Rare 'spaceship' car owners gather for anniversary

Owners of a "vanishingly rare" car described as the "strangest ever people carrier" are set to meet for a UK show.

Fans of the Renault Avantime will celebrate their cars this weekend in Long Eaton, a town twinned with Romorantin-Lanthenay in France, where manufacturer Matra created about 8,500 of the cars.

The event will mark the 25th anniversary of the model's release, with people from across Europe expected to attend.

Organiser Simon Farmer, who said he would never sell his Avantime, said: "It was very radical when it came out - a lot of people said it looked like a spaceship."

"They never fail to attract attention wherever they go, and that's primarily because these are cars that many people have never seen," he added.

Top Gear described it as the "strangest ever people carrier" and questioned its inclusion in the video game, Gran Turismo 7.

Motoring journalist Richard Bremner went as far as to describe it as "the most magnificent automotive folly so far this century" in a review for Autocar.

Farmer admitted the car was a "commercial failure" and was the last new range to be produced by Matra, which closed in 2003.

But he added: "You have to be a bit of a left-field thinker or a bit of an attention seeker to want to drive it.

"There's a lot of affection that's grown for the car, and with the benefit of hindsight, had it come out a few years later, it probably would have been more successful."

Fewer than 500 of the cars were sold in the UK, which led Farmer to creating an online community - the Avantime Alliance UK.

They have teamed up with the Matra Enthusiasts Club to put on the event, with their members bringing ultra rare sports model vehicles for the event.

"Matra have got a very long and proud history. They began in the early 60s and are like the French equivalent of Rolls-Royce," said Farmer.

"Every single one of them was a low volume, niche product," he added, promising a line up of a Matra Djet, Bagheera, Murena and Rancho vehicles.

The cars will gather at the Tappers Harker pub in Long Eaton from 09:00 BST on Saturday, with about 30 cars expected to be on show.

There will then be another gathering at East Midlands Airport aeropark on Sunday.

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