At the 1980 Paris Motor Show, a silver-grey shadow stood out as if it had jumped out of the future: the Citroën Karin. With its triangular, pyramidal body and upward-swinging gull-wing doors, it became the most talked-about concept of the event. This crazy design by Trevor Fiore was created not just as a car, but as a manifesto.

The real revolution was inside. When the doors opened, you were greeted by a driver’s seat positioned in the center like in a Formula 1 car, with two passenger seats side-by-side directly behind it. This radical “1+2” layout aimed to fundamentally change the driving experience. Digital instruments and touch-sensitive gearshift buttons represented cutting-edge technology for its time.

However, this genius idea collided with the rigid rules of the real world. The safety standards, production costs, and practicality concerns of the era condemned the Karin to remain a showpiece. Citroën channeled its spirit into the more production-feasible BX model.

So why are we still talking about the Karin? Cars are not just means of transportation. They are reflections of our dreams, our technological vision, and our will to push boundaries. Its absence from the roads does not mean it was a failure. On the contrary, with the impact it created in minds and on drawing boards, it has already achieved immortality. The next time you look at an ordinary sedan on the road, remember that behind it may lie a genius like the Karin.