Renault Clio celebrates 20th birthday

When the stylish Renault Clio first burst onto the motoring scene in the early 1990’s, Britain instantly fell in love with the iconic French supermini.

With its chic styling, affordable price tag and versatile appeal, the Clio instantly won over the critics - and the public - becoming one of the highest selling superminis of all time, boasting sales of over 10 million units worldwide. 

This year, the iconic Renault Clio turns 20 years old and to celebrate its success, Renault has announced the launch of a special edition ‘upmarket’ Renault Clio ‘20th’.

Clio - Britain’s 20-year love affair

The sharply-styled Renault Clio debuted to considerable acclaim when it was first unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1990. Instantly winning over the demanding public, the Clio exceeded sales of the successful Renault 5 and appealed to every type of buyer thanks to its wide range of versions and body styles.

Throughout its glittering career spanning more than two decades, the Renault Clio has continued to set new standards for the supermini class with its unmistakable French style and certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. 

It’s also always been at the forefront of safety and was the first car in its class in 2000 to secure a maximum four-star Euro NCAP crash test rating, following in 2005 with sector-leading five-star status.

Clio and the small screen – marketing campaigns to remember

It would be impossible to chart Clio’s success without recalling its award-winning televisions ads, some of which are widely regarded as the most memorable and successful car advertising campaigns ever.

The Nicole and Papa story began on 1st April 1991, coinciding with the UK Clio launch. Over seven years and eight episodes, the father and daughter stole British hearts with their alluring French charm as they dashed around Paris, Provence and the Alps in their Clios. The series culminated in the final 1998 ad one Friday night with 23 million Brits glued to their sets to see the cliff-hanger wedding of Nicole to comedian, Vic Reeves, only to have her ‘elope’ with Bob Mortimer, the other half of the Reeves and Mortimer double act. At the time, the ad attracted six million viewers more than Coronation Street, making it one of the most successful car advertisements ever.

We also can’t forget the famous ‘Va Va Voom’ catchphrase which was uttered by seductive French actress Hélène Mathieu for the very first time in 1998 as part of the ‘Size Matters’ campaign. Just three years later, French striker, Thierry Henry, built on the phrase’s cult status in his series of ads which ran from 2001 to 2004. The ‘Va Va Voom’ phrase became so popular that in 2004, it even entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.

> Watch the final Nicole and Papa wedding advert
> Watch the Thierry Henry ‘Va Va Voom’ advert

Clio 20th – a fitting special edition

To celebrate the success of the Renault Clio and to mark its 20th birthday, Renault has released a fitting '20th' special edition version of the popular supermini. On sale in the UK now, the five-door model offers a wealth of luxury and style items in keeping with the car’s refined appeal.

The striking Clio ‘20th’ is instantly recognisable through its specific '20th' badging as well as the gloss black finish of its front bumper and door mirrors. The Clio ‘20th’ also benefits from stylish 16” Lyria alloy wheels and extra tinted rear windows and tailgate.

Inside the Clio birthday edition, the dashboard features zinc grey air vent surrounds, dashboard inserts and centre console. '20th' badging is also on the front door sill kickplates. Based on the Dynamique TomTom trim level, Clio '20th' edition comes equipped with fully integrated Carminat TomTom satellite navigation, cruise control, climate control, front and rear electric windows, electrically adjustable and folding door mirrors, Renault hands free card, ‘Sport’ upholstery, radio CD MP3 player with Bluetooth hands free system, four speakers and USB connection.

Several options are also on offer, including fixed cornering lights with black surrounds, electric panoramic sunroof and rear parking sensors.

The Renault Clio ‘20th’ comes with a choice of four engines including the 1.2 TCe 100, 1.5 dCi 86, 1.5 dCi 106 and 1.6 VVT 128. The first three engines come under the Renault eco² banner.

On the road prices for the new Clio 20th models are available on-the-road from £14,671

View photos of the Renault Clio 20th special edition

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Donna Kelly

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26/03/2010