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The Renault 12 was a family car produced by Renault between 1968 and 1978, when it was replaced by the Renault 18. Available as a sedan and wagon, it was also produced under licence in Romania by Dacia, where it continued in production until 2004, replaced by the Dacia Logan.
In 1965, Renault began to study a new model to bridge the gap between the R8 and the R16. The demands for "project 117" were:
- The car had to be economical, not very sophisticated. It had to have a roomy interior, and a large boot, and a small engine will suffice. The car had to be easy to produce, so it could be made all over the world. It had to be reliable for the export markets, and comfortable enough for France. It should be usable as a base for multiple variations.
As all new Renaults this car had front wheel drive but compared to the preceding models, the car had a very different layout. The engine was placed, longitudinal, ahead of the front wheels, while it was behind the wheels on the R4 and its derivative or the R16.
Supension was also different: while the R4 and R16 had four-wheel independent suspension, the R12 had a rigid rear axle.
The engine was a further development of the R8 Cléon engine. For this occasion, bore and stroke were enlarged, resulting in a engine of 1,289 cm³.
Sedan (berline) and station wagon (break) versions were offered. Dacia managed to offer a hatchback version.
The 12 was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1970.
In Brazil, a version of the 12 was sold as the Ford Corcel and later became the Ford Del Rey.
USA
The American-market Renault 12 came in three trim lines: 12, 12L, and 12TL, ranging in proce from an inexpensive US$2975 to a pricy $3448. It was a larger car than most of its competitors, and the longitudinal front wheel drive layout contrasted with most. The engine was a 1.6 L (1647 cc) all-aluminum unit which produced 65 hp (49 kW). It was upgraded in 1975 with hemispherical heads and a higher compression ratio for 72 hp (54 kW).
In a test of the 1974 model, Road & Track was critical of the engine's "obtrusive" noise, and called the heavy, non-power steering "a serious design flaw". They also gave it "very poor marks" for the ventilation system.
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