Launched in 1965, the Renault 16 was created to offer the comfort and space of a conventional family saloon with far greater versatility. Designed under Gaston Juchet at Renault, its unusual five-door body and folding, reconfigurable rear seating helped pioneer a format that would later become familiar as the modern family hatchback.
Built at Renault's new Sandouville factory in Normandy, the 16 was unmistakably French in both appearance and philosophy. Rather than following the traditional three-box saloon, Renault prioritised passenger comfort, luggage space and adaptability, creating a car equally suited to everyday family life and long-distance touring.
The approach proved highly successful. The Renault 16 was named European Car of the Year for 1966 and remained in production for 15 years. By 1976, its once-radical shape had become an established part of European motoring — yet its asymmetric wheelbase, distinctive roofline and remarkably flexible interior still marked it out as a car conceived very differently from its British contemporaries.
