Head to the ski slopes with a Renault 5, take it on daily errands, or drive off to meet with other car enthusiasts at events around Europe: this and more are the sorts of adventures enjoyed by members of the AIR-5 car club that brings together fans of the iconic Renault model that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. For a view into a larger-then-life collection of cars and a friendship not bound by barriers of automotives, it is time to see what is happening in the region around Orleans, in the heart of France. More than sixty Renault 5 models of all types lined up inside a vast 1,000m2 shed. This is the home to a growing collection of fond memories that belong to a group of six friends. Let’s meet them.
A very 80s vibe permeates the shop floor where Matthieu, Benjamin, Virginie, Cedric, Nicolas, and Eric share in their collection of some 60 Renault 5 cars, with all sorts of types and colours on display. From one of the very first 1972 R5’s (in its typical orange paint) to the legendary R5 Turbo sports edition, every model has a place in the vast shed located just outside Orleans, where life just isn’t the same without a Renault 5. A city car born in 1972, unlike no other, and with more than 5.5 million units sold, it has become a permanent fixture in the lives of the AIR-5 group of car collectors, now friends for just over a decade. Where did their passion come from? And what do they actually do together? We tagged along as they prepared the 2022 edition of Losange Passion International, France’s largest gathering of Renault afficionados that was held on Saturday, October 1st at the UTAC car track in Linas-Montlhéry (France).