The Renault Espace is an MPV automobile produced by Renault. It seats seven passengers; the Grand Espace claims to seat seven and hold their luggage too. The Espace was the original people carrier.
The first Espace was designed by Matra. Early prototypes intended to use Simca (French Chrysler subsidiary) parts—hence it had a grille reminiscent of the Simca 1307.
When Chrysler sold its European assets to Peugeot. Peugeot's management didn't believe in the MPV concept. Renault dealt with Matra to keep the Espace project going. The Espace that was finally launched in 1984 shared a platform with the Renault Fuego, and was the first MPV available in Europe.
Three generations of the Espace were produced by Matra in Romorantin and built out of fibreglass. The original was wedge shaped, but later versions have become more rounded.
The fourth generation Espace was launched in 2002, unlike its predecessors it was entirely designed by Renault. It has a steel body and is built by Renault at Sandouville's factory.
Generations
- Espace (1984-1991)
- Espace II (1991-1996)
- Espace III (1996-2002)
- Espace IV (2002-)
Espace F1
In 1995, Renault displayed a show car, the Espace F1. It was a V10-powered Williams Formula 1 racing car with an Espace lookalike body.
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