Renault Espace - It revolutionised family transport! But what is it like to drive?

[@bentullett6068]

This is another vehicle that was once on nearly every street in the UK in the early 1990's and even into the early 2000's. All year Renault Espaces are a rare to find now. I can't believe people got rid of these practical cars for slightly less practical SUV's that had worse economy and environmental issues.

[@copperkipper1]

they are unreliable turds all scrapped

[@bentullett6068]

@@copperkipper1 true really but I think the scrappage scheme finished a lot of them off even some of the late 1990's early 2000's Espace's disappeared during the duration of that scrappage scheme. Saying that, reliability wise looking at todays new cars with their many computer and electrical faults, the old Espace's probably look a better choice for reliability.

[@6ettinold]

@@bentullett6068 having owned two Espaces, I can honestly say it was a lack of reliability, compromised build quality and high garage bills caused by that lack of accessibility that killed off many of them. I loved both of mine...when they worked. I reckon I've still got PTSD 20 years on.😉

[@ALFA-XL-]

@@bentullett6068 unless it is from Sunriseland/Japan like Toyota/Lexus which is übertrustworthy

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

There are couple near me but rate as hens teeth now. Apparently any repair is £1000+.

[@Twistededgemedia]

I remember my Dad buying one of these when we were kids, it was the first in the area at the time and got a lot of attention. I remember one Saturday evening me and my sister came out of the video rental shop to find my Dad demonstrating it to a completely random family who were sat inside it, all 6 of them! Good times.

[@ianmilleris]

Ah, they were good times

[@alles_klar]

Your dad probably sold quite a lot of them! My dad owned two third-gen V6 versions and they're still the best cars I've ever traveled in.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

That shade of green is glorious, as is that interior. Don't think I've ever seen an Espace in such good condition. Great 1980s icon.

[@NOWThatsRichy]

Hand painted with a brush, "Hubnut" style!!

[@BungleBare]

And I noticed a headliner made of carpet. Oh, and some sound deadening similar to what you find in flight cases stuck to the underside of the bonnet and in the engine bay. Inventive stuff, and it doesn’t look bad at all, but not exactly factory-spec.

[@bsimpson6204]

It still looks good today doesn't it, anyone who owns a Berlingo will appreciate an Espace so I'm in. After driving through Germany, 100kph is wonderfully relaxing

[@simonhodgetts6530]

The Espace mk1 is fascinating. I still can’t get over the amount of room it has inside, within overall dimensions similar to a conventional family car. The exterior and interior styling still looks good to me. The later models got unnecessarily large, and the styling lost its charm. Can’t quite figure out the love for SUVs - compared with cars like the Espace, a lot of them seem quite crude, and unless you live up a muddy track, or pull a trailer, I don’t see the point in them for an urban family.

[@PeterBee911]

As much as I dislike SUVs, you can do pretty much everything with it. Transports the kids, go to vacation, go to work, have a bit of fun for the sportier one, pull a trailer, go on a sketchy trail... And, as ugly as some of them are, they are still much prettier than a people mover like the Espace. The Espace (or any other of the category) would feel out of place or not usable at all in a lot of scenarios, except when you have to transport your 6 kids.

[@davidcrtalic9795]

Don't know about II and III, but Espace IV is pretty much a van once you take out the seats. My dad has owned one and with seats removed you could easily put in 5, possibly more adult sized bicycles.

[@jamesmiller113]

A lot of HN's points in this video echo the mk1 Zafira, Opel/Porsche clearly took a lot of inspiration when designing that masterpiece, and, dare I say, they also pack a fair bit of charm these days

[@04dram04]

Where I live people use their SUV to pull their family boat or Camper trailer

[@jonathanmagness5370]

This and the Avantime are two of my favorite people carriers built by Renault

[@borderlands6606]

The Vel Satis was rather funky.

[@BungleBare]

Is an Avantime really a people carrier? The lack of doors means getting people in and out is more of a struggle than it should be. I’d imagine sorting out a child seat on the roadside or in a car park would be an absolute nightmare given the length of the doors. It’s almost as if, despite its size, the Avantime wasn’t really intended to carry many people at all. LOL-worthy and interesting though a test/solo drive of an Avantime might be, I’d imagine owning one would just leave you with a feeling of “what exactly is the point of this thing?”, which was probably the thought of many people looking at them sat in a Renault showroom. I’m all for diverse car designs, but surely making the Avantime three door only was a “different” design choice too far? Maybe if there had also been a five door version things would have been different? - that could have been pitched as the luxury version of the Espace in the same way as, say, a Range Rover Sport is to a Discovery; same basic car underneath, different design for different customers.

[@jonlincoln6069]

@@BungleBare Avantime was a mashup of MPV and estate but wanted to look like a sporty 2+2 coupe, Think Renault marketed it more of a grand tourer than an mpv. It was a bit of design exercise more than anything started as a concept and because it got a good reaction they put it in to production. It technically wasn’t a Renault though as was designed and built by Matra, Renault just badged it and marketed it

[@BungleBare]

@@jonlincoln6069 I’ve no problem with the Avantime. It’s different, and if someone loves owning one then all power to them. I just couldn’t understand why Renault/Matra didn’t also develop a five door version. Then if anyone wanted the undiluted (cough) style and individuality of the 3 door they could have it, but if you wanted 90% of the same vibe, but in a form actually practical for use as a large car, then there would be the 5 door version. It’s a trick that worked well for JLR with the original Evoque - the 3 door being the “pure” concept car derived version, and a five door variant following along and outselling it. And a weird cabrio that hardly anyone seemed to want, but let’s not go there …..

[@TheGarnetNugget]

It's great to see Timo's car getting some love and fame from across the globe! Can't wait to see the Avantime make its KZbin debut :)

[@peterriggall8409]

Fascinating story of a ground breaking vehicle. Thanks Ian and the owner. Looks a lovely example of a piece of automotive history.

[@tilerman]

Oh man i remember when the Espace came out and it looked amazing then and even more amazing now. And those seats! It's different, it's quirky, and the green paintwork is awesome. Nice motor!

[@loveisall5520]

These are so cool. I'm old enough to remember when Chrysler started the minivan fad here in the US and of course by then Renault had ruined their reputation over here--for a second time. So glad they saw the trend and developed this vehicle.

[@CarringtonHollister]

Renault still exists in the States however it’s known as NISSANS nope not making this up.

[@planestrainsdogsncars4336]

@@CarringtonHollister Time you caught up with Carlos Ghosn and the world.

[@curiouscrandall1]

Owned a couple of Grand Voyagers. Comfortable, roomy, and seemed to take an infinite amount of stuff in the back.

[@andrewentwistle515]

Goodness me I can't believe how many miles that Espace has done. I remember seeing a lot of them when I was growing up & now they have all disappeared from the roads except for the one that you found & test drove. I look forward to seeing the next episode.

[@citronr1]

Mine has over 389,000 km and runs as new. Seriously. I am the origianal owner as well.

[@brianquinn1545]

Always thought that the shape of the Espace hinted at or referenced the TGV high speed train - an impression of high tech and modernity in trains and cars in France at the same time. In the early mid 1980s France seemed to be ambitiously pushing forward and the Espace was part of it.

[@FergusPol]

Yes, that was deliberate. A bullet train for the road capable of high speeds. The original was called Supervan - a nod to the 175 mph Ferrari Superfast.

[@Spookieham]

I had one of these in Paris for a week in 1992. Absolutely loved driving it so roomy. One thing Renault used to be fantastic at was building cars that rode extremely comfortable. Renault 25s were like driving a sofa down the road.

[@svengubelmann3038]

I owned all 5 Renault Espace and for me they all were amazing. So many memories of holidays and weekend trips, using it as a camper and so on... But unfortunately the Espace V is just not the same anymore. It's a great car of course, but I will never understand why they had to do this crossover. I have it for 3 years now and every day I think about selling it and buying an Espace VI again...

[@Ben-ig3bf]

My Espace J11 is by far my most favorite car in the world. It is my first car ever, its all i've ever driven, its awesome, reliable, easy to fix, cheap to fix, runs like a beast. My Dad is a huge fan of the J11, as am I. Mine is a J11 turbodiesel, his is a petrol J11. Mine is Black, his is white. We drive to oldtimer conventions together, we fix them together, we work on them together. Its generally just awesome

[@guywerb]

I owned one (the slightly revamped one in a beautiful dark green with a yellow fine striping, don't laugh, very fancy back in the days! 😀). Amazing experience with the kids, especially on hilidays. Incredible practicality, panoramic view and drove relatively well for that kind of a car (the sound of the Philips audio system wasn't too bad either for the time). Biggest problem was the electrical system: when you lowered a window, you were never really sure you would get it closed again. 😀 But all in all, an incredible piece of creativity and engineering.

[@danieleregoli812]

Jeesh! I was so in love with the original Espace when it first came out in '86 or so, I dreamed of having one in that exact same jade green colour! LUVLY car!!!!

[@stratfan]

Great video! - Lovely to see an early Espace again. I was a young Renault salesman at the time of the Espace UK launch in 1984 and remember a fun day thrashing Renault UK's demo cars through some Midlands lanes. The first one we had in the showroom (a metallic Blue TSE I think?) created a lot of interest and many compliments but in general the Espace wasn't a quick seller, possibly because of buyer reluctance towards Renault and possibly also because of it's wonderful quirkiness. Looking back to the mid 1980's Renault launched some excellent cars which were far more mainstream than many of their previous offerings including the new 5 , 9/11 and later the 21.

[@R-Tap]

I remember when they came out, they were way out there, so different. Great colour, superb wheel trims.

[@fleskip]

If I'm correct this exact car in the video used to be our family car! Many great memories, good to see it in this conditions and to see it still going strong!

[@Timo.1990]

I've bought it in Enschede and the previous owner owned it since 1990 until 2018.

[@fleskip]

@@Timo.1990 jup, you bought it from my dad. Great job, it looks a lot better nowadays!

[@Timo.1990]

@@fleskip Ooh, how nice!!

[@nostreamavailable9090]

I served my apprenticeship in a Renault dealership in the early nineties hence my scathing hatred for most french cars. The way to tell if a car is any good or not is to listen to how many swear words come wafting out through the workshop doors lol, generally the espace was quite well thought of by us technicians , as were quite a few Renault models, my personal favourite being the Renault 25 which I really liked even as an apprentice and went on to own one later in life. Stuff like the Clio and the 19/chamade were new models at that time and stuff like the 5, 9, and 11 were outgoing. The worst pains in the arse l recall were the couple of alpines that used to come in because they were always taking up a ramp to wait for parts and the 21 automatics were particularly horrendous. During my time there l also got to see things like 17 and 18 and even the odd fuego. Our workshop foreman drove a white 12 which was his pride and joy and in immaculate condition. One espace memory that springs to mind is when one of the other aprentices dropped an espace v6 quadra off a ramp onto it’s very expensive arse while changing an engine mount , he let the ramp down too far with a prop under the engine and the car rocked back and fell. Strange days those Lol 😂

[@-DC-]

Renault 25 V6 Turbo was an absolutely wonderful car for crossing Europe in still miss it !

[@nostreamavailable9090]

@@-DC- mine was only a 2.2 txe but it was certainly a great drive and surprisingly brisk

[@tomhart-shea8344]

I like the hand-painted finish. Back in the olden days I owned a hand-painted Vauxhall Viva - painted with silver Hammerite. It had its very own patina and panache .

[@77funtomas]

This vehicle must have appeared like from another planet when it was first launched in 1984. Beautiful. Especially in this "spearmint"green🤩 colour. 👍👏👏 Cheers Ian🤝

[@brianreay4104]

We bought one, new, in 1993 and kept in 13 years. It was one of the best / most practical cars we’ve own. I never thought I’d buy a French car and probably never will again but the Espace was one of a kind.

[@joshbrailsford]

I love an Espace! I'd genuinely like to own one at some point, but a MK2 or MK3; the cars of my childhood. My dad had an M-reg MK2 Champs-Elysee edition in metallic green, while my grandad had a Ruby Red MK3 Grand Espace RXE. I spent many a summer holiday in the back seats of those cars, even going as far afield as Sweden with a Swift Challenger caravan in tow behind the MK2.

[@dorsetoctaviaman]

Ah, memories memories of driving in convoy with my cousin in his (older) Mk1 Espace behind me in my (much newer) Volvo 850 SE Estate down the Normandy-Rennes-Nantes-Fontenay le Comte route to the Gironde for a gite holiday for 8 of us between Libourne and Bordeaux in 1994. The motorways didn't meet back then; a huge August Saturday stop-start crawl after Fontenay resulted in his clutch cable snapping. Rather than abandoning the Espace we decided to press on; the longitudinal engine-gearbox set up was very strong for carefully-matched clutchless gearchanges over the next 180km 112 miles or so! Thank goodness for European breakdown insurance, too (the cable was replaced by Renault Libourne and we worked around being 1 car down for about five or six days).

[@grabham59]

God, a proustian moment with that central locking - my Dad had a Renault 18 estate that had it, and that sound takes me back to my childhood!

[@JamesG75]

That is a marvellous shade of green

[@TheBlaert]

They were revolutionary for sure. I bought an old 1990 model Turbo-diesel in the late nineties for going to work in. It was a great driving thing and one of the most well thought out interiors ever.

[@daveys]

We had one at work and I only drove it once. It was like driving a piano with those up and down foot pedals.

[@jdtseventyfour]

I've been looking forwards to this review since you mentioned some 'Espace Action' when I comented on your Matra Murena review video. I had 2 Espace's. The first was a 1994 mk2 2.1 Td which was still to this day the best car I've ever had. I did 60k miles in the 6 years I had it. In that time the biggest failure it had was a gearbox which was a bit of a nightmare to find a replacement. My friends and family loved its practicality. it was a great car and appart from the gearbox issue never let me down. The engine was the good old fashioned mechanical diesel so went up to 195000 miles before the turbo failed. Sadly I was moving house and not local so she had to go. A chap baught her and repaired her and got her up to 220k miles. I still regret selling her as she was that good to use. I revisited Espace ownership with the purchase of a 2002 last of the Matra line mk3 2.2 Td which again was an amazing car that was even more comfortable and great to drive. Sadly it developed fuel injection issues that were going to cost a fortune to fix and I just didn't have the time to DIY it. The chap I sold it to fixed it up and its still on the road to my knowledge (the MOT is due this month so hopefully she carries on going). Great memories of a great car. I even measured it up to see if my Kawasaki GPZ900R would fit in the back for track days and it would. I never got around to making up the jigs to support the wheels using the seat supports in the floor though. I had a Citroen picasso more recently whicha again was great but not as good as the espace

[@plunder1956]

I remember traveling in several of these over the past 25+ years. The massive front storage shelf means that coats. Maps, files and even substantial equipment such as video cameras and lights could be dumped into them for events or video shoots. Add to this the ability to remove and restructure the seating for different applications (or even remove some) made them superb video shoot transport. I did a round Britian shoot covering 2000 miles with a crew of 4 plus the client and all our gear. But even the big V6 struggled a bit.

[@ianstanley7230]

I had a second generation Espace and I loved it. The 2.1 diesel was great and gave 40mpg even including driving around Birmingham. The only disadvantage was overtaking with the air conditioning on. The A/C took so much power that it was best to turn it off if you needed some extra oomph.

[@shaunfleming8668]

Love Renaults of this era. Look back fondly on to my R19 with 1.7 engine. Low revving, full of tractable torque and an easy 40mpg. My 1.0t Fiesta is highly strung and as needy as a Latin lover, and guess what..... 40mpg. Progress indeed

[@kimmohietala5359]

A great vehicle. I have lots of memories travelling in one. Back in the days when I lived in engerland we used to travel from Reading to Manchester to watch City games. One of the guys had a series 1 espace and that took 6 all the way to mcr and back in great comfort. So much nicer than the rattly LDV minibus that was the alternative transport.

[@andyg3]

my dad has an espace for years, bloody loved it, great cart

[@LordClunk]

I had one of those on a D plate. MK1 facelift version. I liked it. It was good and pokey. It had one major issue though. When it rained, it stopped working. Literally, driving along, rain falls, car stops. No idea what caused it. I ended up scrapping it and getting an LDV 200 minibus instead.

[@HubNut]

#BecauseFrench

[@johngriffiths118]

Did you keep the WD 40 reservoir topped up ?

[@LordClunk]

@@glennpowell3444 Mine was ex MOD, and as such had uprated components including rear axle, suspension, and a few other bits. It was re-plated from 2.8 tons to 3.5 tons. It also had a dirty fuel system in it so I often used various oil based products in the tank. I used to get funny looks pouring 40 litres of vegetable oil into the tank in Tesco's. It was noisy when I first got it, but a new prop shaft bearing solved most of the noise issues. Steering wise, mine used to suffer from the tramlining you get on motorways. Where the vehicle wants to drop into one of the ruts that trucks leave in the road. But I guessed that was mostly lead by the rear axle which was noticeably narrower than the front track. I loved that van. Sadly, rot got to it and at the time divorce and lack of space meant it had to go.

[@scottlp2323]

I used to walk to school past a metallic blue Espace. It looked amazing. We had a Cortina estate at the time and I often dreamed of us going on holiday in the Espace instead. I managed to get my own MPV a few years ago. A 1st gen Alhambra. My favourite car I've owned so far. So useful and enjoyable to drive. As a driver, it's easy to forget how terrible it can be to be a passenger in most vehicles. I couldn't keep any of my family out of the Alhambra though, they loved travelling in it. My dad recently retired and was looking for a vehicle to potter about in and drive the 20 odd miles to our family static caravan. I managed to find a mint, low mileage 2011 Alhambra with all the bells and whistles. He loves it, whether carrying shopping, grandkids or pallets for dismantling and making flower planters. :) MPVs really are fun for all the family. Me and dad even camped in mine for the Fairford RIAT one year. I took the seats out and made a bespoke bunk bed from MDF and 2x2. Worked a treat with two airbeds top and bottom. :)

[@anthonyrichards3785]

We had three: briefly a Mk1, for rather longer a Mk2 in glorious Amethyst and finally, and an absolute silver spaceship, a Mk3 Grande Espace. The last one was a very quick diesel and with the two rows of passenger seats removed, capable of collecting a huge commercial freezer! All three were brilliant cars.

[@robinforrest7680]

We rarely see them even in France now. They really were something, and those Renault engines and drive trains are unbreakable. I found a 1993 Renault 21 2.1TD last year as a first car for my son. €250 ! It has 220000 km on the clock and still drives beautifully. I had one of the last Nevada (Savanna in the UK) estates in 1994. It was brilliant. A friend here had one too, it’s still in the family and has over 850000km on the clock! Just checked out adverts on Leboncoin (our Gumtree). There are precisely none for sale in France at the moment…

[@HA05GER]

We had a 2005 Renault grand scenic when I was a kid as motability and 2 weeks old took it all the way to South of France very comfortable and spacious brilliant car.

[@bentandre5524]

compliments to the owner that it doesnt looklike its painted with a brush...

[@mondyboy81]

The Espace is a genius bit of packaging, something Renault were very good at. I have a 1st gen 1994 Twingo and that whilst being very cutesy to look at, is also an incredibly practical car for people and luggage in comfort. I helped move a friend last week and I took the Twingo over my daily Volvo C30 because it's infinitely more practical. People are surprised until I demonstrate it to them. Ian if you fancy testing a mk1 Twingo for the channel then drop me a line and my 94 will be available 👍

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

That's great

[@wellchuffedrailways]

What an amazing shade of green! ☮️😀

[@stevesrover]

I once had the pleasure of borrowing a mk III for a few weeks. Delightful car!

[@Carlo_Verhaar]

‘What was that noise?’, you ask in the final seconds. In the Netherlands every first Monday of the month we test the alarm signal. At 12.00 on the dot this air raid siren sounds throughout the country, just to test if it still works. As your lovely Espace review video demonstrates, it does…

[@caw25sha]

They used to do that in the UK when I was a kid in the 70s, but only rarely, perhaps once or twice a year. Apparently on the day I was born there was a fault with our local one and it went on for half an hour.

[@Shane_Marsh]

yellow lights, YELLOW LIGHTS 😍

[@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330]

Thanks for this, these vehicles were part of my working existence, loading them up with stuff and hurriedly going places. The Espaces I knew were trashed and cleaned on a fortnightly basis, just very hard working vehicles. The last thing you cared about was the state of the vehicle, loading stuff in and out was more important than keeping the carpets clean. Hence I am amazed at the quality of the interior of this vehicle. It has not led a true life, it skived out. Incidentally I could get 150 mph out of the V6 Espace and keep that going for mile after mile with really heavy stuff in the back. At the time nobody believed me that this could be possible with such a brick. Even allowing for speedo errors it really was good for decent speed. No idea how they squeezed the V6 in the front given how the S4 goes.

[@bsimpson6204]

Lord knows what the mpg was at that speed!!

[@antonycharnock2993]

Someone owns a Belgian plated mk IV black Espace on my estate. Its one of the few I see on a daily basis.

[@andrewstones2921]

I had one of these, it was about 5 years old and I bought it to use for a European driving holiday with the intention of selling it on return, which I did with no drop in value.. it was fabulous, that was in around 1995. Those seats that swivel and move and just incredible, the dual sunroof and even the remote stereo was amazing for the year. I loved it, but I already had 2 cars and could not justify keeping it. I wish I could buy a nice one today.

[@Rjhs001]

Cheers Ian, another really interesting vid on an equally interesting car. Tbh, I never took to them back in the day but you have seriously changed my opinion.

[@keef71]

i think it looks amazing - a bit typically 'exciting '80s' styling with a lot of straight lines but really clean, crisp and smart. when you think how the Picasso ended up looking like a lumpy double-ended banana, i know which i would prefer! love the colour too

[@linseyyoung1772]

These things truly were like spaceships when they appeared among all the old 70s stuff that was on the roads at the time.

[@stevenmcfarlane8831]

OMG Simca . I remember my folks having a Simca. It was a gold looking colour.

[@nickthomas181]

Totally excellent and the green is an amazing colour.

[@Strike86]

The shot at 6:45 is very interesting - my dad current has a 2017 Renault Scenic (this car's closest living relative) and it's amazing how much different they are despite the packaging similarities. The Scenic has the same front quarter window but the glass itself is smaller and the pillars thicker, meaning it's fairly useless as a vision aid. The glass area just seems so much bigger on the older car. And yes, the SUV trend can do one. The sooner we do without those cars the better for everyone.

[@rmay7]

First, I don't know why this stands out to me, but I'm amazed by rear headrests that early - my family had a few first gen Caravans/Voyagers, and they weren't that modern. I mean, in general, they seemed like Chrysler didn't want to scare off older buyers, but that small detail stood out. Also, between the plastic body, modular seats, and the expansive dashboard, I wonder how much the Espace inspired GM's Dustbuster vans.

[@Truthseeker1515]

In 1988, my late father hesitated a lot between the Renault Espace and the Citroen BX turbo Diesel Break as a new vehicle so he hired the Espace for 2 weeks for a family vacation to Italy and an amazing passenger experience it was. Very comfortable, especially at the back. Moreover, there were few wagons back then so Renault was ahead of the competition. However, the Citroen was cheaper and a Diesel car....

[@edwardtrickett6064]

I just adore your knowledge and insight Ian Your knowledge is encyclopedic and I enjoy your channel Respect to you, your channel and your family ❤

[@markrobinson1458]

I loved mine, blue metallic and a effortless cruiser, I once had 6'x6' patio windows diagonally in the back, a van when needed, went through a few clutch canes because of the length of the buggers, I sold it after it suddenly became wanted by the local criminals, god knows why, all in all a great practical car for our family of six 👍

[@rovertwonefour]

growing up in a larger family ive always loved people carriers. My dad hasn't ever had an espace, opting for 2 galaxy's, a citroen grand c4 picasso and a rather miserable y reg kia carens but, as soon as i discovered the espace it has been one of my favourite cars... one day i aim to own a mk3, it has always looked so much more premium and almost luxurious to the other mpv's of the late 90s and early 00s. i believe the rear seats are all on one continuous rail so you can slide them to however far forward and back you want, the triple sunroofs on certain models are just pure bliss, the mirrors with the little grills are so unique.... ahhh i could go on forever... the renault espace is a truly fantastic vehicle

[@bebobism]

When I typed in the licence plate at the RDW site , I saw that this is a 2 owner car and the first owner drove it for 32 years ! Something I don't see happening with any modern car these days. 😏

[@benday1218]

radical.....and if memory serves, extremely aspirational - a sign of middle class family prosperity in the mid 80's.

[@skids181]

I had an M reg and loved it. So versatile and would've made a great microcamper!

[@williamross2579]

Catholic neighbour (Four boys) and big company CEO bought one, when they came out in the UK, it looked like the future… and the seating was like nothing on earth, not since the mk1 Range Rover was my young mind as astounded by a car

[@markonmotoring]

That HiFi system is the stuff of dreams, I really like the one that was in the Safrane and some MK1 Laguna which had an LCD screen with equaliser. 😍 Not had much experience with the MK1 but my Grandfather had a brand new MK3 around 97/98, an entry level.RT spec with 2.0 8v petrol.emgine and auto transmission. The last of the Matra built Espace before Renault took the MK4 in house. Of course Matra did get the Aventime project.

[@volt8684]

French are fantastic engineers imo. A lot of their older cars where of amazing capacious drive built for families not just built to sell. Most of my Renaults and Citroens did well over 100,000 miles without problems. I currently drive a 2007 berlingo. It constantly amazes me what it can carry. I just did a 700 mile trip, pumped tyres up to max, cruised at 75mph and did 40 mpg. A 1.6 petrol so light and glassy inside, very comfortable and quiet a true example of a peoples designed car a true multipurpose vehicle. A friend had the mk 2 espace 2.2nd twin sunroofs auto which was beautiful. Did 250000 miles until he scrapped it for a 2015 Mercedes’ which has been awful

[@Jay-B1750]

What a fascinating story! Nice to see one surviving!!

[@HazewinDog]

lol that noise is the national alarm test which takes place every first monday of the month at noon!

[@neilwalsh4058]

Always thought the 1st Espace was a very cool looking vehicle, and something built specifically as a MPV like this and the Multipla will have it's useful design engineered in , unlike one that shares a van basic with all the compromises that brings. The owners done a fabulous job bringing it back to life for us to see. A lot of vehicles go on to do what we in UK consider spaceship mileages. They seem happier to own, maintain and use them for longer than we do. Manufacturers must love UK , with its throw away attitude to cars , able to sell cars to people who already have a perfectly functional one but they feel the need to replace to keep up with the Jones's.

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

It looks more boxy than I remember. I thought they were pretty cool back in 84. It would be an idea HubNut family wagon. Nice colour too 👍

[@kennethjohnritsema7019]

Great video,this man did also a great job painting the car "A typical Dutch Master Painter " 16:20 That sound is our air-raid alarm,its sounds every first Monday of the month at 12:00 The car looks right out of a 80's Sci-fi novel "Lost in Space chariot " Oh, why is it pronounced: E-spass and not E-space !? Wouldn't the latter be more logical "Economical Space " Regards kenneth John The Netherlands

[@josephmifsud8261]

Very nice example. The green looks OK for a hand paint. This is the radical precursor to all MPVs and SUVs, but if I had a choice I'd prefer this

[@adamlawonphotography5219]

Rear door pressing is not a distraction but rather a very interesting fact.....love the channel.....love the Espace

[@craigmclean8260]

Another nice road test, and a throwback to the era when the minivan began to flood the market...the front end of the Espace reminds me a lot of the Ford Aerostar, which was RWD/4WD, though...It's interesting how this car, and the Chrysler "K-vans", had FWD, w/ the engine in front, while the earlier Japanese vans (Toyota Van, ca. 1984, earlier Nissan vans, and Mitsubishi, IIRC) had a mid-engine setup.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Toyota Hiace van was significantly larger.

[@Tagora2664]

The mk1 Espace is a stone cold classic in design. 👍

[@christopherdavies5762]

Had 2 of these ahead of their time

[@electrosoundaust]

Bit of a coincidence, just found an old motoring magazine (Wheels) from May 1984. There is the yet unnamed Espace in the Arctic Circle undergoing testing. They suggest that: “Nissan Prairie was the first modern production version, then came Mitsubishi’s Chariot, followed by Chrysler’s Caravan, and now the Europeans have discovered the concept of a tall mini-bus.” They go on to talk about the design by Matra Aerospace. Interestingly they say it has a transverse engine driving the front wheels, and that a 2.8 litre V6 is being considered for luxury versions.

[@firsteerr]

my mate got one as a company car for a few weeks , something happened blah blah but he ended up with one and it was brilliant !!! i loved it and i nearly got one !! i ended up getting another shitty van that i didn't like for two years , wish i had the stones to take the punt instead of playing safe with a Bedford tosspot (that was what i called it as only a tosspot would consider it a good van )

[@arrangrant6037]

One of my old bosses had the V6 Monaco version of this brilliant vehicle 👍😎

[@johncallaghan4616]

Brilliant review Ian - the Espace is probably why I have my Estima now (given there are no more Espace’s around) and possibly why I bought my Father a Grand Scenic - very clever of Renault to plant that space age design in my head as a teenager all those years back - really looking forward to the follow-up video of the later version Keep ‘em comin’ JCHK

[@danieltaylor3755]

This review was so overdue. Brilliant machines!

[@davidjones332]

I remember the newspaper stories about the man who bought a red one of these from a dealer and wondered why everyone was staring at him. It turned out that the previous owner had been Dr Harold Shipman....

[@HubNut]

Awkward...

[@04dram04]

This the driving position looks so modern

[@davidbillberg2203]

That colour! Wow.....

[@willswheels283]

An excellent, useful load carrying old bus, they used to be everywhere at one point and as you mentioned they seem to have all vanished, probably down to rust and owner apathy. It reminds me of the Renault Traffic 1.4 camper van I had, especially the engine bay and the dashboard area with the long gearstick. Thanks again for the vid Ian.👍

[@Phiyedough]

I always assumed it was somehow based on the Trafic, which was introduced a few years earlier and is also front wheel drive.

[@HubNut]

Some mechanical part sharing but very different under the skin.

[@chunkymonkey55555]

As a kid, I once had a 9hour journey in the back of one of them and I got to say, never again! From Southampton to Kent, my friends family took a weird detour to visit some old relative who was senile enough to think I was one of his relatives. Then a long picnic lunch and on our way at the steady speed of max 50mph because the father could not drive a car fast to save his life. Okay take it back, it was alright :) (lol) "I can't see the bonnet," you might if you crash it :) (sorry couldn't resist lol"

[@buddy8225]

The front of that thing reminds me of a Ford Aerostar. That dash must of inspired Chevy on thier development of the Lumina minivan. Love it. ❤️ 😊🐢

[@coderider3022]

Parents had 4 of these in 15 years as the family runner. 3 kids and dog on continental caravan holidays here much better than the old sierra / Granada years.

[@daniellee9015]

Brilliant video Ian 👍 galvanised yeah no rust unlike modern cars absolutely fantastic car

[@dorsetwurzle]

This takes me back, a mates dad had one in 1985 and we thought it was amazing and futuristic, although my dad had a Citröen DS, that was a proper space ship in the day!

[@hypnotised-clover]

The original production Espace still looks like a futuristic concept car that was only shown at auto industry expos, never to be produced, but it was.

[@GreyTheFloydianSergal]

I do like how the front of these do look a little Talbot-esque, almost like how that's how Matra envisioned the Espace to be. Also odd given how Renault used numbers as their model names save for this & the Fuego. Always liked the styling on the original Espace, better looking than the Chrysler Minivans in my opinion

[@singercouk]

Had one as company transport E reg did 130k miles in 10 years always drove it like a big mini. Only fault bar service 4 clutch pedals one broken drive shaft.

[@GoliathAngelus]

The noise was the air alarm. In the Netherlands, they test it every first day of the month!

[@Wagons-Rule]

Probably one of the greatest cars ever designed. Like yourself I’ve always wanted to own one but it never happened. Had a 89 Space Cruiser which was pretty great and some big estates. I think the mk3 was the best looking though and dash was out of this world but I passed on the chances! I did drive a mk4 which was awesome but was too scared to buy one due to electrical issues it had as a reputation. But completely agree that big MPVs are out of favour with those stupid SUVs, but I think the humble estate is making a come back! Cheers man, Graham

[@richardmendham5278]

I loved the Espace when it came out. It looked really modern at the time. Lots of plastics were used, which were very modern at the time!

[@itstheterranaut]

Incredible machines. My BiL used to use one as a stickered-up private ambulance. It could take exactly 1 trolley-bound patient, and supportive equipment (oxygen, etc).

[@johanwejedaldesign]

The pre-teenage me spotted one of these on the Autobahn during a European holiday trip in the mid 80:ies and fell in love with the sci-fi-esque style immediately. Renault should re-claim this market segment with an electric Espace with the same ethos.

[@planestrainsdogsncars4336]

Like VW is about to do.

[@johanwejedaldesign]

@@planestrainsdogsncars4336 exactly. To me, an electric Espace in MPV-form is a no-brainer!