Intro: Once a proud manufacturer of nice sportscars, like the Murena Matra Automobile today is a French coachbuilder with one client: Renault.
Although Matra created the first Espace minivan back in 1984, which many believe to be Europe's first full-size minivan (Lloyd TS600 anyone?), the latest Espace generation will be built in Renault's Sandouville plant. So it left the company with only one product, the Renault Avantime which they were supposed to build through 2005. However the lack of sales meant that Renault killed off Avantime and Lagardere SCA offered the company for sale.
By August, 2003 it seems a buyer has been found: Pininfarina in Italy. |
