Road cars bearing the name of a stable owner? There weren’t many. The Clio Williams, released in the 1990s, is part of this short list, and this 150bhp GTI could become even more cult following the death of Sir Frank Williams on November 28, 2021.
Sir Frank Williams, who died on November 28 at the age of 79, was above all one of the greatest team bosses in F1 history. The team to which it gave its name has no less than 16 world championship titles in the main discipline of motorsport! But this list would have been less flourishing without Renault, which had supplied, in the 1990s, an atmospheric V10 engine clearly above the competition. If this partnership will be forever marred by the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994 at Imola, it also allowed Williams to win five times the crown in the constructors between 1992 and 1997. While Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve won the stakes for the drivers at the same time. It was to celebrate this successful alliance that the Losange decided, in 1993, to launch a Clio Williams which has now become much sought after.
From Formula 1 to rally
At first, this bombinette was to be only a limited series. Its main goal was to serve as a basis for homologation for group A (two-liter category) and group N in rallying. The regulations indeed required to manufacture 2,500 road units sufficiently close to the competition, and the Clio 16S appeared in 1991 did not meet these specifications. The fault, in particular, with its engine of “only” 1.8. The displacement therefore increases to 1,998 cm3 for the F7R of the Clio Williams, and the power takes the opportunity to climb from 140 hp, or even 137 hp with catalyst, to 150 hp all round. The jump in performance is therefore noticeable, especially since the couple also benefits from this change. The 0 to 100 km / h takes only 7.8 seconds, and the top speed reaches 215 km / h. But we must admit that the links with F1 remain tenuous. Unlike the Ferrari V12, taken in a civilized version on the F50 supercar, the melodious Renault V10 will never have the chance to animate a road car.
To see life in blue
The Clio Williams’ kinship with single-seaters is therefore limited to its decoration, which has become legendary. Her sporty blue dress, quite dark, contrasts with its logos and gold rims. Despite a bodywork for the rest quite close to that of the 16S, this city car, only offered in three-doors, does not go unnoticed. A not so common choice at a time when the GTI are starting to be more discreet, like the Peugeot 106 or 306 S16. The interior is not to be outdone. Here, the blue invites itself on the backs of the counters, the belts, the knob of the five-speed gearbox or the carpet. The seats, more armchairs than bucket seats, come from the R19 16S. Finally, to the left of the central air vents, a brass plaque displays the number of the copy within the limited series… at least during the first months of marketing.
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A longer career than expected
The career of the Clio Williams will indeed last longer than Renault expected. During the restyling of the whole range, in 1994, this muscular version was not abandoned. On the contrary: it loses its limited series status… and its numbered plate in passing. With a slightly revised front end and new rear lights, this “phase 2” is thus less sought after, despite its unchanged technical characteristics. In 1995, a new series limited to 500 copies, called Swiss Champion, appeared on the Swiss market. She comes to celebrate the title of Daniel Hadorn in the national championship, in group N, at the wheel of a Clio Williams, and releases a slightly different Methyl Blue. A color which will then be extended to all Clio Williams “phase 3” reserved for export.
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A rating that could still go up
Disappeared at the beginning of 1996, this bombinette was finally produced in more than 12,100 units. We are a long way from the 2,500 units initially envisaged! But this little Frenchwoman remains quite rare, quite endearing and emblematic enough to have already seen her popularity soar. Some even see it as the modern R8 Gordini, although that traction traded in the playful side of its rear-engine grandmother for a much more serious and efficient handling. It is therefore almost impossible to find one today for less than € 20,000, and a first numbered series can, if it is in good condition and not too much mileage, exceed the threshold of € 30,000. It is clearly not the death of Frank Williams that should reverse the trend, especially since this Clio remains the only road car to have borne his name for the moment!
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