The 18 GTL possessed the understated quality that its 12 predecessor didn't haveA few of the cars in this series of once-numerous models appeared to vanish overnight, while others gradually faded away in the manner of a once successful New Wave band. The Renault 18 falls into the latter category, with its numbers declining to the point that by the early 2000s it was already an unusual sight. This 1983 GTL Estate is a reminder of the car Renault hoped would conquer the UK fleet market.Renault began planning the 18 in 1971, two years after the launch of its 12 predecessor. The technical formula would be the same – front-wheel-drive with a longitudinal engine – but the new model would have a slightly different image. If the 12's angular bodywork looked agreeably offbeat, Gaston Juchet's styling for the 18 was markedly understated. Renault devised it as a World Car to compete in all markets – the sales slogan was "Renault 18: An International Requirement" – so it was easy to assemble in factories across the globe and had a safely non-contentious appearance.The 18 made its bow in April 1978, with UK sales beginning on January 31 1979. ITV viewers could experience a hilariously bad launch advertisement with overtones of Roger Moore-era 007. "The Renault 18… She's beautiful," Joss Ackland dramatically intoned during the commercial break in The Professionals. Despite this, The Telegraph thought that with the 18, Renault had a rival to the Ford Cortina Mk4 and the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 in the business-car sector.A British Management Institute Survey suggested that almost two thirds of new cars in the late 1970s were acquired or financed by companies for their staff. This newspaper noted that Renault had previously focused on "that vanishing species, the private buyer", so the 18 had to appeal to fleet managers as well as to former 12-owning individuals. The thought of a French company car was no longer as outlandish as it had been a decade earlier and by 1979 Renault was one of the most familiar overseas marques in the UK. It hoped to sell more than 100,000 cars in the following year.L'Auto Journal: the Estate is designed for 'daily work with more or less bulky items'The Estate (called the "Break" in France) debuted in late 1979 and L'Auto Journal regarded it as suited to "daily work with more or less bulky items, transporting family or friends, and Sunday outings with all your gear". French police forces were high-profile 18 Estate users, while in the UK this newspaper thought it managed to look "elegant as well as functional". For 1983, the 18 gained improved suspension, when the GTL Estate, with a 73.5bhp 1,647cc engine and five-speed gearbox, cost £6,100.The 73.5bhp 1,647cc engine was designed to make the Estate both an elegant and functional carAt that time, the base-model Ford Sierra 1.6 Estate was £6,012 and had a far larger load bay: 69 cubic feet with the rear seat lowered, as opposed to the Renault's 55 cubic feet. On the other hand, the GTL had "all that makes life 'abroad' more pleasant": a remote-control driver's-door mirror, central locking, electric front windows, velour upholstery and a quartz clock "that makes sure you are on time for appointments". Meanwhile, drivers of base-model Sierras were often grateful that a steering wheel was not an optional extra.AdvertisementAdvertisementOther 18 GTL alternatives included the newly launched Vauxhall Cavalier Estate for £6,143 in entry-level form and the Morris Ital 1.7 SLX Estate, which cost only £5,651 but looked very dated by 1983. The Datsun Bluebird 1.8 GL Estate was £6,395 and the Toyota Carina 1.6 DX Estate was £5,852, while the 18's nearest rival as a front-wheel-drive station wagon was its main French competitor, the Peugeot 305 GR Estate for £5,945.Renault produced around 2 million 18 GTLs, branding them with the slogan 'a solidity that will last for years'In 1986, the Renault 21 succeeded the 18 in the UK, although the last French-built model did not leave the factory until 1989. That was not quite the end of the narrative, as Renault-Argentina continued to make the 18 for another nine years. Total production was roughly 2.03 million, but today only seven GTLs are believed to survive in the UK – and that figure includes the saloon. The launch advertisement's claim of "a solidity that will last for years" was somewhat wide of the mark.However, in the 1980s, the discerning middle-manager with a choice of company cars might well have opted for the Renault 18 GTL Estate. It seemed a slight cut above a Sierra, Cavalier or Ital. And who could resist a velour-trimmed interior that resembled Terry and June's living room?Thanks to: historic car specialist J G Classics.AdvertisementAdvertisementWe use the fascinating howmanyleft.co.uk for figures of surviving examples, but some cars present more of a challenge than others, so the figures are rarely authoritative. Some pre-1974 records were lost before the DVLA centralised the process, while some cars have their model type misnamed on the V5 registration documents. A further issue is the omission of the exact model name or generation, or distinction between saloon and estate body styles.Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays.