Sometimes it pays to give old model a new look which says it’s ready for adventure – but does this classic car still have its original soul?
Geraldine Herbert test drives the new Renault 4 Iconic 52KWH. Photo: Paul Herbert-Kane
The sixties was the decade of new ideas, new industries and a more outward-looking future for Ireland. The arrival of television, via RTÉ in 1961, didn’t just bring moving pictures into Irish homes; it ushered a world of miniskirts, moon rockets and protest marches directly into our sitting rooms.
But while Irish families were adjusting the rabbit ears and gathering around flickering black-and-white screens, change was also occurring on our roads. Across Europe, car manufacturers were responding to the demand for practicality. When Renault launched the original 4, it wasn’t trying to be glamorous. The car was resolutely ordinary and basic, designed for everyday life, for work, for families and for movement. As Europe modernised, the Renault 4 quietly became part of the landscape, and in Ireland, part of the furniture.