Misplaced Pages

#380619

47-589: The SZ was planned as an attempt to revive Alfa Romeo's sporting heritage after its acquisition by Fiat in 1986 and was developed to recall the Giulietta Sprint Zagato from the late 1950s and early 1960s. A common misconception about the SZ is the car being designed by Zagato, but the car was designed in-house. Robert Opron of the Centro Stile Fiat was responsible for the initial sketches while Antonio Castellana

94-619: A machine designer for the Compagnie Nationale des Sucreries in Ham in the Somme. In 1954 he was hired by aircraft builder Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautices du Nord. He specialised in cockpit design, and worked on the Nord Noratlas aircraft. Opron began working at Simca in 1958 at age 26. His department was eliminated in 1961, and Opron received a two-year severance payout, but with

141-454: 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

188-611: A non-compete clause that prevented him from moving to another automaker. Instead Opron went to Arthur Martin , a company that produced housewares and home appliances, where he became Director of Style . Opron returned to automotive design with Citroën in 1962. Over the course of his career Opron became known for balancing a collaborative, team-based approach to design with creative input from individuals. He finally retired from design work in 2001. Opron died from complications of COVID-19 on 29 March 2021, in Antony near Paris. Opron

235-565: A possible GS-based coupé progressed to the full-scale model stage. 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. 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,

282-616: A sanatorium. He returned to France in 1952 and enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts in Amiens; one year later he transferred to the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He studied architecture under Auguste Perret . Altogether Opron spent eight years studying architecture, painting, and sculpture. At age 21, he married Geneviève Mercier. In the early 1950s Opron's interest in aircraft led him to take up flying, including acrobatic flying. In 1952 Opron began his professional career as

329-496: A single rotor Comotor engine. 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

376-596: Is best known for his work at Citroën , which he joined in 1962 and where he became responsable de style (head of the design department) in 1964. Opron was born in Amiens in Picardy, France. His father was in the military and received several postings to locations in French Colonial Africa, so Opron grew up in places like Algeria, Mali and Abidjan. At 18 years old Opron contracted tuberculosis, and had to spend time in

423-491: Is largely stripped, but retains the dash and door panels, consistent with era regulations. The engine is largely identical to those used in road-going versions of the SZ and RZ, but with balanced internals and different tuning. Robert Opron Robert Maurice Jean Opron (22 February 1932 – 29 March 2021) was a French automotive designer . He created or collaborated on numerous projects that became production cars for brands that included Simca , Renault , and Fiat . He

470-543: The Art Nouveau architect Henry van de Velde . The facade was simple and decorated only with a sculptural bas-relief by Antoine Bourdelle . The corner of the building was smooth and rounded, anticipating the Streamline Moderne style three decades later. Thanks to the use of concrete pillars, the interior lobby and the theater itself was vast and open, unobstructed by columns. The interior decoration featured works by

517-531: The Lancia and Fiat rally works team. The hydraulic damper system was made by Koni. The SZ was originally equipped with Pirelli P Zero tyres (front 205/55 ZR 16, rear 225/50 ZR 16). The car came without any driver's aids to provide a challenging experience to the drivers. A convertible version of the SZ, the RZ (badged "R.Z." for Roadster Zagato), was produced from 1992 until December 1994. Although almost identical to look at,

SECTION 10

#1732872542381

564-684: 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. He was also involved in the Vesta II concept car of 1987, along with designer Gaston Juchet . Opron's designs at Renault included the Renault Fuego sports coupé of 1980, as well as the Renault 9 and 11 , with

611-510: The 9 sedan released in 1981 and the 11 hatchback in 1983. 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. Opron's tenure at Renault was marked by extensive collaborations with other well-known designers and carrosserie. Marcello Gandini influenced the shape of the 25 of 1983, and produced

658-518: The French Government stepped in and arranged a merger of Citroën with Peugeot . Opron left shortly after this. In 1975 Opron started work at Renault after reportedly being the target of an executive search by them. For his new employers he led the redesign of the Alpine A310 , a project that stylist Peter Stevens was also involved in. The original 4-cylinder A310 was modified to accommodate

705-723: The Museum of Public Works of the 1937 Paris Exposition; and the Mobilier Nationale, the national government furniture atelier in Paris. He also created innovative industrial buildings, including a warehouse in Casablanca covered with a think veil of concrete (1915); the Perret Tower , the first concrete tower for the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism of Grenoble (1925), to demonstrate his "Order of Concrete"; and

752-444: The Paris suburb of Essonne. He described this campus as a "small Versailles for nuclear research". Most of France's early nuclear reactors were constructed within the site. His other major postwar projects included the reconstruction of the center of the port of Le Havre , which had been almost totally destroyed during the war. His first plan was rejected as too ambitious, but his modified plans were followed. He also participated in

799-572: The car was based on the Alfa Romeo 75 , with assembly being carried out by Zagato at Terrazzano di Rho near the Alfa Romeo factory in Arese . The thermoplastic injection moulded composite body panels were produced by Italian company Carplast and French company Stratime Cappelo Systems. The suspension was taken from the Alfa Romeo 75 group A/IMSA car, and modified by Giorgio Pianta, engineer and team manager of

846-606: The car. 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 . Another sketch by Opron at Simca has been suggested to have been the original concept for what later became the Renault Espace. Others dispute this claim, and the design of the Espace is generally credited to Fergus Pollock . In the late 1970s Matra designer Antoine Volanis addressed

893-546: The centre of the port city of Le Havre , including St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre , to replace buildings destroyed by bombing during World War II. His reconstruction of the city is now a World Heritage Site for its exceptional urban planning and architecture. Auguste Perret was born in Ixelles , Belgium, where his father, a stonemason, had taken refuge after the Paris Commune . He received his early education in architecture in

940-480: The church of Notre Dame du Raincy (1922–23), where the interior columns were left undecorated and the concrete vaults of the ceiling became the most prominent decorative feature. He experimented with concrete forms to achieve the best acoustics for the concert hall of the École Normale de Musique de Paris in Paris. (1929) In 1952, he completed construction of the Saclay Nuclear Research Centre in

987-611: The day, and his Project G eventually became the GS released in 1970. Some have claimed that Opron based the GS' shape on the Pininfarina Austin 1800 Aerodinamica Berline of 1967. 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. Giugiaro's rejected design

SECTION 20

#1732872542381

1034-471: The family firm. He was accepted in the architecture course of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, along with his two brothers, Gustave (1876–1952) and Claude (1880–1960). where he studied under Julien Guadet , a Beaux Arts neoclassicist who had collaborated with Charles Garnier on the construction of the Paris Opera . Beyond the neoclassical rationalism he learned from Gaudet, Perret's particular interest

1081-509: The final RZ was painted pearlescent white. The SZ Trofeo is a modified version of the SZ built for a single-model race series run on circuits throughout Europe, but primarily in Italy at venues such as Imola , Misano , and Mugello . Only 13 cars were built and it seems like most were finished in red, although at least one was black. Wheels are 16″ OZ three-piece items fitted with Pirelli tires, of which each team received three sets. The interior

1128-402: The first three months he worked in the "Méthodes" section. Opron became Citroën's Responable de Style, or chief stylist, in 1964 following the death of Bertoni. Opron was tasked with developing a replacement for the 2CV, which evolved into the 1965 Citroën G-Mini design study. In 1965 Citroën launched new lines of 3.5–8.0 t (4–9 short tons) trucks; the 350 and 600 series that earned

1175-409: The floor, poking them with his cane and stated that he did not think much of them." 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. Opron joined Citroën’s Bureau d’Études in 1962. For

1222-577: 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. 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. A design for

1269-590: The interior layout was almost unchanged from the SZ, the RZ had a painted central console that swept up between the seats to conceal the convertible roof storage area. 350 units were planned but production was halted after 252 units when the Zagato factory producing the cars for Alfa Romeo went into receivership, a further 32 cars were then completed under the control of the receivers before production finished at 284 units. Of those, three RZs were painted silver with burgundy interior and

1316-481: The leadership of Renault . Opron left Renault in 1985. 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 . The prototype

1363-509: The modernist artists of the day; a dome by Maurice Denis , paintings by Édouard Vuillard and Jacqueline Marval , and a stage curtain by Ker-Xavier Roussel . In his later works, Perret used concrete in imaginative ways to achieve the functions of his buildings, while preserving classical harmony, symmetry and proportions. His major works included the building of the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council , originally built for

1410-537: The need for a replacement for the Matra Rancho by designing an MPV using Simca parts and with input from Opron. 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. In 1962 Mme. Opron-Mercier noticed an advertisement in Le Monde saying that an "Important industrial group"

1457-486: The nickname Belphégor for their unique cab design. The trucks were designed by Bertoni and Opron. 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

Alfa Romeo SZ - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-530: The postwar reconstruction of the Marseille port and of Amiens . His last major work, finished after his death, was the St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre , (1951–58) whose most prominent feature is its tower, like a lighthouse, 107 meters high, and visible at sea. Among the many young architects who worked in the office of Perret from 1908 to 1910 was Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, who later became known as Le Corbusier ; it

1551-613: 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". Opron wanted to establish a centre of advanced styling in the United States. 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

1598-596: The shape for the Super Cinq in 1984. 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. 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

1645-429: 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 . Both teams submitted designs for front wheel drive 3- and 5-door cars powered by flat-four engines. Opron's proposal carried

1692-427: The two cars had completely different body panels save for the front wings and boot. The RZ had a revised bumper and door sills to give better ground clearance and the bonnet no longer featured the aggressive ridges. Three colours were available as standard including black, yellow and red, with black and yellow being the more popular choices. Yellow and red cars got a black leather interior and black cars burgundy. Although

1739-512: 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 . The Ligier Dragonfly shown at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show was also an Opron design. Opron also consulted for Piaggio . Auguste Perret Auguste Perret (12 February 1874 – 25 February 1954)

1786-574: Was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete . His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées , the first Art Deco building in Paris; the Church of Notre-Dame du Raincy (1922–23); the Mobilier National in Paris (1937); and the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council building in Paris (1937–39). After World War II he designed a group of buildings in

1833-431: Was clearly visible and was a part of the exterior design. He made an even more radical experiment with the construction of a garage on rue de Ponthieu (1906) (now destroyed) with a simplified cubic structure expressing the interior, large bays of windows and a lack of decoration, which resembled the later International Style . His most famous building was the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées a project which he took over from

1880-715: 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. From 1991 to 2000 he operated his own independent design consultancy in Verrières-le-Buisson in south Paris ( Essonne ). One of Opron's clients

1927-538: Was designing the 1959 Simca Chambord Présidence V8 cabriolet used by French president Charles De Gaulle. In 1959 Opron unveiled the futuristic Simca Fulgur concept car. 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

Alfa Romeo SZ - Misplaced Pages Continue

1974-692: Was his first experience in an architectural firm. From 1940, Perret taught at the École des Beaux-Arts . He won the Royal Gold Medal in 1948 and the AIA Gold Medal in 1952. His work was also part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1948 Summer Olympics . Perret also served as a juror with Florence Meyer Blumenthal in awarding the Prix Blumenthal , a grant given between 1919 and 1954 to young French painters, sculptors, decorators, engravers, writers, and musicians. In 1998,

2021-497: Was largely responsible for the final styling details and interior. Only the 'Z' logo of Zagato was kept on the design with the signature Zagato double bubble roof being absent. An unusual design feature is the hexa headlights positioned in a trio on each side - a styling used more subtly on later Alfa Romeo models in the 2000s. The unusual design of the car can be attributed to the use of early CAD/CAM, or computer-aided design and manufacturing by Alfa Romeo. Mechanically and engine-wise,

2068-541: Was looking to hire an experienced designer. 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

2115-532: Was one of twenty-five designers nominated for the 1999 Car Designer of the Century competition. A celebration of his work, OPRON 50 Years of Style , was held on 11 May 2002 in Verrières-le-Buisson on the occasion of his 70th birthday. He received Car Design News ' Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. The dolphin, the leopard, the swift, they each move at a speed consistent with their environment, each using

2162-605: Was taken up by Alfa Romeo and developed into the Alfasud . 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. Opron refreshed the Ami 6 to create the Ami 8 of 1969. He also led the team that developed the Citroën M35 , a two-door fastback based on the Ami 8 chassis that was powered by

2209-409: Was the structure of buildings and the use of new materials, such as concrete. Though he was considered a brilliant student, he left school without obtaining a diploma and went to work for the family firm. Perret immediately began experimenting with concrete. His first important project was an apartment building on rue Franklin in Paris (1903), where the concrete structure, instead of being concealed,

#380619