VISA pick-up 6 chrome wheels & flames
In March 1982 is launched the “Grand Chromes competition & Flames ”in collaboration with Citroën, the first prize is a customized Citroën Visa II Super X, the other prices range from a trip of 8 days for 2 people in the USA, to trips for 2 in England, chrome cases & Flames and travel bags…
text by Patrice de Bruyne
For Chromes & flames, 1982 sees the magazine continue to grow and sell, a double-sided poster appears, stapled in the center.
The competition consists of drawing a customized Citroën Visa, the most extraordinary will be selected and in the final a jury will make a selection of the best projects, the prizes will then be awarded according to the choices of the jury…
In stride, a visa 6 pick-up wheels are designed and then manufactured, sponsored by Citroën which offers C&F to participate on the Citroën stand at the September motor show 1982.
On the stand will be exhibited 10 Citroën Visa customized according to 10 best projects, arranged around the pick-up 6 wheels.
The impact of the auto show is phenomenal, the draws and sales of Chromes & Flames rise further, reaching 130.000 monthly copies !
Coco-Donato's Visa "Voyage" is awarded, this C reader&F is immediately hired as an assistant designer at Citroën !
He will become the Citroën design manager a few years later. One 2000 he will become head of design at Ferrari !
Like what, Chromes & Flames have been the basis of many dream careers !
Albert Weber of the EasyDrivers club in Strasbourg will later become a designer of automotive transformation projects for Chromes & Flames and it is on the basis of one of these that will be born a few years later, the famous Citroën Hi-Boy front-wheel drive and the Citroën Visa 6 wheels.
text by Patrice de Bruyne
I just contacted Patrice de Bruyne in 2019 to ask him if he knew what had happened to this Visa pickup truck 6 wheels and he unfortunately doesn't know.
Here is the winning drawing of the Visa Chrome contest & flames
Since, it exists and it rolls, at least in 1982 where it was presented at the Paris motor show
I have not managed to make a whole view…
I thought there were more pictures on canvas (2/11/2006)
These 2 Photos are taken from the pageMarie Paule and Laurent on the site ofDancing with the wheels.
for the occasion of the competition, but I had no feedback, pity !
The Visa Bonus…
Great time…
When the chrome and flames competition took place, I was on an internship at the CB eyewear design office in Morez in the Jura. I had a little more 17 years and I arrived with the chrome and flame of the competition. Donato coco being a colorist designer impressed me by the quality of his drawings I told him about the competition and suggested to participate which he did at the end of my internship I lost contact and decades later I see that he has won the competition and that in addition he has become a genius car designer. I am very happy to know that I have without the knowledge allowed the birth of a brilliant creator. It put a little sunshine in my heart.
Thank you very much for your great memory.
Yours.