Opening

This is based on Citroën's brand-new MPV, which had just been unveiled. Sbarro asked his students at the Centre Espera to work on a new concept: the automobile open to the outside world. An "automotive dream that allows the discovery of emotions and sensations for lovers of conviviality, outdoor leisure and contact with nature".

Picnic

To achieve this, the students imagined butterfly doors mounted upside down! The hinges are placed at floor level, allowing the rear wing-door assembly to open skywards, freeing up space for a transverse bench where passengers wishing to enjoy an open-air picnic can sit. For the center of the C8 is occupied by a sort of counter attached to the drop ceiling to form a table and counter of sorts. It's like a supermarket cafeteria!

What more can I say about this car, which left more than one visitor to the 2002 Paris Motor Show perplexed? I confess that for once I find it hard to understand what Sbarro and his pupils are trying to demonstrate with this concept, even though I was remarkably impressed by the quality of the work carried out.

Extract from the Leclere catalog of the December 10, 2017 sale

"The C8 MPV took over from the Evasion in 2002. More spacious than its predecessor, Sbarro immediately saw the possibility of making the car even more user-friendly by transforming it into an open-air salon. The project was very ambitious, and resulted in large side panels hinged from below, where two sofas unfolded, accompanied by two glass tables descending from the pavilion where they served as a panoramic roof. Thanks to a cleverly designed mechanism, you'll be able to enjoy your picnic in comfort, and share an open-air aperitif with your passengers - that's all there is to it! When it's time to get back on the road, the vehicle closes up and looks almost exactly as it did before, without your friends and family suspecting its "transforming" capabilities. It's up to you to impress them with this absolutely unique coachbuilder's concept car. The prototype can't be driven, as too many platform modifications make it impossible, but it's a lovely model to put in a green space and open up to the first rays of sunshine... As original as a Citroën! The opening mechanism, which hasn't worked for a long time, will undoubtedly need servicing."