Michel Boué

Renault 5

The Renault 5 is a foundational supermini: compact, practical, and relentlessly focused on interior usability. Its longitudinal front-wheel-drive layout and torsion bar suspension prioritise simplicity and space over handling sophistication. Michel Boué designed it outside his regular duties — and died before seeing its 15-year dominance as France’s best-selling car. It changed expectations of what a small car could carry, how it could be serviced, and who it could serve.