2002 Renault CLIO V6

The owner of this Clio V6 Renault Sport is its first and only, and she clearly wanted the car badly, putting her order in a full six months before she was finally able to take delivery on 24 May 2002.

“I work for myself and I’d had a couple of good projects, so I wanted to give myself a real treat. I like fast cars and motorbikes but looking around at the time the only other option was an Audi TT, but there seemed to be so many of them, I wanted something different.”

It is number 427 of around 1500 Phase 1 cars built, so is likely to have been one of the earliest in right hand drive. It spent its first decade in suburban Surrey, servicing the short daily commute and weekends away, including a ski trip to France. Since 2011, when the owner moved to north Pembrokeshire, the Clio V6 was more of a handful on the smaller country roads so it was used less and less.

Living in a rural setting with the car stored in a locked shed, the occasional field mouse has been known to find its way into the car - something to do with chemical attraction rather than an interest in performance cars. Although the damage caused was repaired and professionally cleaned, it happened again; nibbling the headlining and carpet behind the seats. Not wanting to see her Clio V6 become a rodent buffet, the owner has reluctantly decided that the time has come to part with her pride and joy.

Finished in Iceberg Silver, the exterior of this Clio V6 presents very well with no issues of any significance. There are stone chips and scratches across the front valance - testament to it being loved for how it drives - and a tiny crack in the front nearside by the fog lamps but nothing that detracts from the overall impression of this cracking car.

The owner had a repair done to the fibreglass on the front spoiler where she hit a cardboard box in the road and where the car cover had rubbed against the front offside and rear offside wheel arches it was resprayed earlier this year. All works have been done very well and are properly blended into the rest of the paintwork.

The car sits on its original 17-inch, OZ Superturismo 16-spoke alloy wheels which are in a fair to good condition with the odd scuff. All are fitted with General Altimax Ultra High Performance tyres.

The inside of the car is again very original looking and in a fair to good condition, with swathes of blue-grey alcantara across the Renault Sport seats and door cards. The seats are largely tidy although the driver’s seat side bolster is a little worn and there’s a small nibble in the leather down by the seat belt latch. As mentioned before, there’s also some nibbling to the headlining and carpet behind the seats. Naughty Mickey!

The steering wheel has recently been professionally retrimmed in alcantara by Royal Steering Wheels of Aylesbury and new gaiters have been fitted to the handbrake and gear levers. Up front, the dash is in good order and the white-faced dials fit right in with the mad-cap sportiness of the Clio.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment. We are looking after the car during the auction and, be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measures to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown.

Under the bonnet, unlike the standard Clio, there’s no engine to be found here but all the other ancillaries for braking, steering, air conditioning and electrics look in good order. Unlike many mid-engined cars, there’s no front storage compartment either.

The undersides of the car are as you might expect on a modern car, tidy and intact with surface rust over many of the suspension parts but nothing to cause any concern to the inspector on its recent MOT. Most of the underbody is protected by cover trays so shouldn’t have been too exposed to road dirt or salt spray.

Lift the rear hatch and the luggage space is… largely non-existent, there’s a 3.0-litre V6 filling the back of the car! You didn’t want to go on holiday in the car did you? You can’t see much of the engine even once the cover’s taken off, just the top of the manifold and the oil filler cap in the head cover. There’s a small storage box attached to the outside which holds the jack and wheel brace.

The Clio V6 has a current MOT valid until September 2021 - passing recently with no advisories. Since first tested it has failed only twice for such things as a damaged seat belt, loose handbrake lever and a bulb and wiper blades needing replacement. So, nothing involving corrosion or major mechanicals.

The car has a good service and maintenance history whilst in Surrey and then periodic self-servicing since and occasional trips to a local mechanic - although it has done far fewer miles whilst in Wales. The car is likely due for a cambelt change which would have been done had the owner not decided to sell.

Renault Aldershot

Oct 2003 - 11,049 service

Oct 2005 - 17,492 service

Jun 2006 - ignition coil & window motor

Jan 2008 - 32,438 service

Feb 2008 - ignition coil

Apr 2009 - 48,000 miles service + ignition coils

Nov 2010 - service

Mar 2019 - ignition coils and service - Goodwick Motor Services

Oct 2020 - bumper repair and repaint - Vdub Works, Haverfordwest

There is a full set of owner’s manuals and handbooks including the Clio V6 documentation in its original “full metal jacket” plus two keys and fobs.

The vendor was looking for “something different” when she ordered the Clio V6 and it is certainly that. This isn’t a low mileage garage queen for a collector to hide away in a private museum, this is a great car for the Clio V6 enthusiast who is looking for one that they can actually use as its engineers intended. It's in pretty good original condition too with no after-market modifications.

Such a driver’s car just begs to be driven and the vendor reports that all is as it should be in that department. She says, “It is such enormous fun to drive, it makes you really feel good inside.”

With a guide price of £23,000 to £28,000, we expect this example to sell for around half of the price of the incredible, record-breaking Phase 2 Liquid Yellow one we sold back in June. Why so cheap? Well, it’s a Phase One car for a start, and has covered a greater mileage, albeit just 58,300 miles, which is still a low figure for a car that’s approaching 20 years old.

Put in your best bid and before you know it you could be taking the scenic route for your ‘essential journeys’ with white knuckles gripping the wheel, clenched buttocks gnawing at the upholstery and the biggest, dumbest grin on your face!

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that this vehicle may have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.