Renault Avantime

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Waugh-terfall

Anybody think that Matra/Renault shoud sort of modernise(if possible) the Avantime and try re-releasing it?

(I.e. new engines, options, wheels, newer Renault steering wheel etc.

Matra is dead and Renault is facing a significant fall in sales. So basically no.

[Waugh-terfall]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

Matra is dead and Renault is facing a significant fall in sales. So basically no.

Shame... So Matra doesn't exist at all anymore?

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by Waugh-terfall

Shame... So Matra doesn't exist at all anymore?

No mass production.
The Romarantin factory is closed.
Matra design are now part of Pinninfarina and specialise in low volume production and prototypes.
There still remains hope of a Pinin funded very low volume car with a MAtra badge in teh future.

[Waugh-terfall]

Oh dear, whay did it all go wrong?
At least you have a piece of the Matra history, well, bits and pieces of it anyway.

[Rockefella]

Originally Posted by Waugh-terfall

Shame... So Matra doesn't exist at all anymore?

Pretty much dead.

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Waugh-terfall

Oh dear, whay did it all go wrong?
At least you have a piece of the Matra history, well, bits and pieces of it anyway.

Basically because of the Avantime's flop.

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by Waugh-terfall

Oh dear, whay did it all go wrong?

Renault wanted the Espace built in only one place.
Romarantin not large enough and spare capacity in Renault plant.
The Matra design Espace wasn't going to pass the new EuroNCAP tests and Renault used their saloon experience to design a steel monocoque rather than have Matra design a plastic body to conform. Matra specialise in plastics
Matra were "taking" profit from Renault on the Espace.
With the loss of the Espace, Matra designed the Avantime using their materials experience and design innovation.
BUT Renault also designed the Vel Satis. Both cars were selling to the same potential customer in compeition with each other Renault provided incentives on the Vel Satis to keep their factories busy and increase it's sales. They failed. All of this reduced sales of the Avantime till it was no longer fiable to maintain the Romarantin production line.
Matra's influential leader - Jean-Luc Lagardere - died in 2003 and his replacement had no real interest in cars, so glad to get out of it.

At least you have a piece of the Matra history, well, bits and pieces of it anyway.

Sadly getting less and less each day due to rust

Originally Posted by Rockefella

Pretty much dead.

Matra Automotive Engineering still lives on inside Pininfarina
Matra MS is a newly formed company focussing on short journey transport systems. ( Like the name linking back to teh race cars, shame it wasn't real )

[Waugh-terfall]

Aww man, that sucks, so basically it's friend Renault was more like a fiend, it basically killed off Matra..? Did Matra design the current Espace then?

Have you any pics of the Matra's & The Alpine or the bits of them? You've gotta get them sorted out!

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by Waugh-terfall

Aww man, that sucks, so basically it's friend Renault was more like a fiend, it basically killed off Matra..? Did Matra design the current Espace then?

No, the latest, all metal Espace is a pure Renault creation.
and frankly has lost the whole point of the Espace.
Mate had one for 8 months. Heavy, slow, poor handling and awful quality.

Have you any pics of the Matra's & The Alpine or the bits of them? You've gotta get them sorted out!

The A610 looks wonderful Just not inside the cylinders
After this winter it's looking like one of those pics you see in the classic mags of "discovered gems" ... The RHD Bagheera has brambles growing over it !! THe orange one is OK under a cover and the Espace looks like it was abandoned

[Waugh-terfall]

I'd really like to see them in their current state, lol, if that is at all possible?