A tale of the diamond and the chevron.
As automotive aficionados, we accept and embrace the backstories which sit behind the cars we choose immortalise, yet as with most aspects of life, the people behind these vehicles are often themselves at least equally compelling when viewed from a narrative perspective.
Rivalries between carmakers frequently loom large over marque iconographies: General Motors versus Ford, Austin and Morris during the pre-war era in Britain, or indeed, BMW and Mercedes in more recent times. However, for a great many years, an equally compelling battle of wills was said to have played out in France between Louis Renault and André Citroen, with both carmakers seemingly hell-bent to best the other.
It’s a story of two intensely competitive men with almost diametrically opposing methodologies, who on the surface at least, appeared to dislike one another intensely, yet probably had more in common than either fully realised. Both achieved notable success and acclaim but ultimately, in their different ways, both fell precipitously.
For today’s reissue then, we return to our 2017 theme of Rivals, and the gripping story of two giants of the automotive industry, French or otherwise, elegantly told here by former DTW editor and co-founder, Sean Patrick.
Driven To Write 