Renault Escape first going on sale

Here's about Renault.

Summer marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Renault Espace first going on sale. Sales of the groundbreaking vehicle, which started the MPV revolution back in the early Eighties and has had four distinct generations, have now reached almost 1.2 million since its launch in 1984, 80,000 of which are in the UK.

Originally conceived by Renault and its partner, Matra, the first Espace appeared in 1984 and was initially greeted with a combination of intrigue and scepticism - nothing like Espace had ever been seen before. Flying in the face of accepted wisdom, the Espace epitomised Renault’s desire to push the boundaries of conventional design and create a car which met the changing needs of a rapidly evolving society.

With each successive version, Renault brought additional enhancements in terms of safety, driving pleasure and travelling comfort, to the point where today’s latest model is more than a match for a ‘conventional’ executive car.

Espace’s roots can be traced back to late November 1979 when a prototype (P16) was trialled based on Renault's plans for a grand-touring saloon with a flexible interior and individual seats, meanwhile Matra had plans for a similar vehicle inspired by the mini-van market in America but with bench seats. Espace was conceived on 15th December 1982 when Matra and Renault joined forces on a second prototype codenamed P23. Renault took charge of product definition, interior and exterior design, powertrains, promotion and sales while Matra handled vehicle development and production.

Jacques Cheinisse, head of Renault's upmarket product range at the time, drew up the specifications that would define the key features of the Renault MPV concept: uncluttered flat floor for front-to-back mobility, five or seven independent seats (with two front swivelling seats), and bodywork made from composite material to keep vehicle weight low.