Renault Twingo, Espace and Avantime: books - history

La Renault Avantime de mon père

The Avantime, developed by Renault and Matra at the turn of the 2000s, represents a new approach to French luxury automobiles, combining pleasure and innovation. This unique model blends the characteristics of a coupé, a convertible with its "grand air" feature, and a minivan with avant-garde design. It offers Renault a "third path" in the luxury market.

Launched in 2001 with a 3L V6 engine, the Avantime was later followed by 2L turbo petrol and 2.2L turbo diesel versions in 2002. Despite its innovative concept, the Avantime failed to establish itself in the market, and its sales targets were never met.

This richly illustrated book is dedicated to the Renault Avantime, with only 8.552 units produced between 2001 and 2003. It provides a detailed account of its history, evolution, and technical features, as well as its variants and special editions. Part of the "La voiture de mon père" series, this book is a valuable guide for owners and collectors, including more than 250 period photos, many of which are previously unpublished.

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La Renault Clio de mon père

Clio: the name of a muse from Greek mythology... In 1990, this is what Régie Renault, on the road to recovery, decided to call its new "car for living". This muse, the best equipped in the world, with a wide range of engines, had everything it needed to reach Olympus.
Because of its size, it would shake up the codes of small cars and draw a definitive line under two generations of Renault 5. Who could have imagined that its first name would become the generic name for small Renaults over five generations?

The Clio has "everything of a big car", whether it has three or five doors, it adapts to all desires. Ensuring the daily life of the family (from the RL 1.1 to the RT 1.7), delivering goods in congested urban centers (Société), winning in competitions (Clio Coupe, Clio Maxi, etc.), or even testing new mobility solutions (Électrique), these are the many facets of the personality of this gifted car.
Over the years, it has managed to make us forget the ancient references to sink our teeth into its era, and anticipate its changes.

This book presents the Clio, its genesis, its developments, its commercial career in Europe and around the world, with a brief evocation of its sporting career. Everything is illustrated by varied illustrations and detailed appendices on the characteristics, production, etc.

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La Renault Espace de mon père

Who doesn't know the Renault Espace? A true social phenomenon, it shook up the codes of the European automobile in the mid-1980s by imposing the concept of the minivan.
Born at Matra to succeed the Talbot-Matra Rancho, it was adopted by Renault where it would embody the "car for living" par excellence. Produced in more than one million two hundred thousand units over thirty years, this niche car created a market segment of which it has continued to be the leader, thanks to innovations.

The author has gathered abundant documentation taking you in the wake of this incredible automotive success: from the first sketches to the developments of successive generations, including anecdotes from its designers.

• Richly illustrated, this book is devoted to the Renault Espace I, II and III MPVs from 1984-2002.
• Retraces in detail the history and evolution of Renault Espace cars produced by Matra (Matra P23, P36 and P52 projects).
• This volume of the "La voiture de mon père" collection is not only a source of in-depth information for the owner, but also a concise guide to originality.
• The technology, variants, modifications and special versions are described in detail.
• Contains more than 200 period photos, often unpublished.

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La Renault Safrane de mon père

Born from a long gestation period between 1984 and 1992, the Renault Safrane claimed from its very beginnings quality, luxury, high technology and a conquering spirit in order to establish itself on the European high-end market.
For Renault, after the Renault 19 and Clio, it was a question of making the Safrane the spearhead of the brand's revival, while maintaining a progressive state of mind inherited from the Renault 16.

On the roads, at the cinema or in the courtyard of the Élysée, the first years were those of success. With the famous Safrane Bi-turbo with its 268 hp, Renault offered itself the fastest sedan in its history, capable of standing up to the Germans.

This book aims to shed new light on what was certainly the most homogeneous and pleasant high-end sedan to live with produced by Renault in the last century.

• Richly illustrated, this book traces in detail the history and evolution of the Renault Safrane.
• This volume of the collection "La voiture de mon père" is not only a source of in-depth information for the owner, but also a concise guide to originality.
• Technology, variants, modifications and versions
• Contains 250 period photos, often unpublished.

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Le Renault Scénic de mon père

After marketing the Espace in 1984 and then the Twingo in 1992, innovative cars with their single-body design and multiple interior layout transformations, placed at the top and entry level of the Renault range, the mid-range family car market segment was going to benefit from a similar revolution. The Mégane Scénic, marketed in 1996 alongside five other versions, two-body and three-body saloons, estate, coupé and convertible, was the most attractive model.

The pooling of investments had made it possible to produce this variant, for which a strong demand from customers - and especially children - had been anticipated. The commercial success quickly exceeded expectations, and the variations in equipment levels and engines, petrol and diesel, enhanced by numerous limited series, and even a 4x4 version, as well as a clever restyling, contributed to the production of more than 2 100 000 units up to 2003.

The Renault Scénic thus created the compact MPV market segment, which was perfectly analyzed by the competition, which promptly joined in: only talent can be imitated!
The 1991 concept car, the design of the production model presented in 1996, the prototypes, the manufacturing, the launch, the models of each vintage, the limited series, the press articles and the advertisements are presented in this book retracing the history of this car popular with families.

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La Renault Twingo I de mon père

A true automotive revolution for the entry-level, the Renault Twingo combines a clever design with a small single-body volume never seen before. Resulting from a twenty-year program of bodywork studies, Twingo offers its customers the opportunity to invent the life that best suits its multiple uses.
The marketing, modeled on fashion trends, deployed seven collections and many limited series, with equipment and engine developments adapted to increasingly restrictive anti-pollution standards, while improving its road performance.

• Richly illustrated, this book is dedicated to the famous Renault Twingo from 1992-2007.
• Retraces in detail the history and evolution of the Renault Twingo.
• This volume of the collection "La voiture de mon père" is not only a source of in-depth information for the owner, but also a concise guide to originality.
• The technology, variants, modifications and special versions are described in detail.
• Contains more than 200 period photos, often unpublished.

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