2001 Renault Clio 172 Exclusive

Highlights

• Lovely example of the Clio 172 in Exclusive trim
• Notable first owner
• Amazing service history including order form and new car bill of sale
• Only 16,284 miles from new
• Collector-quality car

Overview

Finding the exact formula for the perfect collector’s car is difficult, but the ingredients of this one are pretty much the perfect cocktail.

We’ll start with the obvious – it’s a Renault Clio 172. A first-generation variant of the seminal RenaultSport hot hatch and the first model other than the low-volume Spyder to carry the official RS moniker. Box one, appeal: ticked.

Next, it’s a Clio 172 Exclusive – a special edition, of which (fittingly) only 172 were made for the UK market. This one’s number 87. Box two, rarity: ticked.

Being an Exclusive, it was trimmed with the same rich grey leather upholstery as the upper-middle-class shopping trolley, the Clio Initiale, but without its hopeless automatic transmission and blue rinse connotations. Finished in lush Scarab Green metallic with unique-to-the-model 15-inch alloys, it looks the part without being too overt in its sporting pretensions.

What else makes the perfect collector’s car? Well, how about a notable previous owner? In this case, the gentleman in question being the late Sir David Atkinson, former RAF Field Marshall, military doctor and private physician to HM Queen Elizabeth II. Box three, pedigree: ticked.

While we’ve got the history file open, let’s see what else we can find to add to the Clio’s collectability CV. How about a more-or-less complete service history taking it right back to Day One, when Sir David placed the order for his new Clio back in 2001. He lived on the edge of the New Forest, where no doubt the 172’s agility and liveliness came into their own for quick blasts between the villages, and Renault UK evidently clocked on to to the fact that he was a notable individual and wrote him a personal letter of thanks. Box four, provenance: ticked.

All of the above makes compelling reading, for sure, but it becomes largely irrelevant if the car in question is a tired, used and abused example that’s holding onto life by a thread. Condition is important, too, so it’s good news for the car collector to learn that this one is probably as good as they get – it has a genuine mileage of less than 16,300 from new, and is in remarkable, unspoilt order throughout. Box five, originality: ticked

It’s a sold five-star performance in the collector stakes, then, but on top of that this is also a brilliant car in its own right. Sure, the later RenaultSport Clio models were faster, sharper and edgier, each in their own way, but the 172 was the original. The seminal example, upon which all others relied to simply exist. The Mk 1 Volkswagen Golf GTI wasn’t the out-and-out best, but it was the grandaddy of them all. The Clio 172 has a similar pedigree, but it was also a barrel of laughs from the off; more tractable and cheaper than a Civic Type R, which had similar performance, and less clichéd than the MINI Cooper S, which was just as entertaining but far less subtle. The 172 was a car for hot hatch connoisseurs – and it still is.

Here, then, is your chance to get your hands on a very special 172 indeed, and we’d like you to do so because if you have a bid, you’ll probably save us from blowing the lid off our own savings pot – it’s that good.

History and documentation

• UK V5C
• MOT to May 2025, no advisories
• Excellent MOT history
• Genuine 16k miles
• Two keys
• Original book pack and Renault wallet
• Service book stamped as follows: Mar 2003 @ 3,519 miles (main dealer), Mar 2004 @ 4,620 miles (main dealer), Mar 2005 @ 4,620 miles (main dealer), Mar 2006 @ 5,871 miles (main dealer), Mar 2007 @ 6,781 miles (main dealer), Mar 2008 @ 8,386 miles (main dealer), Mar 2009 @ 8,988 miles (main dealer), Mar 2010 @ 9,534 miles (main dealer), Mar 2011 @ 9,814 miles (main dealer), Mar 2012 @ 9,817 miles (main dealer), Mar 2013 @ 9,947 miles (main dealer), May 2024 @ 16,055 miles (independent – inc cambelt)

Interior

• Gorgeous grey leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Minimal wear to seat bases or bolsters
• Air conditioning
• Alloy effect pedals and gear knob
• Stainless kick plates with build number (87 of 172)
• Original Alpine CD changer unit
• ​​Original tools and smart load bay
• Genuine Renault floor mats

Exterior

• Stunning Scarab Green metallic paint
• Excellent overall condition
• Some very minor imperfections to paintwork in the form of a few lights swirls and scratches commensurate with the car’s age, no evidence of any prior accident damage
• Small ‘trolley mark’ on passenger side door
• Light scratches on nearside front door mirror
• Model-specific 15-inch alloys in excellent condition
• Tyres all have plenty of tread and appear in good order
• Underside appears excellent with no evidence of structural corrosion
• Lovely overall condition, as you’d expect from a cherished, low-mileage car

Mechanical

• 2.0-litre 16v 4cyl naturally aspirated
• 172PS/170bhp
• Five-speed manual
• 0-60mph in 7.2 secs
• Recent new brakes all-round
• Full service with all fluids and new cambelt in past 300 miles
• No reported mechanical issues

Summary

We’d love this car if it didn’t have all the pedigree and provenance mentioned above - not least because it’s a posh hot hatch, which is something only the French seem to be able to get away with (Peugeot 205 Gentry, anyone?), and manage to do so with such completion and chic. It’s a fabulous thing just by virtue of its existence.

Curiosity value aside, though, it’s also a ‘proper’ car – a rare breed, ready to add to a collection, take to shows and enjoy in moderation, because it’s a wonderful car that deserves to be driven.

But, it also deserves to be kept in the manner to which it is accustomed, because one day it’ll be a very desirable car indeed. It is already, but for now it’s still quite an affordable one. Imagine what a Renault 5 GT Turbo would be worth with this kind of pedigree and get your wallet out, because next time this chance arises, it’s likely to be a more expensive opportunity.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway.