French invasion as car fans have Avantime of their lives

Renault Avantimes lined up (Credit: Conrad Longmore)

Erewash has seen an invasion of quirky old French cars that were last made decades ago in one of its twin towns across the Channel.

Proud drivers of ageing Renault Avantimes flocked to Long Eaton on Saturday 25th July, where they were joined by owners of ultra rare sporty Matras.

The pilgrimage took place because the town is twinned with Romorantin-Lanthenay in the Loire. It is where the Matra factory, which also made the luxury Renault model, used to stand.

The last vehicles rolled off the production line in 2003 when the plant closed. The unprecedented gathering in Long Eaton of examples still on the road was staged by two UK clubs dedicated to the vehicles – the Avantime Alliance and the Matra Enthusiasts Club.

The cars were lined up at a pub on the town’s Main Street before they set off n a cavalcade to a street named Romorantin Place.

Vanishingly rare Avantimes were strikingly-designed full-size MPVs that were spacious enough for five – but which had only two doors. The model was first unveiled to the public at the Louvre in Paris in 1999.

A YouTube video featuring an example with more than 140,000 miles on the clock, can be viewed by clicking here.

Among the 30 vehicles in Erewash were some that had made the trip from France – with others coming from as far away as Austria.

Speaking ahead of the event, show organiser Simon Farmer, who owns an Avantime, said: “We are expecting a full line-up of all the models built by Matra Automobile – the first time this has been done in one place at one time in the UK.”