The Gordini brand is an important part of Renault’s heritage both on and off the track.
Amedee Gordini was born in 1899, around a year after the launch of the first ever Renault vehicle, and originally worked as a mechanic on single seaters before becoming an engine tuner at Renault.
His R8 Gordinis finished first, third, fourth and fifth on the 1964 Tour de Corsica rally. In 1966, the 1300 version heralded the birth of the Gordini Cup race series.
The R8 Gordini was replaced with the R12 Gordini, which featured an all-aluminium 1565 cc engine, Weber carburetors and a 115mph top speed.
The Renault 5 Gordini was arguably the first hot hatch, beating the VW Golf Mk1 by a year, and featured a 93bhp 1397cc turbocharged engine and five-speed manual gearbox.
The 5 Gordini hit 60mph in 10.7sec and a top speed of 107mph.
Twitter - follow autocar.co.ukSee all the latest Renault reviews, news and video
