To mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary 1970s Renault 5 – and tease the arrival of a new all-electric Renault 5 – the French brand has teamed up with French designer Pierre Gonalons to create the Renault 5 Diamant, a contemporary and flamboyant revival of the classic. 

The original Renault 5

The first Renault 5,  launched in 1972 was an ultra-compact hatchback – a cleaner design than its predecessor, the Renault 4. Designed by Michel Boué, ‘Le Cinq’ was a success, and quickly became France’s best-selling car. Over 5.5 million Renault 5 were sold over the span of two generations.

Renault x Pierre Gonalons

In order to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Renault partnered up with architect and interior designer Pierre Gonalons to create an exclusive version of the vehicle. In partnership with Renault’s Colours & Trims team, Pierre has given the original shape a completely new look. 

“It was about celebrating this timeless design,” said Gonalons. “The Renault 5 was a revolution in form when it was launched. It’s a very beautiful design object, with very lean lines.”

With its bold matt pink finish with gold accents, the Renault 5 Diamant is a show of Gonalons’ love and passion for the decorative arts. As the name of the car suggests, fine jewellery is one of the biggest sources of visual inspiration, and hin: the diamond. 

The diamond design 

While the silhouette hasn’t changed from the 1970s design, the details are striking – with elements such as the mirrors, lights, instruments, and steering wheel completely transformed using entirely different and unexpected materials. 

“The very first editions of the Renault 5 came in orange,” said Gonalons. ‘This was new, suggestive, and even a forbidden colour for the age. In 2022, I think pink has the same connotations, certainly within the car industry.”

Renault’s famous logo has been a diamond since 1925 but was overhauled last year. For this one-off, the aptly named Diamant’s logo incorporates Pierre Gonalons’ initials into the geometric form, with gold letters intertwined into the silver. 

The interior

On the interior, the door handles and window winders are truncated brass spheres gilded in gold, with a steering wheel is marble on carbon. This careful design is a reference to Gonalons’ own ‘Loggia’ chair, but the designer says the twisting form evokes winding city streets or the diagram of a racetrack. 

“My approach is to be as serious about strict design as I am about fantasy,” he said. “They are both treated the same way. The Diamant is a balance between clean design and fantastical, almost surrealist, details”

The textile manufacturer Métaphores created the fabric of the seats, while the carpets are Pinton mohair wool. The Parisian atelier Bertin-Aubert, an artisanal specialist, added some extra gilded details. The dashboard incorporates a phone dock to supplement the three minimalist dials (speed, battery charge, and time), surrounded by horsehair fabric hand-woven by Le Crin. 

Exterior

The bodywork of the Renault 5 Diamant has a meticulously crafted finish, with three layers of paint combined, and covered with frosted varnish to create sparkling gold effects in sunlight and appear blue in the dark. 

Notably, the original modest engine was also replaced by an electric powertrain. Gonalons worked with François Farion, Renault Colour & Trim director, who describes the Diamant as an “emotional jolt”. “Pierre pays a lot of attention to detail,” he added. 

“For the handles, I was inspired by earrings. The jewel-style front lights, which stand proud of the bodywork and new gridded grille, are like emerald-cut diamonds in a clasp, but also reference spotlights on a rally car.”

Unexpected materials

The most striking feature of the Renault 5 Diamant is perhaps its wheels, made out of French Grand Antique d’Aubert marble, which was recycled by Mineral Expertise and then cast into tubes. In order to create this, Gonalons had to team up with many experts and suppliers from his experience with building bespoke furniture. 

The wheels also have a delightful detail: a sun detail on the hubcaps. This is a reference to the historic ironwork on the façades of Paris’ Place Vendôme, a hotspot of French luxury design culture. 

“The wheel makes the biggest impact,” he said. “Marble is a very surrealist choice. But then it’s part of my design universe. I like things that are not what they seem.”

Pictures: Renault