Ashtrays: 1976 Renault 30 TS V6

Just two Renault 30s remain in Denmark. Here is the driver’s ashtray of one of them, another DTW world exclusive.

I may not have seen an R30 for decades. Like all Renaults these cars aren’t keepers so almost nobody has preserved them. The owner was embarrassed by the paint. This opportunity afforded me a close look at the finish, fit and materials. Having recently seen the 1975 Peugeot 604 I can see that the Renault doesn’t do things worse but differently. The ashtray is smaller than I expected; the R25 (how did the series number fall back?) had one maybe twice as large though. The position is okay; it’s a tray-type with a smooth action. If you want to see it open you need to…

There’s a bit less legroom in the back of the R30 than in the Peugeot. That apart, it looks like a comfortable place and trimmed well. A lamp at the trailing edge of the roof serves the rear passengers. I couldn’t photograph the rear ashtrays. The owner had better things to do than discuss his car, I suppose.

Given the rarity of this car, it ought to have been parked on its own, not squashed as if left at Tesco’s carpark on a busy day. I had problems with the lighting and the owner (him again) sitting in front of the car.

The window frames look solid.

The badge has a jolly 70s appearance.

I discussed this vehicle in the article on the increased use of plastic trim. Seeing the car in the flesh reveals a better interior than the photos seem to show. The IP concept is sound enough and not much worse than Peugeot’s or Citroen’s. Nearby there parked a W-123 250 saloon and, in contrast, the profound difference in detailing and material gives one pause; just where did Benz’s designers get the insight to deploy the materials they did? Rather than being emblematic of an underlying characteristic, it seems like a quirk of time and place.

If I ran a car show I’d give every car a five metre space and tell the Porsche owners to park somewhere else. I’d also ask owners of rare cars to be more forthcoming.

Author: richard herriott

I like anchovies. I dislike post-war town planning. View all posts by richard herriott