The 1996 Renault Twingo urban runabout on Craigslist in Washington, DC, is an Edition Spéciale Alizé that adds features such as A/C, tinted glass, power windows, central locking, airbags, and the “fun velour ‘cumulus’ interior.” The owner wants $15,000.

We never saw the Twingo or any other French car on the American market in 1996, but it’s beloved in Europe. I recently drove around Nice, France, with Mercedes, who loves (and owns) oddball cars, and she counted the Twingos—a high number.

This first-generation original has 58,024 kilometers (36,350 miles) on the odometer. It was sold new to a German owner in Berlin, who kept it for 29 years and took terrific care of it. Since it’s now more than 25 years old, it can be imported into the U.S. the current owner did just that in 2023, keeping all the paperwork. Getting the title took a while, but now it has one.

The car is “accident-free, rust-free, just about blemish free, garaged loved and all-original through and through. If you want a perfect example of an iconic French car, this is it,” the importer says.

The Twingo was a hit when it came out in 1993, combining, as the owner notes, an innovative design, monospace structure, and modular interior (with seats that can lay flat into a sleeping area). The eight-valve engine is only 1.15 liters, which would probably have doomed U.S. sales even if Renault had a presence here, but the owner says it’s “very peppy and fun to drive.”

Since arriving on these shores, the car has been treated to five new tires, new accessory belts, a serviced AC system, a new radiator, alternator, battery, and hoses. A tune-up included new plugs and cables, fluids, and air filter changes. Proud testimony: “No leaks. The chassis, wheel wells, and undercarriage are all factory-new. All electronic and electric bits work flawlessly. Radio cassette works as well. Two original keys (and all codes). It needs nothing, just love.” And then this French, “A vous d’inventer la vie qui va avec!” That translates to “It’s up to you to invent the life that goes with it.”

It certainly looks nice in the photos, and the vivid blue color is a plus. The interior is wild and in velour. You wouldn’t see yourself coming and going, that’s for sure. And you’d pass a lot of gas stations. There were three generations of Twingo, with this first one debuting at the Paris Motor Show in late 1992. European markets got it the following year. The Twingo has an electronic instrument panel, which can be problematic in cars of this vintage, but photographic evidence shows it to be working properly. The rear seat can slide to either create more trunk space or more legroom. Why didn’t other small car manufacturers think of that?

The eight-valve engine produced 60 horsepower and wasn’t replaced with a 16-valve, 75-horsepower version until 2000. Shifting was via a five-speed manual. Twingos were made worldwide, including in Taiwan, Spain, Colombia, and Uruguay, but this one emerged from the Flins Renault factory in France, 40 miles from Paris.

The car got up to 49 miles per gallon, 37 in the city. Twingos can hit a heady 94 miles per hour and reach 62 mph in 13.4 seconds. So they’re highway-capable, after a fashion. The last Renault sold in the U.S. was the Alliance sedan, which was discontinued in 1987 (despite some 1988 press kits being sent out). The Le Car, Medallion, and Encore were long gone by then. Remember the sporty Fuego? Gone by ’86. Twingos don’t come up for sale in the U.S. that often, obviously, but Classic.com says sales here have averaged a modest $4,103. The car on offer is very nice, but cheaper examples are probably available.