Michael Spindler He used his last magic tricks in 1996 if he wanted to save Apple from bankruptcy. As CEO at the time, and after repeating the same mistakes as John Sculley, the die seemed cast and so he decided to try almost every idea. One of them was take the company brand beyond computers – after all, the company had its own charisma that it could take advantage of.
Among all the crazy ideas he had at the time, he was looking to launch a line of cars. Probably the negotiations with different brands and the models did not come to fruition – Apple at that time was almost synonymous of defeat. Renault agreed to use the brand on one of its models, but it would not be high-end: the Clio utility vehicle would be the one chosen.
The goal was undoubtedly to combine the two worlds that reached more young people every day – the most interesting market for both brands. Technology, Internet and mobility in an equation that could not yet be combined into a single product, but which corresponded to what both brands wanted to offer their customers.
The real Apple car existed (this way)
The Apple Clio press announcement was a blend of the two brands’ commercial design languages. Very 90s.
It wasn’t a bad idea on the automaker’s part: Apple continued to interact with young people
In the advertising that you can see in this article, the emphasis is on the possibility of using the laptop connected to the internet anywhere, even in a car. What better example of mobility outside the home to access the network? At that time, it was almost science fiction.
The Apple logo on the body of a Renault? This is what the 90s were like, folks.
The chosen car inaugurated the sports phase of Clio, called Clio Sport or Clio S, even if Apple didn’t have much to do with it: only the inclusion of the laptop and an inlay side with rainbow apple logo. Although yes, nowadays seeing a car with the “official” Apple on the road would be a real surprise.
The Apple Clio S included a PowerBook 190 (editor’s note, in color) and a GSM mobile phone to connect to the Internet – unheard of in a car campaign at the time.
It is curious to see how, years later, Renault did not lose this link with Apple and launched the Clio iMusic, a model that included a 30 GB 5G iPod which could be connected to the car. The fact is that the Apple car existed but in very few copies, which made it somewhat difficult to see on the street – and over time the model got lost in the history of the two brands.
An old Clio S… with the Apple logo?
It would be difficult to differentiate it from a “normal” Clio at first glance.
While searching for information on this car, I discovered a curious story: despite how difficult it is to find an Apple Clio S, someone managed to find one in impeccable condition. It is Effortforumclub.es user (a forum for fans of the Renault brand), where he says that he was given a family gift from his wife’s grandfather: a Clio S.
The car appeared to be in immaculate condition, with only 61,000 kilometers in 2019, so I avoided throwing it away since for personal reasons he preferred to keep it and develop it. This was the bright red model, and the exterior appearance from the first photos uploaded looks almost perfect.
The interior was perfect: it’s the first Apple Car 😉
Own forumers They are surprised by the state in which it is found, with no notable exterior damage. It is model with 1.4 engine and according to the new owner, the car worked perfectly. Of course, it seems that his thing happened, he was no longer sleeping in the garage: unscrupulous people even scratched him with a key, so they had to repaint it three years ago to inherit it.
We all looked visually for a little apple hidden inside the car, but the logo wasn’t there.
Once clean, the interior photos They show us what the Apple Clio S looked like: those of us who knew the story always had doubts that there was a logo inside (The “official” apple of the model is located on an exterior side trim). As you can see in the images, inside it sits like any other Clio S of the time without any trace of those from Cupertino.
Maybe a little apple logo inside would have been nice (it was only on the exterior trims)
The launch of Apple Clio It was a commercial strategy very at the time, where we remember the movements that the brand made even with the fashionable musical group, “Mecano” – by also launching its own dedicated model. After so many years, it is very rare that the car is still seen on the streets, as they are usually all retired.
He the car has barely been used It is impressive 23 years after its launch: the steering wheel was impeccable and neither the seats nor the pedals show any signs of wear. Without a doubt a spectacular specimen and in an impeccable state of conservation, in which the user himself has put in the work to prepare it: both physically and mechanically, to be able to enjoy it for many more years. Be very careful on your streets, in case you come across them!
Update: If you bought technology magazines back then (around 1996), you probably still have a CD in your home that was given away in some of them, like the one in the image above. There you will find all the detailed information mentioned in the article, with an interactive application – at that time, “multimedia” was in fashion – where you could see the videos and documents on the advertising screen.
This CD says a lot about the Apple of the time: the application interface (which could be used on PC and Macintosh) began to adopt the skeuomorphism As it became fashionable a little over ten years later with the arrival of the iPhone.
This very curious compact is today like a little souvenir preserved in amber of the technology of the time: an attempt to combine the latest Quicktime videos, the Internet and mobility for a future that seemed to bring them ever closer together. They weren’t so wrong.
In Pommesfera | “My name is Steve Jobs. Bring the car to my house”: the story of a secret prototype and the mystery of the Apple Car
