The Citroën Karin was never more than a non-drivable model, but what a wonderful wedge it was. The center-mounted steering pod is especially appealing, with its amphitheater HUD surrounded by giant Walkmen-like buttons.
22 Responses to Photo: Citroën Karin (1980)
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Wow, that is stunning. I would buy absolutely buy one.
…This is why Detroit’s gone to hell. They refuse to give us cars like this, thinking we’d prefer pregnant eggs for car bodies.
Ahh, the pinnacle of European 60s design: Screw the practicalities like headroom and egress – this car must look magnificent!
On a side note, I rode in a friend’s convertible ’55 T-Bird recently and it was one of the most incredibly uncomfortable rides I’ve ever had. Absolutely terrible entry/egress, & no head room at all. I’ll stick to my Corolla, thank you.
That ‘dashboard’ is monstrous… needs more levers.
I drove about in a lot of Yank Tanks in Oz and Sweden.
All the old “classic” cars from the US.
They were all buckets.
You’d need planning permission to drive em and a pilot boat to guide these ungainly efforts about the place.
From the Same period Citroen were selling the DS, which really was a Goddess.
This Effort of a Cit concept car is horrid, but does explain the fould BX then AX Citroens.
Explains, but in no way EXCUSES.
The 1955 Thunderbird 0-60 time is around 11.5 seconds (via Motor Trend). The 2008 Corolla automatic runs a 9.7 0-60. And it will out handle the old bird as well, even with understeer.
This Citroen however, appears to have them both beat without even moving! Wow!
I have a strong suspicion that the roof would collapse like a house of card if the car flipped over.
That, and you’d probably keep hitting your head on the glass.
My father had a Barracuda, kinda like this one: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/1965_Plymouth_Barracuda_Formula_S.jpg . It was kinda fun, as a kid, to lie down in the back under the window. I can’t tell you how many times I hit my head on that read window.
Meh, the’ve been selling them on Rylos since the 80′s…
Centauri’s Ride
@14: About the original post: who are the Walkmen? Are they some sort of 1980s superheroes who had to walk around everywhere?
A pretty cool indie band circa early 2000s with some great songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDe_znFhP4c
Artbot – this car is 1980, not 60s. And your side note is dumb, so nyaah.
Artbot, but just LOOK AT the 1955 Thunderbird. You must not be a very good artbot if you prefer a Corolla!
Although I do kind of prefer the ‘jet birds’ from 1961 or so. The 1955s are a little too cute.
I think this concept later morphed into the Citroen BX, without losing any of the edges or style.
@artbot: what’s your obsession with white herons all about?
A perfect 80′s design in my opinion. Anorexically thin, somewhat menacing, and flat enough to do massive quantities of coke.
I think it’s gorgeous. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go blast some Donna Summers…
@ artbot
You wouldn’t drive a Pontiac Solstice in order to find out how a Mercury Grand Marquis handles, would you? Make sure you know what you are talking about before you make stupid comments about an entire era of cars. If you really think a corolla is better than even the worst car from the 1950s-60s, you have some problems. Also, the last time I checked, the Thunderbird was an American car, not a European car.
About the original post: who are the Walkmen? Are they some sort of 1980s superheroes who had to walk around everywhere?
Okay, yes, 80s, not 60s. But there’s more than a touch of 70s Pininfarina and Luigi Colani in that design.
I’m all for a nifty looking car, especially concept cars that have no chance of having their wildly impractical features foisted on the general public and its insatiable appetite for monstrously stupid design. But passing off superficial aesthetics as “innovative design” has hurt the car industry more than it helped.
I agree, the 55 TB is a sweet LOOKING ride, but if I were living back then and test drove it, no amount of sex appeal would have swayed me to buy such an impractical car. But blind adherence to ridiculous aesthetics and grossly misplaced machismo have served the American auto industry so well, there must be some huge flaw in my reasoning.
and what’s a “white heron”, other than a bird?
#14 – The fact that you feel the need to defend crappy American car design indicates you “have some problems”. Do you own an American car company? Otherwise, why so touchy?
It’s a car – a machine designed to get you from here to there – get over it. Yes, some are more fun to drive, or faster, or louder than others, but that’s not my concern (lamentably, it *is* the concern of a vast amount of Americans).
If what you meant to say was “If you really think a corolla is better than even the *BEST* car from the 1950s-60s” (of course it’s better than the “worst”), then yes, I agree – it is better. Just to quantify better: Less polluting, better mileage, better ergonomics, more comfortable, easier & cheaper to maintain, quieter, and safer. Is it faster? Of course not, but some of us are able to make automobile purchasing decisions beyond choosing a car for it’s speed, gas consumption or chances of getting you laid by those who are impressed by such things.
Lovely blog
@Artbot, sorry, it was a crap pun about egrets.
Oh no. Are we becoming nostalgic for 80s designs now?
It may be because I’m a shameless Star Trek nerd, but to me this car looks like it was made by Tholians:
http://images.google.com/images?q=tholian+ship
I remember seeing this in Car and Driver (Road and Track? They’re interchangeable to me) back in the day and the copy said that a true frenchman could sit in the middle and have his wife on one side and his mistress to the other. Amazing the things one’s mind squirrels away for just such an occasion (or a Jeopardy! appearance)