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Thread: RIP Robert Opron

  1. #1
    Grand Master SimonK's Avatar
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    RIP Robert Opron

    French car designer, perhaps not a household name like Giugiaro or Bertone but with some excellent and ground-breaking designs to his name - Citroën SM, Renault Fuego, Renault Alpine A310, Alfa Romeo SZ. 89 years old died of Covid.

  2. #2
    Master vagabond's Avatar
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    RIP.

    The Renault Fuego and A310, were two of my favourite (non-supercar cars), when I was growing up.

  3. #3
    Craftsman
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    My dad had a Fuego back in the 80’s sometime, I always wanted an Alpine like Eldorado’s Marcus Tandy! 😂

  4. #4
    Grand Master AlphaOmega's Avatar
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    A colleague of my Father had a Fuego in the early 80s. Beautiful.

    I've just Googled it and according to Wiki...

    The Fuego was the first car to have a remote keyless system with central locking that was available from the 1983 model year (from September 1982). The system was invented by Frenchman Paul Lipschutz (hence the name PLIP remote which is used in Europe).

    Is that right? I thought 'plip' was onomatapoeic.

  5. #5
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    I have driven most of his cars, and owned (within the family) quite a few, Modified shape DS, GS, CX...
    Yet I did not know of him.

    So thank you Simon, every day is a school day.
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  6. #6
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    RIP Robert Opron,

    In not particular order I've had the good fortune to use.

    Citroen CX

    Renault Alpine A310

    Fuego Turbo

    Citroen GS

    Thank you Robert for some very interesting cars.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  7. #7
    Grand Master Dave+63's Avatar
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    The SZ seen parked up in Uckfield a couple of years back.



  8. #8
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave+63 View Post
    The SZ seen parked up in Uckfield a couple of years back.


    I remember when those were designed/released.
    Yes, I’m old.
    Crazy car at the time, so different to anything else

  9. #9
    Craftsman tifosotony's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave+63 View Post
    The SZ seen parked up in Uckfield a couple of years back.


    Il Mostro - The Monster, as it was nicknamed. Gorgeous thing in my eyes.

  10. #10
    Master murkeywaters's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by barbusg60 View Post
    I remember when those were designed/released.
    Yes, I’m old.
    Crazy car at the time, so different to anything else
    I too remember when they came out and the 3 headlights per side just looked amazing, add in the beautiful looking and sounding Alfa 3.0 V6.

    There is one for sale on Car and Classic for £48k, personally I thought they would have increased more being so niche?

  11. #11
    Craftsman Redcoat's Avatar
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    That’s very sad to hear of his passing. I believe he started his career in the aviation industry and flew planes himself. If you look at a Citroen SM or CX, you will see how he was inspired by the shape of a passenger aircraft (front goes wider before tapering to the back).

  12. #12
    Craftsman
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    I was always a huge fan of Opron's designs and my Dad owned a few when I was growing up. I don't think he was particularly interested in the styling - generally they weren't hugely successful so were probably secondhand bargains - but it was one thing that sparked a lifelong interest is cars. Like some other posters, I love the SZ at launch and it represented the "because we can" school of design and development perfectly. Years later, I bought mine. It had an unusual driving position that didn't suit me entirely and so it didn't stay long-term in my garage but it's compact size, red paint and six lights gave me a thrill ever time I opened the garage doors.




  13. #13
    Master
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    The man was a genius and way ahead of his time. The Citroen DS and CX are still two of my favourite all time cars.

  14. #14
    a good innings mr opron, my first car a CX, then GS and opron designed later DS (original by Flaminio Bertoni)

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