Have you noticed how few Renaultsport Twingo 133s are available at any one time these days? While Dieppe-made Clios and Meganes from yesteryear are commonplace in the classifieds, examples of the littlest Renault from the late noughties/early 2010s are few and far between. A quick check on HowManyLeft helps explain why; just 492 were registered in Britain at the last count, after a consistent decrease that's been in motion since the giddy heights of 569 in 2010.
Despite being cheap as chips and utterly brilliant when it comes to fun, the firmed-up one-tonne supermini didn't fly out of the showrooms like its larger cousins. Perhaps that's the inevitable result of it being a bit more niche, given the practical limitations of a 2,368mm wheelbase three-door in a largely five-door world. Even back in 2008, when the Twingo arrived as a cute faced 133hp puppy, it faced an uphill struggle with the mainstream.
Those who got it, though, realised there really was nothing else quite like it. It was a more serious offering than the first Swift Sport, yet with a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre motor and five-speed manual, it was decidedly simple. Essentially it was a downscale take on Renault Sport's sorcery, with a similar bent to the Clio 182 (partly thanks to some shared components), for £13,165 - about £17.8k in today's money. It was not colossally fast. But, like a runaway shopping trolley, it was thrilling and cheap.
Its strengths were emphasised by the then new Clio 197, a car which managed to be obviously talented while weighing a tiny bit too much. It was improved later on with tighter ratios and a few tweaks, but in 2008, it was the Twingo 133 that arguably delivered the pound for pound title holder. Still, given the obvious niche of such a product, sales were understandably slight. So much so that Renault never felt compelled to produce a fully-fledged RS version of the subsequent, rear-drive Twingo.
Finding a used 133 on the classifieds is hard enough these days, as illustrated by the lone car listed on PH at the time of writing. But the reward remains high, because prices are apparently low no matter what. Our 59-plate Spotted has only 38,000 miles on the clock, and its red paint, wheels and interior all look super clean. All the paperwork's there, both original keys and the seller is even servicing it before it's shifted. Dare we say it, this car looks about as healthy as possible - the ad says its former keeper "cherished" it - yet you get all that for only four thousand pounds. Not too shabby.
SPECIFICATION - RENAULTSPORT TWINGO 133
Engine: 1,598cc four-cylinder
Power (hp): 133hp@6750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 118lb ft@4,400rpm
MPG: 43.5
CO2: 150g/km
First registered: 2009
Recorded mileage: 38,000
Price then: £13,165
Price now: £4,000
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