"So sensational was the public and motoring press reaction in 1998 at the Paris Salon unveiling, Renault poured a staggering 1.4bn francs (€285m today) into development of their Matra built gran-turismo super-Espace concept - the world’s first MPV coupé. Remarkably true to the original concept design, the Avantime was a genuine mould-breaker that offered a rigid galvanised chassis underpinning a luxurious coupe with a feeling of lounge-like spaciousness thanks to an ingenious double glass roof, mated to pillarless side glazing. The commanding view of the road and surroundings was further enhanced by an elevated driving position and theatre seating for passengers. Add to this Renaults well proven and highly capable 3-litre, V6 plus potential to enjoy ‘Grande-Air’ mode at the touch of a button delivered a means of transport that offered a new motoring experience. ‘Sub-Zero’ status on Top Gear’s ‘Cool Wall’ ahead of the Aston Martin Vanquish dealt the Avantime a very public accolade.
Direct from the private lady owner, local to us here at Brooklands. Limited Edition car No. 130 (plaque present) is a top of the range 3-litre Privilege specified in metallic steel grey with silver roof rails and 'Exception Pack 2' grey/black leather upholstery with complimenting fascia and door cards. This interior was an expensive factory option when new. The number of UK Privilege models supplied with this EP2 interior can be counted on one hand. Registered to Renault UK upon arrival in the UK (most Avantimes were), this example has had one private registered keeper in London until 2017. Miss Davis, having owned the car since March 2017, bought the car from an enthusiast who owned the car for only a few weeks. The mileage at just 28,500 miles is supported by the MoT test certificate history and Renault Main Dealer Service record. The car is described to us as driving as well as when new with no known faults. It will be supplied to the auction with a new 12 month MoT certificate. If you've ever thought about adding an Avantime to your private collection, we doubt that you'll get a better chance to obtain a more interesting, rare and more desirable example."