Classic cars with history: this is the Renault 8 TS, the Spanish sports car built in Valladolid

We want to pay special tribute to the Renault 8 TS, so we are going to tell you a little about its history. In addition, we have contacted the Club Renault 8, 8 TS y 10 de España to learn, first-hand, about some of the units that are still on the road. The Renault 8 TS is a sporty variant that was manufactured at the plant of the rhombus brand located in Valladolid.

The Renault 8 TS may remind you a lot of the Renault 8 Gordini that was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1964. This Gordini represented the sportiest version of the French brand’s compact saloon. The main problem with this sports car was its high price. It was quite expensive for the time, which made it a model that was very difficult to acquire. At that point, Renault decided to take a step further and look for a solution that would allow more drivers to get behind the wheel of this impressive model.

Renault 8 TS, a sports car made in Spain

With the aim of reaching more households, the rhombus brand decided to tone down the model a little and launch a version immediately below it, both in performance and price. Of course, while keeping the same sporty style and the same bodywork. In 1968, two years after the Gordini variant increased its power to 1,300, the Renault 8 S was presented in France.

The Renault 8 Gordini 1300 was not sold in Spain, but the Valladolid plant called FASA-Renault decided to import some units of the sporty-styled variant and manufacture it there. It would, however, receive a slightly different name: Renault 8 TS. This new made in Spain model was presented at the end of 1968, just two months after the French Renault 8 S. The Renault 8 TS was launched as an alternative to the impressive Seat 850 Coupé.

In this way, Spanish drivers could drive a four-door saloon with improved performance and much sportier lines. The Renault 8 TS had a 1100 four-cylinder engine capable of delivering a power of 55 CV at 5,500 rpm. It is important to note that the engine was fed by a Weber 32 DRC carburettor. The chassis weighed 715 kg, featured disc brakes on the front wheels and 15-inch alloy wheels. Its top speed was 145 km/h.

The Renault 8 TS came in exclusive colours such as Gordini blue. It is important to note that throughout its commercial life, the sports car hardly underwent any very aggressive changes. In 1972 it adopted a front end with four headlights inherited from the Renault 8, in 1973 it got new bumpers, tail lights and indicators, and in 1974 it incorporated rubber strips on the bumpers. Two years later, in 1976, production of the Renault 8 TS in Spain came to an end. More than 16,000 units were assembled over the seven and a half years the model was in production.

A model that is still very much alive

Juan González Pérez is the proud owner of this unit in butane orange, as he himself assures us. He acquired it in a “rather pitiful state on a very cold day, 27 December, some years ago” in Logroño. This young man had bought it to restore it but ultimately sold it to Juan. Once in Juan’s hands, it was completely dismantled so that it could be brought to the condition we see today. A real gem!

We have also spoken with Javier Hernando, who sent us some stunning images of the Renault 8 TS in action, no less than at the Jarama Circuit. We would also like to thank Pedro Juan de Blas Sánchez, president of the Club Renault 8, 8TS y 10 de España, for giving us his time. Many thanks to everyone! We hope to see you on the roads very soon.