Design chief kills rumours of revived R17
When you spend the working week writing about the motor industry, a senior executive let off the PR leash is a real gift and it doesn’t get better than the refreshing honesty provided by Renault’s chief design officer, Laurens Van Den Acker at the Paris show.
Addressing journalists assembled around the reborn R4 and R5, he poured cold water on the idea of other retro-themed Renault models reaching production. In a brilliantly blunt comment, he suggested that the automotive media had a “selective memory” when it came to older cars, pointing out that the original 17 which inspired its latest R17 Electric x Ora Ïto concept was “challenged” and was neither particularly popular nor successful. It was less surprising then that he went on to deny any possibility of the concept reaching production.
Ruling out a rebooted Safrane or even Avantime, Acker also admitted that he had been asked if the company would be creating a rebooted Modus but was less than enthusiastic: “If you want a Modus, they are still available. Buy yourself a used one,” was his blunt response.
Explaining the philosophy, he pointed out the difficulty in getting retro-inspired designs right for the market, needing to appeal both to buyers with no sense of brand heritage or loyalty and also enthusiasts with fond memories of the original.
It may be a blow to fans of classic Renaults hoping to see some of the firm’s signature designs updated for the new world, but it’s still a brilliant piece of honesty from a high-ranking motor industry figure.
