Have you ever seen this car in America?
The car I recently found on the Japanese market is a 1998 Renault Twingo.
It has traveled about 86,000 km, or roughly 53,000 miles, and is currently being offered by a small specialist shop with extensive experience servicing Italian and French cars.
The first-generation Twingo was introduced in 1993 and became one of Renault’s most distinctive compact cars.
At only about 3.4 meters, or 11.2 feet, long, it is roughly the length of a Japanese kei car. Yet thanks to its long wheelbase and wheels pushed toward the corners of the body, the Twingo offers a surprisingly spacious interior.
The rear seat can slide forward and backward, allowing the owner to choose between more passenger space and more cargo room. It was a remarkably clever use of space for such a small car.
And then there is the design.
With its rounded body, small headlights, and gray plastic bumpers, the Twingo has a simple but unmistakably French personality. Looking at it today, it captures the character of 1990s French automotive design remarkably well.
This particular example shows some age-related fading on the plastic bumpers, but overall it appears to be very solid, with no obvious rust.
The asking price is around $10K.
Considering today’s classic-car market, that makes it an interesting way to own a genuinely distinctive European car without spending a fortune.
Before delivery, the shop will replace the battery, front and rear shock absorbers, and upper mounts. Additional preventive maintenance can also be performed at extra cost.
One of the best things about this particular car is its 5-speed manual transmission.
At the time, Renault also offered a version called the Twingo Easy, which used an automated clutch system. It was an interesting idea, but today the additional actuators and control components can become a source of trouble.
For a car of this age, the simplicity of a conventional 5-speed manual is a major advantage, both for driving enjoyment and long-term ownership.
Another reason this car is especially interesting is that the Renault Twingo was never officially sold in the United States.
By the time the first-generation Twingo appeared in 1993, Renault had effectively withdrawn from the U.S. passenger-car market. As a result, Americans never saw the Twingo sitting in Renault dealerships when it was new.
That is why even today, it is an extremely rare sight in the United States.
However, things are different now.
Because this 1998 example is more than 25 years old, it is eligible for importation into the United States under the federal 25-year rule.
In other words, this is a car that Americans could not buy when it was new, but can finally enjoy today.
With only around 60 horsepower, the Twingo is certainly not a fast car.
But it weighs only around 800 kg, or about 1,760 pounds.
A lightweight body, a small engine, and a 5-speed manual transmission can make even normal driving speeds enjoyable in a way that many modern cars no longer do.
Imagine using something like this as an everyday car in America.
Surrounded by large SUVs and pickup trucks, this tiny French hatchback would stand out almost everywhere it went.
It is not luxurious.
It is not powerful.
And it was never designed to impress anyone with performance numbers.
But that is exactly what makes it interesting.
The original Twingo represents a distinctly French idea of what a small car should be: simple, practical, clever, and fun.
Driving one today would be more than simply owning an unusual old car.
It would be a way to experience a small piece of 1990s French culture every time you get behind the wheel.
Why not enjoy something completely different?
