Do you remember 1984? Microprocessors had made their entrance. Apple showed off its brand new Macintosh. A new group of affluent people – young professionals – demanded new fashions and trends. The all-new Renault Espace, made by Matra, was something the world had never seen before.
Matra and Renault
The Matra group was not only linked to car production. They were also involved in the production of aircraft, rockets and advanced weapons. A collaboration between Matra and Renault sounded promising, although most associated Matra with Simca/Talbot - not Renault. The explanation is that the Espace started as a Talbot project at Chrysler UK, but ended up at PSA when they took over Chrysler Europe in the late 70s. There, the special monospace model received the "thumbs down" and was given to Matra, who had been involved in the project from the start.
Family ties to Murena
Matra was known for racing, Formula 1 and sports cars – not vehicles like the Espace. Nevertheless, they made the Espace unique by constructing it in the same way as the Matra-Simca Murena - with a body of plastic-reinforced fiberglass on a hot-dip galvanized "space frame". When Matra entered into a partnership with Renault to produce the Espace, Murena had to give way after just 3 years.
With Simca and Talbot in the cargo
The wheel suspension received double A-arms at the front and torsion suspension at the rear, which made good use of space in the cabin. The drivetrain was taken from a Renault 25 with a longitudinal engine and drive on the front wheels. The monospace body gave poor access to the engine compartment, among other things it was difficult to change the clutch. People who have tinkered with early Espace cars report finding parts labeled "Simca". When Renault chose to renew the Espace in 1988, they removed all traces of Simca/Talbot. The original front, which was adapted to Talbot's model range, was also changed. The new, undercut shape gave the Espace a more mainstream feel and increased the car's overall length by 11 cm.
Model history
As square, cubic bodies went out of fashion in the 90s, the Espace mk2 came in a new edition with rounder lines and a tamer, more anonymous feel. Chassis and construction were unchanged from before. The interior was largely retained, apart from new instruments and switches. The next model, the Espace mk3 from 1996, also built on Matra's unique platform, but received major changes to the bodywork and a new, mid-mounted instrument panel with a spaceship feel. In 2002, Renault chose to produce the Espace itself. They created a conventional high-built car based on the Laguna. Not only was it bigger, but also much heavier and less special. After the Espace was withdrawn from the production plant in Romorantin, Matra had its hands full producing Renault's then new Avantime.
From one "avant-garde" model to another.
Versatile
It's worth mentioning that the Espace wasn't just supposed to be a vehicle for transportation, but also offer lifestyle qualities. Inside, you get a very special sense of space with large windows round the bay and two glass sunroofs. The front chairs could be rotated, and the other chairs could be moved and turned. One could easily transform the interior into a meeting room with the chairs around a table. A more practical feature was the ability to remove chairs to transport large items.
Class
I first saw the Matra-Renault Espace mk1 at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. My first impression was that it had class. The straight and angular lines were reminiscent of legends such as the Range Rover, Aston Martin Lagonda and the then brand new Volvo 760. The Espace was no ordinary car. But what did people pay most attention to? The space and the practical solutions? The good driving characteristics? Or did you fall for the car's sporty genes? A prototype racing version of the Espace mk2 was actually made – called the Espace F1. Although the Espace was fast and smooth to drive, it was no racing car. The point of highlighting the model's sporting genes was perhaps to create a class to distance itself from competing, simpler models – and vans with extra seats. France is still a class-divided society.
About the pictures
There are not many Espaces left that are produced by Matra. Early models are not particularly expensive either - most mk1 and mk2 are sold for under NOK 50 for cars that are still in daily use elsewhere in Europe. At the moment, I have only found 000 cars for sale that can be called preservation-worthy - 3 for 2 and 100 for NOK 000 (link). Last autumn I observed an Espace mk1 phase 2 car in my French city. It is in daily operation and looks good among French stone houses and sycamore trees. I have also taken pictures of a mk2 car without plates temporarily left at a petrol station outside Oslo. I studied it up close and was pleasantly surprised to find so many similarities to the mk1. Unfortunately, I do not know the car's further fate.
Other pictures are brochure pictures.
Facts about the 1988 Renault Espace 2,0i TXE
Length, width and height: 437 x 178 x 166 cm
Net weight without driver: 1290 kg
Drivetrain: Renault 1995 cc J7R injection, longitudinal FWD.
Power: 120 HP @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 168 Nm @ 4500 revs
Top speed: 175 km/h
0-100: 11,4 s.
Source: auto-data.net
See
Update. Only discovered now that Espace is turning 40! Renault Group has just published an article about the Espace – The model that gave its name to the MPV class. But they don't mention Matra…
There once was a vehicle named Espace – an icon name going back 40 years
