Automotive 1980
Renault
At last, a car that's slow from 'E' to 'E' is fast from 0 to 50.
FROM THE PRINTED PAGEOriginal ad copy
OCR transcription from the archived page. Scanning and reading-order errors may remain.
AT LAST, A CAR THAT'S SLOW FROM "E" TO "E" IS FAST FROM 0 TO 50. 40 hwy. est. (30) est. mpg* Le Car It's not surprising that Renault Le Car will take you a long way on a gallon of gas. What is surprising is how quickly it will do it. With its high-performance, aluminum-head engine and front-wheel drive, Le Car gets you up to highway speeds without anxiety. In fact, Motor Trend clocked it from 0 to 50 in only 10.4 seconds. But perhaps the most pleasant surprise about Renault Le Car is not how quickly it goes, but how comfortable you feel along the way. In a passenger compartment with more room than a Honda Civic or Datsun 210 hatchback. Cushioned by four-wheel independent suspension and Michelin steel-belted radials, for a smooth, level ride Motor Trend says "would do credit to far larger, more expensive cars." Visit one of the hundreds of Renault dealers from coast to coast. For an economy car that gives you more than just economy. *Remember: Compare these 1980 EPA estimates with estimated mpg for other cars. Your mileage may vary, depending on speed, trip length, weather. Your actual highway mileage will probably be lower. California excluded. +Based on 1980 EPA data. RENAULT LE CAR WE BUILD MORE INTO ECONOMY CARS THAN JUST ECONOMY. Imported by American Motors
Commentary
This alternate Renault Le Car ad begins with a small act of arithmetic: the car is slow from “E” to “E,” the fuel gauge, but fast from zero to fifty. The joke turns economy into a performance story before the image shows the red hatchback overtaking a truck on a coastal road.
The copy then carefully changes the comparison. First comes mileage, then acceleration, then comfort, then room. Honda Civic and Datsun 210 establish familiar benchmarks, while Motor Trend supplies borrowed authority for the ride. The ad is not claiming that Le Car wins every category; it is building a stack of reasons an economy-car buyer might refuse to settle.
“More than just economy” is the organising phrase. The vehicle’s smallness becomes a platform for a high-performance aluminum-head engine, front-wheel drive, independent suspension and Michelin radials. The second photograph, with people and a white Le Car beside a waterfall, softens the spec sheet into a travel promise.
For new copywriters, the useful move is the headline’s reversal: repeat the same fuel-gauge endpoints and change the meaning of speed. A pun works best when the body copy can immediately provide the literal proof underneath it.
Renault Group describes the Renault brand as carrying a long history of innovation into today’s mobility market, including electric models, in its brand overview. The Le Car’s compact, practical brief still has a clear descendant in modern small cars, even though the drivetrain and sales context have changed.
The durable promise is “more” without abandoning economy. The claims tied to 1980 EPA estimates, dealer visits and specific rivals belong to their time; the customer desire for an affordable car that does not feel like punishment does not.