-By Colin McFadden– Mexico City is one of my favorite cities, and thanks to a nonstop flight from Minneapolis, it’s easy to visit for a long weekend. The modern car scene in Mexico City is in many ways similar to the US (plenty of Fords and Chevys) but also includes many brands we don’t have access to. These include many of the emergent Chinese EV manufacturers, plus some European marques which have long since left the US. Cars from SEAT, DS and Peugeot share the road with those from BYD, BAIC, and MG.
Such a sprawling city with a temperate climate means there’s plenty of chances to spot some great older cars. For example, on our recent trip I spotted a pristine two door Renault 9. I’ll admit, I hadn’t previously closely studied the differences between a Renault 9 and a Renault Alliance, and I can say that I’m a better person now.
Going to a city repeatedly also means you have a chance to spot the same car multiple times. While walking in the La Roma neighborhood a few weeks ago, I took a picture of a Renault 5. After taking the photo, I had a bit of déjà vu, and started scrolling through photos from past trips. Sure enough, I spotted the same car in 2022. It’s fun to be able to compare the two photos – in two years, the little 5 has obviously had a bit of a shunt, and the cracked-but-intact paint job from 2022 and now showing some rust. I’ll be sure to report back on its status as the years go by.
The Renault 5 (or the Le Car as we knew it) had a long life, and was built from 1972 until 1996 across two generations. Renault assembled the 5 all around the world, using knock-down kits manufactured in France. In Latin America, the 5 was assembled in both Mexico and Venezuela. The Renault 5 also spawned the absolutely bonkers Renault 5 Turbo, and was even available as a (converted) electric car with a 50 mile range. The 5 has recently been relaunched as a pure-EV with fun retro styling – despite an occasional tease, we almost certainly won’t get it in the US. But perhaps you’ll spot one on a future trip south of the border.