Here are nine of the greatest ever people carrier concepts

Debuting at the Detroit show in 2007, Ford’s partnership with the posh caravanists at Airstream resulted in this shiny MPV-shaped crossover with sofa-style seating and a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain.

China still loves an MPV, so Audi’s 2022 ‘Urbansphere’ concept was a collab between its design studios in Beijing and Ingolstadt. Despite the name conjuring up images of teeny city cars, this was actually the largest concept car Audi had ever built.

Greatest people carrier concept ever? The Espace F1 was a carbon-bodied hero built by Matra, with the 789bhp 3.5-litre V10 from Alain Prost’s championship-winning FW15C mounted in the middle of a previously very practical cabin. 

Citroen boss Xavier Chardon told TG earlier this year that the ELO would inspire a proper production MPV. Cute! Unfortunately, any future friendly-looking EV probably won’t retain the concept’s central driving position or rear-drive layout. Boo.

Often referred to as the Lamborghini Genesis given the presence of a 5.2-litre Countach V12, Bertone’s bonkers minivan was first shown at the 1988 Turin show. There was space for five under the massive glasshouse in a 2-1-2 formation, and the engine was mounted between the front seats.

Back in 2017, Toyota teased us with the TJ Cruiser at the Tokyo motor show. Full name: the Toolbox Joy Cruiser. Yep, really. Cringe name aside, this was a funky, utilitarian box with loads of room inside and promises of a four-wheel drive option.

Do not adjust your reading glasses, this really is a supremely stylish Peugeot MPV. The HX1 was shown off at Frankfurt in 2011 and was supposed to show us the future of people carriers. Now we just get the van-based Rifter. Eugh.  

Take us back to the 1990s. Unveiled at the start of the decade, the HX3 Hybrid was a low-drag concept powered by two electric motors and a range-extending three-cylinder petrol engine. Hang on, that sounds mighty familiar…

In the early 2000s, strange Swiss firm Sbarro took Citroen’s sensible Xsara Picasso and turned it into a concept race car with two giant gullwing doors, a widebody kit and a tweaked 250bhp 2.0-litre engine. Ideal if you wanted to look like Ronnie Pickering on a track day.