• Wall Street Journal, AutoBlog, Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:33 AM

Back in the 1960s, Renault had a sporty blue car with two stripes on the hood that carried the Gordini badge. Now it's bringing the Gordini name back, David Pearson reports, to appeal to younger buyers who may think that most small, environmentally friendly cars are dull and to compete with brands such as BMW AG's Mini.

The Twingo Gordini will go on sale in the spring, Renault announced yesterday, followed a few months later by the Clio. Gordini-badged versions of other cars such as the Megane could follow.

The brand is named after Amédée Gordini, a French sports-car builder nicknamed "the Sorcerer" whose company was acquired by Renault. The Gordini update was concocted by Renault's British marketing manager, Stephen Norman, as an attempt to rejuvenate the brand's image. Only a few thousand will be manufactured. Renault is hoping that it will be enough to boost sales of its other models.

You can see some pictures of the original Gordini models and the Renault press release about the new ones in this "AutoBlog" post. Alas, no word that the Gordini, or any other Renault, will return to the U.S. market.

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