The Citroën CX and Lancia T Gamma are testimony to the fact that there was still room for individualism in big-car design in the mid-1970s. European Car of the Year for 1975, the CX 2000/2200 was a low-drag, transverse-engined DS successor: slightly shorter, slightly more conventional - if only by Citroën's exceptional standards. It would enjoy an 18-year career and one million-plus sales in its various saloon, limousine and estate incarnations.
The Gamma, built to appease Lancia purists who feared for the marque's individualism under Fiat ownership, was launched in 1976 as a connoisseur's model to take over where the Flavia/2000 had left off. It certainly was exclusive, but fewer than 15,000 sales of the Berlina over its eight years was more of a commentary on buyer resistance to a car with engine problems than restricted supply.
Yet had political winds blown in a different direction, we could have ended up with two technically related cars combining the best bits of both. Between December 1970 and June 1973, Fiat and Citroën co-operated by means of a holding company formed with Michelin, which had owned Citroën since 1934.
The mutual benefits were obvious. The French firm, haemorrhaging money, needed cash to develop its new saloon. Commercially booming Fiat, keen to share in Citroën's hightech secrets, saw the prospect of a full takeover. On this point the French political classes already had the Italian's card marked, limiting it to a 15% stake on the say-so of president de Gaulle when word of the deal first aired in '68.
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Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
