Launched in 1990 as the successor to the groundbreaking Renault 5, the Renault Clio had a hard act to follow. As Mark Bradbury shows, however, the Clio not only matched but surpassed the Renault 5, becoming one of Europe’s bestselling small cars and winning the European Car of the Year Award twice, a record only matched by the Volkswagen Golf. Its success in the United Kingdom owed much to an impressive marketing campaign, including the ‘Nicole and Papa’ television advertisements.

This thoroughly researched book covers the design and development of the Clio and the ongoing technical changes, improvements and facelifts that would take it through five generations. The book also covers the ‘hot’ versions such as the Renault Sport, Gordini and Williams, and the Clio’s involvement in motorsport and rallying.

Including feedback from British road tests and accompanied by a wide range of photographs, this is a concise, readable and revealing account of one of Europe’s most successful small cars.