Classic pearl of the future - Renault Avantime
If rarity, unorthodox looks, innovative technical solutions and a dedicated fan community are the basis for securing classic status (in the future), then the Renault Avantime is a hot candidate.
Just over 8,500 examples were produced and they all had an almost adventurous-looking mechanism for opening the extra-long doors to save space. The body, designed by Patrick Le Quément, was made of plastic, a rarity for a car produced in large numbers in the new millennium.
As with the similar Renault Espace III, the body rested on a galvanized steel chassis and was always available in two colors. The interior had a similarly futuristic design to the exterior, with digital displays and generous storage compartments. The interior was illuminated by a generous panoramic roof.
The Renault Avantime was built by Matra, so there was even a touch of racing legend. And with the optionally available three-liter PRV engine with 2946 cm3 and 207 hp, it was also a fast mover.
Not least because of its appearance, which certainly took some getting used to - the Avantime is still the only coupé-van hybrid today - the Avantime was denied great success and was either loved or hated.
Today, used and now ten-year-old examples usually change hands for four-figure sums, but who knows, perhaps in ten or twenty years' time the bidding at RM or Gooding will be in completely different regions.
