The Renault Twingo is one of those cars that has a long history and in the case of the French urban, now converted into an electric car, that multitude of years has been synonymous with a few special editions. One of the most original and strange, however, was not the work of Renault: it is signed by Carrosserie Lecoq, who gave life to the most luxurious version of the Renault Twingo.
When talking about the most exclusive and premium Renault Twingo, it is inevitable to think of the Initiale Paris version, which was launched in 1999, exhibiting its French ‘savoir faire’ and becoming the top of the range of the French urban. However, there was a more luxurious (yet), more opulent and lesser known edition: the Renault Twingo Lecoq.
André Lecoq
It was created before the Renault Twingo Initiale Paris, but it was not born on the Losange production lines. As the name suggests, it was the work of Carrosserie Lecoq. We are talking about the company created by the French bodybuilder and restorer, André Lecoq. Known as the Chanel of vehicle restoration, he is particularly known for that work applied to old models.
This did not prevent him from creating an exclusive limited run of the Renault Twingo: only fifty examples were made between 1995 and 1996. It was perfectly recognizable by its two-tone bodywork, which combines black with other tones such as yellow or maroon: Lecoq was inspired by the Bugatti Royale, one of the most luxurious models. They also spared no expense for some components: this version of the French urban sports specific BBS wheels.
A car for the ‘jet set’ of Paris
Most of the changes occurred in the cabin. The Renault Twingo Lecoq was designed to attract people who lived in the most exclusive neighborhoods of Paris: those to whom the appearance of that urban and, above all, its simple interior did not finish conquering them.
To solve this, the upholstery was redesigned and used leather for its covering: almost four years before the launch of the Initiale Paris finish. They also used this noble material in other elements such as the gear lever bellows and the front armrest. The dashboard plastics were painted black and added various wood inserts: Today they may be a bit outdated, but at the time they were part of the more luxurious versions of the ranges. The numbered golden plate adds a somewhat ‘kitsch’ touch to the whole.
Under that two-tone body, the Renault Twingo Lecoq mounted the Cléon-Fonte engine: a 1.2 four-cylinder engine that developed a power of 55 CV. It could be associated with a classic manual gearbox or the famous piloted clutch: it did not have a clutch pedal, but it did have a traditional ‘H’-shaped lever with which the driver changed gears. A system, by the way, that had certain reliability problems.
Two units in sight
The Renault Classic collection has a copy of the Renault Twingo Lecoq, but coming across any of the other remaining units is difficult: which is why it is considered a complete Unicorn.
Currently, two of them are for sale: number 8 is in Motors Corner and number thirteen in Lecoq itself. None of them is cheap because alluding to their exclusivity they ask €19,990 for the first (which also has 45,000 kilometers on the odometer) and €25,000 for the second despite its 96,000 kilometers traveled.
