Stories & Photos: Oldest R16 alive?

[Facts_&_Figures] [Stories_&_Photos] [Tips_&_Tricks] [Messages] [Links_&_Addresses]
[ Main Page ]

Corjan Meijer bought this R16 from Gerard Slagter last year. The car is believed to be the oldest R16 in private hands.
Except from some small damages it is in wonderful condition.
The car was used for presentation and test driving for the presse in August 1965.
After that the car was sold to the Renault dealer Verstraten in Cuyk, Holland.
Then it was sold to a doctor, who used it until is death, when the deal bought it back.
The dealer then used it for test driving, and his wife also used it.
After his wife died, the car is put in storage and remains there until 1988 when Gerard Slachter buys it.
Two weeks later the dealer calls to Gerard to ask how the car is. One day later the dealer dies.
In August 2000 Gerard sells the car to Corjan, due to insufficent space to store it.
All Corjan has made so far is to fit some new Michelin MX tires, and change the gearbox, since the old one could not be put in gear anymore.
The original gearbox will be restored and put back.
According to Corjan the number on chassis should indicate that this is the 12'th car made in 1965.
On the fabrication plate we can read that the car is built to French specification (100).
But the fabrication number itself is a bit pusseling.
Previously I thought is said 213 42S, but as Dominique Guiavarch told me it actually says 213 428, which should indicate it is a late -67 (made early summer of 67).
Has the fabrication plate been changed, or what?
The first cars had a small grille for the horn, instead of the normal slots.
The hubcaps on this car is probably not the original ones.
The pre-series cars shown to the press in January 1965 had the same hubcaps as used on R16 until -68

Magnus Bjelk (magnus@r16site.com)

Last revision 2001-12-02