The idea for the Renault Spider was formulated in the early 1990s, in the midst of a revival, after a financially difficult second half of the 1980s.

Renault wanted a car to promote as a sporting brand (similar to the Renault 5 Turbo from a decade earlier) and as a result, the Spider was the first car to be produced under the new brand name of 'RenaultSport'.

The RenaultSport Spider started life as a futuristic concept car dubbed ‘Laguna Roadster’ that made its international debut at the 1990 Paris Motor Show.

Public response to the Laguna Roadster was surprisingly positive, so Renault’s top executives attempted to make a reasonable business case for it.

The project was a tough sell at first, few automakers can justify investing in a low-volume, niche model, but it was finally given the green light for production in September 1993.

The Spider was intended to serve as both a racing car in a one-make series organised by Renault and as a slightly more civilized road car.

The first ...