Unsung heroes: Mitsubishi Space Wagon

For the next instalment in the unsung heroes series, I pay tribute to an arguably significant car that was eclipsed by another and never received the recognition it deserved. Renault's 1985 Espace is widely credited with creating the MPV market sector, but as a purpose-built seven-seat family car it was actually beaten to the market by the Mitsubishi Space Wagon launched the previous year. While the Espace still gets all the glory, the Space Wagon has largely faded into obscurity and is now a very rare sight. This piece is also something of a personal indulgence as my dad owned three first-generation Space Wagons while I was growing up and they played a vital role in my childhood, so I remember them with great fondness.

B252 YGN was said to be the very first Space Wagon in the UK. Here it is outside my parents' house in May 1990.