually, my dad trade it for a BMW 520 with two Stromberg carbs, and that was like going from a Cessna to a F-16.
I miss that R12...