The Renault Espace began as a rejected Chrysler idea
Europe's pioneering people carrier nearly never happened. Conceived at Chrysler UK in the 1970s and developed by Matra for Simca, the design was shelved by Peugeot as too risky. Matra took it to Renault instead, and the Espace launched in July 1984. Just nine were sold in its first month.
British designer Fergus Pollock sketched the concept at Chrysler's Coventry design centre, and Matra, led by Greek designer Antonis Volanis, turned it into a vehicle meant to wear a Talbot badge. Then in 1978 Chrysler's European arms were sold to PSA Peugeot Citroën, which judged the project too expensive. Renault adopted the Matra P23 as project J11, insisting on a completely flat floor behind the front seats.
The build was unusual. A fibreglass body sat on a galvanised steel spaceframe, a process that made the structure 60% stiffer in twisting at the cost of 30 kilograms. After its slow start, buyers warmed to the idea of a roomy family car, and the little Matra factory had to stop making the Murena sports car to keep up. A planned American launch through AMC collapsed when Chrysler bought that company.
Along the way came some wild spin-offs. In 1995 Matra built the Espace F1 to mark the model's tenth year and Renault's Formula One success. It hid an 800 horsepower V10 from a Williams racing car behind the seats, reached 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and topped out at 312 km/h. Frank Williams rode in it with David Coulthard at the wheel. In Brazil, meanwhile, a firm built 159 unlicensed copies called the Grancar Futura until Renault objected.
Matra built the first three generations. From 2002 Renault made the car itself, and the sixth generation, launched in 2023, finally abandoned the minivan shape for a seven-seat SUV.
Source: Renault Espace
