This French 2+2 coupé was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1980 as the successor to the earlier sporty fastbacks from the same brand. It was built around familiar mechanical parts from the contemporary family-car line, but wrapped in a much more aerodynamic, three-door body that gave it a more modern and distinctive profile. The car was positioned as an attainable stylish coupé rather than an exotic sports car, which helped make it one of the better-known French coupes of its era.
In Europe, production ran through the first half of the 1980s, with the original French build ending in 1985 and the final European market presence following shortly afterward. The nameplate did not disappear immediately worldwide, however: production continued in Argentina for a much longer second chapter, where the car was assembled from 1982 until 1992 and received local updates over time. That split history is important, because the car’s story is not a single uninterrupted run.
A turbo-diesel version added extra notoriety in the early 1980s, and the model also became notable for early remote keyless central locking technology on some versions. Today it is remembered as a distinctive 1980s French coupé with a strong enthusiast following, especially for its styling, its period technology, and its unusual two-continent production history.