Classic industrial estate chic
The Renault 21 Turbo is a relic of the era when every respectable repmobile had to have its halo model. Everyone was doing it - Vauxhall had the Cavalier GSi 2000, Peugeot had the 405 Mi16 and Ford, of course, had the legendary Sierra Cosworth.
The 21 Turbo was introduced in 1988 and developed 175bhp from its blown 2.0-litre motor, which made it pretty swift. The only problem was that all that power was channelled via the front wheels and, since the car also weighed little more than a used Gauloise, the 21 had a distinct tendency to give a Gallic shrug and spin its tyres to oblivion if you tried to get it off the line too quickly.
Good spot of parking there...
That was solved in 1990 with the launch of the four-wheel-drive Quadra version. It weighed 155kg more than the two-wheel-drive model, however, so the print to 60mph only dropped from 8.1sec to 7.8sec.
Renault 21 Turbos are rare beasts now, and the all-wheel drive one even more so: they are notoriously fragile, and many been abused, crashed or modified to destruction. That's why this one caught PH's eye. Yes, a round grand is top money for a 21 Turbo, but this is a Quadra version, it's unmolested (as far as we can make out), has (mostly) a proper Renault service history, and it doesn't have a stratospheric mileage.
One eighties-tastic cabin
We reckon that if you knock the seller down by £100 or so, this frenetic Frenchman could be quite a deal.
The ad is reproduced below, but before you move on to that, here's a random piece of 21 trivia: the Turbos, like all the larger-engined 21s, had a longitudinally mounted engine, but the smaller engines were mounted transversely - the two versions even have different wheelbases. Gotta love that Gallic logic...
Owned for three years, only two previous owners, f.r.s.h upto 96k all invoices and mots to prove. Serviced at independant garage since, now on 106k. Drives very well, but bodywork is showing signs of its age, the rear archs, the bottom of rear doors, and the front drivers side wing rusty. New radiator, radiator fan and cambelt fitted dec07. All electrics work!! Full leather in exellent condition. MOT oct 09 and tax till end of aug 09.