If you say on a first date that you own a Picasso, there’s a good chance it will be your last date. Unless you mention that the Picasso is hanging above your couch.
The choice of Picasso is a smart move by Citroën. Building brand awareness takes years, and with such a famous name, you’re already three-nil ahead. The question is how Citroën manages to put the name of one of the world’s most famous artists on its cars. Upon his death in 1973, Pablo Picasso leaves behind three illegitimate children and no will. After years of litigation, an (almost) agreement is reached between the heirs, but it remains a fragile balance. Twenty years later, Citroën is racking its brains over the naming of its new Xsara MPV. It’s hard to imagine now, but in 1997, it was still questionable whether this type of car would catch on. The brand chooses the safe route: the car gets a double name.
Xsara represents the segment
‘Xsara’ places it in the right segment for the consumer, ‘Picasso’ distinguishes it from other Xsara models. The name Picasso is a suggestion from Citroën’s advertising agency Euro-RSCG, which has a lot of trust from the management thanks to its long-standing relationship. In the course of 1998, Citroën closes a deal with Picasso’s son Claude. The exact amount Citroën transfers to the family is secret, but sources speak of 20 million dollars plus an amount for every car sold that bears the name. A lot of money, but you get something for it. The deal between Claude and Citroën doesn’t really sit well with the other Picassos. Granddaughter Marina Picasso finds it intolerable that her family name ‘is squandered on something as banal as a car‘ and drags her uncle to court. The director of the Parisian Musée Picasso also gets involved. He fears that people will soon only think of a car when they hear ‘Picasso’. That the man has a point is proven years later when a member of the Picasso family makes a reservation in a restaurant. When mentioning his name, the hostess asks “Picasso, like the car?” Fortunately for Citroën, the Picasso’s bickering ends without much fuss. It’s embarrassing, but because Claude Picasso is acting lawfully, Citroën can simply continue to call its cars Picasso.
Also C4 Picasso, but later Space Tourer … because of costs!
After the very successful Xsara Picasso, Citroën moves the name to its successor, the C4 Picasso, in 2006. In 2008, the small C3 Picasso appears. In March 2018, in the middle of the life cycle of the second-generation C4 Picasso, Citroen suddenly replaces the name Picasso with Space Tourer. The reason for this remains vague, but since Citroën still pays the Picasso family per car, we can guess.
Although Citroën presents the Xsara Picasso as early as September 1998, the first Picassos only appear in the showroom in December 1999. A desperate measure, intended to keep the public interested and to divert attention from the enormous success of the Renault Mégane Scénic. The Xsara Picasso receives a minimal facelift at the beginning of 2004. The model is such a success that Citroën continues to sell it in some markets until 2010, as a cheaper alternative to the C4 Picasso.
With its round rear, the Xsara Picasso has a less van-like appearance than its biggest competitor, the Mégane Scénic. Many early copies are executed in the brilliant introductory color Vert Bora Bora.