Renault Espace

In the early 1980s, the Matra team led by Philippe Guédon imagined a new kind of car: a one-box family vehicle, as roomy as a van but as pleasant to drive as a saloon. Turned down by Peugeot, the project was eventually taken up by Renault.

Launched in 1984, the Renault Espace was Europe’s first MPV. Its composite body, mounted on a galvanised steel structure, was built by Matra in Romorantin. Inside, its seven individual seats could be moved, turned round or removed, and its large windscreen offered exceptional visibility. The interior became a true living space.

The start was difficult: legend has it that only nine were sold in the first month. But the Espace soon took off and created a new market that every manufacturer would follow. For nearly twenty years, it embodied the car of families on holiday, and the spirit of the “cars for living” dear to Renault.