MEET THE OWNER – RICHARD HANLON AND HIS RENAULT 17TS
By Harry Brown |
15th October, 2020
Back in 2009 Renault enthusiast, Richard Hanlon ‘was geared up to go over to Ireland to buy a pale metallic green 15 which I had been hankering after for a long period. I had a flight booked in the outbound direction, and a ferry booked home again; when the news came that it had been unexpectedly sold locally’.
On hearing this depressing news, Mr. Hanlon complained ‘to a pal who was also a Renault fan’. By incredible coincidence, this party had recently noticed a 17TS for sale in Burnley. And so, ‘still feeling the sting of travel operator’s refund policies I set off determined not to miss out this time’. FLK 509 T was registered in Harrow on 1st April 1979, making it one of the last of its type, and on 30th June 2009, Richard became its third owner.
The 15/17 range made their bow at the 1971 Paris Motor Show, and their rather stunning lines were the creation of Renault’s head stylist Gaston Juchet. The familiar 1,565cc unit from the 16TS powered the 17 with the TS version featuring a five-speed gearbox. In 1973 Car magazine noted of the cheaper TL ‘How can the Renault lose?’ in a test opposite the Datsun Bluebird 180 SSS and the Mazda RX3. Here was transport for the motorists who regarded the Ford Capri as ever so slightly naff and the Sunbeam Rapier “Arrow” as the province of the middle-aged pipe-smokers.
The line-up received a facelift in 1976 with the 17 TS now powered by 16TX’s 1,647cc engine. In the following year, it was evaluated by Car against the Alfasud Sprint and the VW Scirocco 1600 GTS Mk. I. The reviewer found the 17 to be ‘good’ but lacking ‘that special something’ as compared with its Italian and German competitors. In reality, many a driver gladly opted for the comfort of the Renault. 15/17 production ceased in 1979 to make way for the Fuego, and ten years later they were already an unusual sight in the UK.
Richard’s fascination with the marque, and French cars per se, commenced ‘with annual family holidays to France as a child where I used to love to spot rare Renault, Peugeot and Citroen models every year and having a mental ‘tick list’ on each holiday. I noticed even then that the 14, 15 and 17s seemed to dry up quickly whereas 304s, 404s, 504s, Amis, DSs, CXs, still seemed plentiful.’ A spot of a 15 or 17 at home was a rare thing indeed.
Richard finds his 17 ‘enjoyable to drive with the long-travel soft suspension being remarkably good at absorbing knocks. It lends itself best to spirited drives along open roads though is comfortable at 70 for motorway trips with its 5th gear’. The transmission itself is ‘little clunky when switching between cars but soon get accustomed to it on the move. The narrow track is also evident, but overall it is remarkably capable’. As for the power, ‘the double downdraught carb makes for lively performance from the relatively small 1,647cc engine. The engine itself is the typical Renault wet liner of the day and sounds like a period Renault with an almost electric purr’.
Over the past eleven years, FLK has undergone several repairs – ‘I have followed local leads, and those from Renault Classic Car Club members in tracking down parts and so-far haven’t been stumped by anything. Rust has been kept at bay due to the car having been garaged for its entire life and having led a cosseted existence with long periods of fallow’.
The Hanlon TS has travelled comparatively few miles since 2009; ‘A gearbox leak before a planned trip to Austria - followed by children and a house move - meant it has done relatively little in my ownership. It has only made it back on to the road during 2020 and a period of furlough from the day-job. No major issues were encountered apart from souring the replacement exhaust components and gradually reawakening tired French electrics’.
Today, the 17 more than fulfils the promise of the brochure – ‘sleek looks’ and ‘a sumptuous interior’. Motor regarded it as ‘a comfortable long distance tourer’, but perhaps Autocar of 1972 best encapsulates the appeal of this very beguiling Renault. It was a car that flew ‘just that little bit more in the face of convention, a characteristic so essential in the exclusive coupe market’.
WITH THANKS TO: Richard Hanlon
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