1980 Citroen Karin (Coggiola)

Having no new models to reveal at the 1980 Paris Salon, Citroën stylist Trevor Fiore was given the go ahead to build a model (not a driveable car) for display.

The result was the trapezoidal Karin, clearly inspired by Michel Harmand’s design for a GS Coupé.

A three seater with the driver being seated centrally and ahead of the two passengers, this layout pre-empted that of the McLaren F1 of 1992.

Headlamp treatment was reminiscent of that of the SM.

The Karin, a trapezoidal-shaped three-seater, was designed by Trevor Fiore and built in cooperation with Coggiola. Characterized by sharp lines and a small roof connecting all sides of the car evenly, the Karin was presented at the 1980 Paris Auto Show. Intended to present Citroen's readying for the future, it achieved a low drag coefficient and was fully-functional. Inside, there were three seats, with the driver siting in the middle, slightly behind the two passengers. The unique steering wheel was in perfect reach of the driver, thanks to the extremely long steering column. All digital instrumentation was placed behind the steering wheel under a semi-circular control house.