"Having invested a staggering 1.4bn francs (€285m) into development of the world’s first MPV coupé, Renault's futuristic vanity exercise came at quite a price. Remarkably true to the original design, the 'Avantime', was a genuine mould-breaker that offered a luxurious glass cabin with ‘Theatre’ seating, galvanized load-bearing chassis, pillarless side windows and a full panoramic sliding glass roof. The view of the road was commanding and the performance sufficient to ensure that A & B roads were navigated swiftly with great poise and grace. With just 452 cars sold in the UK during the two-year production, only half the remaining cars are thought to have been preserved.
Registered in March 2004, this Avantime 'Dynamique' is the very last of the UK two-Litre turbo cars to have been registered. Specified in metallic bright 'Illiad blue' with silver roof-rails, it features a six-speed manual transmission and black, half-leather upholstery. Both original keys remain with the car, along with Renault’s leather zipper wallet and owner’s manual. The car is privately entered by a Sussex collector, presents very well and, we've been reassured, a new MoT test certificate will be organised in advance of the auction. Avantime's have started to be widely appreciated by collectors for their unique combination of design flair and performance features and Historics are delighted to be able to offer to you the last of this very small production run."