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York, England – By the point our present century started, most American automobile patrons had been absolutely dedicated to pickups and SUVs as their most well-liked autos. Cross the Atlantic at the moment, nevertheless, and also you'll discover that the compact MPV was probably the most well-liked selections for Western European drivers who wished ample passenger and cargo house in a small bundle. The Citroen Xsara Picasso was one of many best-selling compact MPVs of its period, and I discovered this '06 at a self-service scrapyard (as they name them right here) in York, England.
It's been 51 years since new Citroëns had been offered in america, and so I've solely been in a position to doc a number of of them throughout my journey to the junkyard. Citroën started manufacturing automobiles in 1918, merged with Peugeot in 1974 and have become a part of the highly effective Stellantis empire in 2021.
How was it that Citroën was allowed to place Pablo Picasso's well-known signature on its automobiles? In 1989, Pablo's son offered the rights to Citroën for $20 million.
The brochures for this automobile place nice emphasis on the Pablo Picasso connection.
Though the Xsara Picasso by no means got here near being offered in america, right here's one of many speaking brochures on the Choose Harry Pregerson Interchange in Los Angeles (the place the bus-jumping scene in 1994's “Pace” passed off).
California's excessive desert in 2006, the place police in 15-year-old field Caprice conceal behind Picasso billboards to cease a rushing Citroën.
The UK-market 2006 Xsara Picasso was out there. Need, vtx And Distinctive Trim stage. That is the bottom Need mannequin. These badges now reside on my storage wall.
For a automobile weighing beneath 3,000 kilos, the Xsara Picasso supplied a tremendous quantity of inside house. There’s room for 5 inside, with airliner-style folding tables for rear seat passengers; The rear seats are detachable to create space for cumbersome baggage.
Regardless of the very best efforts of Japanese producers, this kind of car by no means grew to become well-liked in North America.
The Xsara Picasso was adopted by the C4 Picasso, which has since advanced right into a crossover SUV that may look proper at dwelling on American roads. It took a while, however the SUV craze has lastly conquered Europe.
The Xsara Picasso was one of many first autos designed by Donato Cocco, who labored at Ferrari and Lotus. Along with his work designing a number of Citroën fashions, Coco was additionally behind the styling of the Ferrari 458 Italia.
It’s a petrol-engine mannequin with a five-speed handbook transmission, with 110 horses beneath the bonnet. Diesel and computerized had been additionally out there.
U-Pull-It York's stock itemizing for this automobile exhibits that when it was written off with front-end injury, its odometer was 114,279 miles. Checking its MOT historical past exhibits that it handed its final inspection in October 2022 and its registration was allowed to run out a 12 months later.
Citroën obtained all its cash from that Picasso branding deal.
The minds of these rebellious assembly-line robots have been free of the spirit of a long-dead Spaniard.
When abnormal French youngsters board the Xsara Picasso their faces turn out to be like hideous Cubist sculptures.
Richard Hammond reviewed The First 12 months of Xsara Picasso in 2000.