The dolphin, the leopard, the swift, they each move at a speed consistent with their environment, each using a minimum of energy. What a great lesson for a stylist.
All Opron’s car designs have an organic wholeness as if they have been grown or shaped by the forces of wind, light, scale and structure. Many agree that one of the signatures of an Opron design is the way it will catch the light, and that it has a dynamic graphical element – movement being intrinsic in its shape even at rest.
Having joined Simca in 1958, his first significant project for them was designing the 1959 Simca Chambord Présidence V8 cabriolet used by French president Charles De Gaulle.[5]
In 1959 Opron unveiled the futuristic Simca Fulgur concept car.[19] This bubble-topped design was Opron's response to a challenge from the magazine Journal de Tintin to design a car for the 1980s. The magazine supplied a list of anticipated standard features that included radar obstacle detection and gyroscopic stabilisation. Opron consulted with an astrophysicist friend to help integrate these not-yet realised concepts into the car.[11]
While at Simca he sketched out a two-box hatchback that caught the attention of Fiat's designers. This sketch eventually led to the Simca 1100.[5][20][3][21]
Another sketch by Opron at Simca has been suggested to have been the original concept for what later became the Renault Espace.[3] Others dispute this claim, and the design of the Espace is generally credited to Fergus Pollock.[22] In the late 1970s Matra designer Antoine Volanis addressed the need for a replacement for the Matra Rancho by designing an MPV using Simca parts and with input from Opron.[23] This design was presented to PSA management in 1979 as "Project P16", but did not reach production. Opron was at Renault throughout most of the Espace's development and for one year after sales started.
Citroën
In 1962 Mme. Opron-Mercier noticed an advertisement in Le Monde saying that an "Important industrial group" was looking to hire an experienced designer.[17] Opron responded to the ad, and was directed to report to the Quai de Javel, the home of Citroën. The personnel manager asked Opron to return later that day to the Bureau d'Études on the Rue du Théâtre to meet with Flaminio Bertoni, Citroën's chief designer and originator of the 2CV and DS.
When Opron arrived for the meeting with Bertoni, the older man asked to see Opron's portfolio of drawings. Opron recalled that Bertoni "threw them on the floor, poking them with his cane and stated that he did not think much of them."[17] Opron collected his drawings and indicated that he found Bertoni's behavior unacceptable, to which Bertoni replied "I do find you interesting though!" Opron left, vowing to never work for such a man. Three weeks later, he received a letter of appointment from Citroën.[8]
Opron joined Citroën’s Bureau d’Études in 1962. For the first three months he worked in the "Méthodes" section.[17]
Opron became Citroën's Responable de Style, or chief stylist, in 1964 following the death of Bertoni.[10]
Opron was tasked with developing a replacement for the 2CV, which evolved into the 1965 Citroën G-Mini design study.[24]
In 1965 Citroën launched new lines of 3.5–8.0t (4–9 short tons) trucks; the 350 and 600 series that earned the nickname Belphégor for their unique cab design. The trucks were designed by Bertoni and Opron.[25][26][17]:176,189
Opron began working on the second restyling of the Citroën DS as early as 1963 with Projet D29. His "Nouveau Visage" (new face) front appearing on the 1968 model year DS was a four-headlamp design with two lamps on each side under glass covers that blended with the body's lines. The inner headlamp on each side pivoted with the steering wheel, while the outer lamps were self-leveling.
In 1967, having abandoned the ambitious Projet F begun by Bertoni and taken over by Opron, Citroën initiated a competition for a new mid-range model that pitted Opron and the Bureau d'Études against Giorgetto Giugiaro and Italdesign.[20] Both teams submitted designs for front wheel drive 3- and 5-door cars powered by flat-four engines. Opron's proposal carried the day, and his Project G eventually became the GS released in 1970.[27][28] Some have claimed that Opron based the GS' shape on the Pininfarina Austin 1800 Aerodinamica Berline of 1967.[29] Others assert that, while it may have been influenced by the Italo-English concept car, Opron's design was an independent work, and point out that Citroën has never acknowledged any link.[18]:322–324[30][31] Giugiaro's rejected design was taken up by Alfa Romeo and developed into the Alfasud.[20]
In 1968 Citroën opened a new Centre d'Études at Vélizy, France. Opron oversaw the arrangements for the move, which was completed progressively over several years.[17]
Opron refreshed the Ami 6 to create the Ami 8 of 1969.[32][33] He also led the team that developed the Citroën M35, a two-door fastback based on the Ami 8 chassis that was powered by a single rotor Comotor engine.[18] Production ran from 1969–1971, and although 500 M35s were planned to be built, the total number is believed to be just more than half that.
The first completely new model of the Opron era, and the car he is most closely associated with, was the SM. Assigned the development name Projet S, the original goal was to produce a racing car suitable for Le Mans. Through the influence of Opron and Pierre Bercot, Citroën's managing director, it evolved from a racing car into a premium model in the old Grand Routier tradition.[34]
The SM team, which included Jean Giert, built a full-scale model in the Bureau d'Études workshops on the Rue du Théâtre, making the SM the last model developed in this location before the last of the style department moved to their new location in Vélizy.[35]
A design for a possible GS-based coupé progressed to the full-scale model stage.[28] The car was to be built by Ligier when their contract to assemble the SM expired in 1974–75 but did not go into production.
The project that was Opron's personal favorite was also his last design for Citroën.[4][36] Initially called Projet L, the result was the CX, which debuted in 1974 as the successor to the DS.
When Citroën declared bankruptcy in 1974, the French Government stepped in and arranged a merger of Citroën with Peugeot. Opron left shortly after this.[10]
Renault
In 1975 Opron started work at Renault after reportedly being the target of an executive search by them.[4] For his new employers he led the redesign of the Alpine A310, a project that stylist Peter Stevens was also involved in.[37] The original 4-cylinder A310 was modified to accommodate the V6 PRV engine, and to address some aerodynamic deficiencies of the original shape.
Opron developed a design for an ultra-compact city car called the Véhicule Bas de Gamme (VBG), or Entry Level Vehicle.[38] He was also involved in the Vesta II concept car of 1987, along with designer Gaston Juchet.[39]
Opron's designs at Renault included the Renault Fuego sports coupé of 1980, as well as the Renault 9 and 11, with the 9 sedan released in 1981 and the 11 hatchback in 1983.[40][41] Opron worked with AMC's Dick Teague to adapt the 9 and 11 models to the American market, where they were sold as the Alliance and Encore respectively.[42]
Opron's tenure at Renault was marked by extensive collaborations with other well-known designers and carrosserie.[5][43]Marcello Gandini influenced the shape of the 25 of 1983, and produced the shape for the Super Cinq in 1984.[44][45] An association with Giugiaro and Italdesign resulted in the Renault Gabbiano of 1983, and later the Renault 21 of 1986 and Renault 19 of 1988.[44]
In May 1977 Opron sent a letter to director François Zanotti, director of Renault’s commercial division, with a proposal for a new line of commercial trucks, and included two sketches by designer Guy Greffier. Zanotti approved further development, and Greffier refined his original sketches. As the project progressed, Opron invited Gandini to join the design effort. The end result was the Renault AE Magnum truck line released in 1990, when it also won "European Truck of the Year".[46]
Opron wanted to establish a centre of advanced styling in the United States.[5][47] He spent time in the States working to that end, but it did not materialise. When he returned to Europe he arrived to changes in the leadership of Renault.
Opron left Renault in 1985.
Fiat
After Renault Opron moved to Centro Stile at Fiat, where he was put in charge of advanced studies.
He is credited with creating the earliest sketches for a design project called the ES 30, for Experimental Sportscar 3.0 litres. Opron's early concept, which won out against a competing proposal from Giugiaro, was fully developed by Antonio Castellana.[48][49][4] The prototype was completed in just nineteen months – quickly enough to appear at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show. This highly controversial design went into limited production as the Alfa Romeo SZ coupé and the later RZ convertible, where the "Z" refers to coachbuilder Zagato. The model was also given the nickname "Il Mostro" (the monster) for its unusual appearance.
In 1992 Opron left Fiat at sixty years of age, having reached mandatory retirement age.[11]
Independent consultant
From 1991 to 2000 he operated his own independent design consultancy in Verrières-le-Buisson in south Paris (Essonne).
One of Opron's clients was Ligier, who had become a manufacturer of "voitures sans permis" or "voiturettes", a class of microcar in France that may be driven without an operator's license. For Ligier Opron produced the original Dué, which debuted at the 1998 Paris Motor Show.[50][49] The Ligier Dragonfly shown at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show was also an Opron design.[4]
Citroën is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in 4 June 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën has been owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired 89.95% share in 1976. Citroën's head office is located in the Stellantis Poissy Plant in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine since 2021 and its offices studies and research in Vélizy-Villacoublay, Poissy (CEMR), Carrières-sous-Poissy and Sochaux-Montbéliard.
The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1970 to 1975. The SM placed third in the 1971 European Car of the Year contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS, and won the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year award in the U.S.
Simca was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat S.p.A. and directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by Italian Henri Pigozzi. Simca was affiliated with Fiat and, after Simca bought Ford's French subsidiary, became increasingly controlled by Chrysler. In 1970, Simca became a brand of Chrysler's European business, ending its period as an independent company. Simca disappeared in 1978, when Chrysler divested its European operations to another French automaker, PSA Peugeot Citroën. PSA replaced the Simca brand with Talbot after a short period when some models were badged as Simca-Talbots.
The Citroën DS is a front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations, across three series of one generation.
The Citroën Visa is a five-door, front-engine, front wheel drive supermini manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1978 to 1988 in gasoline and diesel variants. 1,254,390 examples were ultimately manufactured over a single generation, with a single facelift (1981). China has also assembled the car as the Liuzhou Wuling LZW 7100 minicar. Production started in 1991 and finished in 1994.
The Citroën GS is a front-engine, front-drive, four or five door, five passenger family car manufactured and marketed by Citroën in two series: for model years 1970–1979 in fastback saloon and estate bodystyles and subsequently as the GSA for model years 1980–1986 in hatchback and estate body styles – the latter after a facelift. Combined production reached approximately 2.5 million.
The Citroën CX is a large, front-engined, front-wheel-drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1974 to 1991. Production models were either a standard wheelbase or a stretched, more luxurious, four-door fastback saloon, as well as a station wagon (estate), on the longer wheelbase. The CX is known for its hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system, and its low 0.36 drag coefficient, normally noted as a vehicle's in French. Restyled as 'CX', the model name underscored this.
The Oltcit Club was a supermini produced between 1981 and 1991 and developed in co-operation by Citroën of France and Oltcit, a joint venture company with the Romanian government.
The Citroën Dyane is an economy family car produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1967 to 1983. The Dyane's design remained almost completely based on the Citroën 2CV and its underpinnings, but at the same time received almost all-new body panels, distinguished by more straight, angular overall features. The rear introduced a prominent large hatchback, while the modernized front wings now integrated the headlights.
The Renault 25 is an executive car produced by the French automaker Renault from 1983 to 1992.
The Citroën Ami is a four-door, front-wheel drive economy (B-segment) family car, manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1961 to 1978.
The Citroën M35 was a coupé derived from the Ami 8, and equipped with a Wankel engine and a hydropneumatic suspension. The bodies were produced by Heuliez from 1969 to 1971.
The Citroën Prototype Y was a project to develop a replacement for the Citroën Ami, conducted by Citroën in the early seventies. It built on the Citroën G-mini and EN101 projects. It was superseded by project Citroën VD.
In 1964, Citroën released a range of trucks from 3.5 to 8 ton capacity, styled by Flaminio Bertoni, the Italian sculptor also responsible for the Citroën 2CV, DS, Ami 6, and Traction Avant cars. In production until 1974, the medium-duty truck was intended as the replacement for the older Citroën U23 trucks. The U23, however, was kept in production alongside its replacement until 1969, as they were still profitable in spite of their age.
Flaminio Bertoni was an Italian automobile designer from the years preceding World War II until his death in 1964. Before his work in industrial design, Bertoni was a sculptor.
The Simca 1000, or Simca Mille in French, is a small, boxy rear-engined four-door saloon, manufactured for 18 years by French automaker Simca, from 1961 to 1978.
France was a pioneer in the automotive industry and is the 11th-largest automobile manufacturer in the world by 2015 unit production and the third-largest in Europe. It had consistently been the 4th-largest from the end of World War II up to 2000. It is 16% of sales of French manufactured products.
Gaston Juchet was a French engineer, known for being the chief designer of Renault between 1963 and 1975 and again between 1984 and 1987.
René Ducassou-Péhau was a French automobile designer. He was born in Basque country, and died in Labourd. He is best known for his work with car manufacturer Panhard.
Michel Têtu, born 6 August 1941, is a French engineer best known as a designer of racing sports cars and Formula 1 (F1) cars for marques such as Ligier, Alfa Romeo, and Renault.
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