The idea of adding a Renault 21 to my collection had been around for some time.
It was my parents first car, in the shape of a Phase 1 sedan but, unfortunately, I don’t have much more information about it, other than the license plate letters, OC, and my suspicion of that one being a petrol 1.4 too. Apart from those cold winter days, when it became a struggle to get the engine running, they loved the car! So much that when I was born, they traded it in for another 21, but this time a Nevada, because, maybe the extra cargo space was a confortable place to get my diapers changed.
So, fast forwarding to 2021…
In the middle of a conversation with my friend Júlio, he told me his father knew a guy who wanted to empty a garage and there was a Renault 21. I had bought another car not even a month ago, but I couldn’t say no and had to, at least, check this one out.
I had a picture of what I wanted in my head and from the moment we arranged a meeting, it was getting more vivid and real. A white, Phase 1 sedan was all I could wish for, but since I was going to a “blind date”, I didn’t knew what to expect.
When I arrived, the picture was shattered almost instantly, but oddly enough the new reality was…interesting.
This 21 was pretty much the opposite, a Tungstene Gris Phase 2 hatchback, but on the other hand, despite the faded paint and scratched bumpers, the car had brand new tires and ran just fine!
Sometimes, it’s not the car you want, but the car that destiny choose for you to have, so I made a deal and happily drove it away.