Re the Renault Ambulances. These originally petrol Masters, came into the old WMAS as Outpatient vehicles. Fitted with rear ramps and hydraulic lowering gear, they were intended for multi-role transport. Using ratchet clamps, you could transport beds & Wheelchairs, etc., where patients / hospital needs required. They had a number of ergonomic faults though, perhaps the worst being the Clutch Pedal action, very long and heavy. As we'd regularly do 200 miles a day, we often got inflamed knee joints, so, (Where a crew), would take turns to drive. The other problem was length, until you became used to them turning was fraught with danger compared to the old Transits. The reason for their purchase was shrouded in the James Ackers debacle of those days, the fraud cases and collapse of the original WMRHA are well recorded elsewhere on the 'Net.
Malcolm is right about the Peugot Talbots though. In the late 80's, 2 Pelsall based Training Officers, Steve and Gary (Surnames omitted deliberately), sort of ' invented ' their ideal vehicle, and used it as an extra unit on Friday & Saturday nights. I used it once from "the Street" and it was well thought out except for the lack of Saloon / Cab access. in about '92 we saw the first of the Production ones at "the Street". My VERY experienced crewmate JJ, took one look and said "crap !" it only had single rear wheels and would be unsteady on corners. Looking inside they had a very low cab roof and immovable steel buckets for driver's seats, and as Mal says, a dangerously placed handbrake lever between the seat and the door. Soon, torn trouser pockets were commonplace. If you were 5' 8" you could drive one. Under that, you couldn't reach the pedals, over that you couldn't fit into the driver's space. One 5' 1" young lady had to get John the mechanic to fit wooden blocks to the pedals when she was driving ! JJ and I were offered 1 for assessment / use - he rejected it immediately, we had our 'own' Renault as we had been selected to operate a User Unit Paid for "Contract"system and were taken out of normal duties for 3 years. (I returned to A&E at Coventry then Monyhull as we were costing too much according to the Accountants who seized power of the WMAS when it went "Trust" in 1996).
I know that, by 1992, there were serious doubts about vehicle types. A service wide survey followed, identifying the Transit as the BEST vehicle al round, and so, by 1995 we had the newer (Diesel) Transits. In the old WMAS, there were hundreds of Road Staff, and a few Officers, (that has been reversed now !), so it is possible that such a Group as the "Renault 5" could have existed, however,not, to my knowledge in the Central region, maybe in the West (Black Country) or the East (Coventry) though ??????
Any help ?