Guy
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I thought these were pretty cool back in the day. Guess only Phil could find one now!
The Renault 20TX cost £8,409 when it was released in 1983 – and it truly possesses a certain panache CREDIT: Luigia Minichiello
There were some hard decisions to be made after the 2023 Silverstone Festival. How could one possibly choose a Car of the Show from the UK’s Rarest display, sponsored by MotorEasy, with such a tempting array to pick from?
The Pan-Pacific lines of a 1972 Toyota Crown Coupe bedazzled many showgoers, while few could resist a limited-edition Ford Cortina Huntsman Estate, or the appeal of an Austin Ambassador.
Eventually, and after much deliberation, we declared the Nissan Primera and the Proton Saga the runners-up, while the top prize went to Jason Crawley’s 1983 Renault 20TX in all its Bordeaux Red magnificence. A truly spectacular car to top off an event that saw so many rare and interesting cars taking centre stage at Silverstone’s family festival.
In the words of one advertisement, the Renault was “certainly no slouch” with a top speed of 110mph. In fact, our first display of The Telegraph’s rarest cars was in 2021 and featured a 1978 Renault 20TS; the TX version is more upmarket, a car for the fondue party set.
The Silverstone Festival was a fun day out for lovers of classic cars
Its roots go back to March 1975 when Renault unveiled the 2.7-litre V6 30TS; the company’s first executive car in 15 years. The 20TL of October 1975 combined the same bodyshell with a 1,647cc engine and simplified trim.
The company progressively expanded the 20 range, unveiling the TX with a 2.2-litre four-cylinder, fuel-injected engine combined with a five-speed gearbox in July 1980. British imports began in the following year.
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In 1983, the TX cost £8,409, compared with £8,488 for a Ford Granada 2.3L, £8,818 for a Rover 2300, and £8,415 for a Saab 900GLS. Renault GB believed the distinctive alloy wheels, power-assisted steering, electric front windows and central locking would hopefully appeal to the a more premium audience.
The TX also sported a “Normalur” speed limiter and cruise control – a comparatively unusual device in the early Eighties. Renault boasted that the driver would be able to “select a target speed and by-pass the accelerator”.
Motor Sport magazine seemed highly taken with the 20TX, exclaiming: “What a comfortable, refined car it is!” and describing it as a “fine-handling, long-legged car, quiet at speed, if not possessing quite a V8 hush”.
Autocar praised Renault’s road-holding and ride performance and concluded: “There is no doubt that the Renault lives up to its potential.”
DLE 177Y is one of the last of 33,801 TXs, as Renault replaced the 20/30 range with the 25 in October 1983. The majority of sales were in France, and by the end of the Eighties, the 20 – as with so many large mass-produced cars – had entered the Exchange & Mart twilight zone. Today, this is believed to be the sole Renault 20 TX Automatic remaining on the road.
Crawley’s father Fred became DLE’s second owner in 1987, and by 2005, its keys passed to his then 18-year-old son, Jason, who regards it as “a great car and part of the family. It’s got the optional automatic transmission, and it’s excellent to drive with all the refinements of a modern car, as well as being comfortable and returning a good mpg.
“The main challenges with its upkeep are obtaining the parts and information about mechanical components. Everyone is always delighted to see it, too, and it always draws a crowd wherever it goes”.
Of course, few Renault dealers in 1983 would never have predicted that a TX would be capable of diverting attention from various Bristols, Jaguars and Triumphs at Silverstone, some four decades later.
Yet throughout the weekend, the 20TX continuously attracted attention, with considerable admiration for its Bordeaux Red paintwork and Michelin TRX tyres.
Sure, DLE may only have been travelling at 30 mph when it paraded Silverstone’s circuit, but it felt a good deal more rapid as it kept pace with an Austin Allegro Estate and a Morris Ital.
However, the proper home for our star Renault is on the A27, circa 1983, preferably with ABC’s Lexicon of Love playing on the cassette player.
As Renault once stated, it is a car that truly possesses a certain panache.
UK’s rarest cars: 1983 Renault 20TX, star of the Silverstone Festival and the only one left
This car may not be as glamorous as some other classics, but it won the hearts of the Silverstone Festival crowds
The Renault 20TX cost £8,409 when it was released in 1983 – and it truly possesses a certain panache CREDIT: Luigia Minichiello
There were some hard decisions to be made after the 2023 Silverstone Festival. How could one possibly choose a Car of the Show from the UK’s Rarest display, sponsored by MotorEasy, with such a tempting array to pick from?
The Pan-Pacific lines of a 1972 Toyota Crown Coupe bedazzled many showgoers, while few could resist a limited-edition Ford Cortina Huntsman Estate, or the appeal of an Austin Ambassador.
Eventually, and after much deliberation, we declared the Nissan Primera and the Proton Saga the runners-up, while the top prize went to Jason Crawley’s 1983 Renault 20TX in all its Bordeaux Red magnificence. A truly spectacular car to top off an event that saw so many rare and interesting cars taking centre stage at Silverstone’s family festival.
In the words of one advertisement, the Renault was “certainly no slouch” with a top speed of 110mph. In fact, our first display of The Telegraph’s rarest cars was in 2021 and featured a 1978 Renault 20TS; the TX version is more upmarket, a car for the fondue party set.
The Silverstone Festival was a fun day out for lovers of classic cars
Its roots go back to March 1975 when Renault unveiled the 2.7-litre V6 30TS; the company’s first executive car in 15 years. The 20TL of October 1975 combined the same bodyshell with a 1,647cc engine and simplified trim.
The company progressively expanded the 20 range, unveiling the TX with a 2.2-litre four-cylinder, fuel-injected engine combined with a five-speed gearbox in July 1980. British imports began in the following year.
Advertisement
In 1983, the TX cost £8,409, compared with £8,488 for a Ford Granada 2.3L, £8,818 for a Rover 2300, and £8,415 for a Saab 900GLS. Renault GB believed the distinctive alloy wheels, power-assisted steering, electric front windows and central locking would hopefully appeal to the a more premium audience.
The TX also sported a “Normalur” speed limiter and cruise control – a comparatively unusual device in the early Eighties. Renault boasted that the driver would be able to “select a target speed and by-pass the accelerator”.
Motor Sport magazine seemed highly taken with the 20TX, exclaiming: “What a comfortable, refined car it is!” and describing it as a “fine-handling, long-legged car, quiet at speed, if not possessing quite a V8 hush”.
Autocar praised Renault’s road-holding and ride performance and concluded: “There is no doubt that the Renault lives up to its potential.”
DLE 177Y is one of the last of 33,801 TXs, as Renault replaced the 20/30 range with the 25 in October 1983. The majority of sales were in France, and by the end of the Eighties, the 20 – as with so many large mass-produced cars – had entered the Exchange & Mart twilight zone. Today, this is believed to be the sole Renault 20 TX Automatic remaining on the road.
Crawley’s father Fred became DLE’s second owner in 1987, and by 2005, its keys passed to his then 18-year-old son, Jason, who regards it as “a great car and part of the family. It’s got the optional automatic transmission, and it’s excellent to drive with all the refinements of a modern car, as well as being comfortable and returning a good mpg.
“The main challenges with its upkeep are obtaining the parts and information about mechanical components. Everyone is always delighted to see it, too, and it always draws a crowd wherever it goes”.
Of course, few Renault dealers in 1983 would never have predicted that a TX would be capable of diverting attention from various Bristols, Jaguars and Triumphs at Silverstone, some four decades later.
Yet throughout the weekend, the 20TX continuously attracted attention, with considerable admiration for its Bordeaux Red paintwork and Michelin TRX tyres.
Sure, DLE may only have been travelling at 30 mph when it paraded Silverstone’s circuit, but it felt a good deal more rapid as it kept pace with an Austin Allegro Estate and a Morris Ital.
However, the proper home for our star Renault is on the A27, circa 1983, preferably with ABC’s Lexicon of Love playing on the cassette player.
As Renault once stated, it is a car that truly possesses a certain panache.
