It had to happen: the cute Citroën My Ami city car was due to convert itself in a robust, go-anywhere champion for the outdoor-loving crowd, and here it is… as a concept car.
“This concept expresses without reservation the style of Citroën and draws its inspiration from non-automotive worlds such as building games, industrial design and fashion. The My Ami Buggy Concept” says Citroën, “it has an unbridled style, but remains fully rooted in real life, being at once playful and functional, aesthetic and ergonomic, but also eminently practical and ecological.”
We just cite here its designer, Samuel Pericles:
“The My Ami Buggy Concept is a proposal in line with the philosophy of Ami that is not a car. That is why we have sought inspiration from the world of building games for the playful and functional, industrial design for ergonomics and aesthetics which include everyday objects (furniture, lighting, etc.), fashion accessories (sneakers, sports equipment, glasses, etc.), for example, the camera and smartphone holders with their simple, extruded shapes are inspired by the work of designers who in the second half of the last century created essential and timeless utensils. My Ami Buggy Concept is minimalist, functional, simple, in the purest spirit of iconic contemporary industrial objects.”
My Ami Buggy is indeed a mischievous concept car that every kid from 14 to 77 might want to put on their Santa wish list… more details about this concept car here, and some photos.
Hans Knol ten Bensel
Cute robustness…
Standing firmly on its large notched wheels, the My Ami Buggy has a distinctly adventurous character, which is emphasized at the front and rear by its bull bars, headlamp shrouds and grilles, bumper panels and front panels with the chevrons in the middle.
On the sides, reworked fender flares and tubular protectors on the undersides of the doors give the car a more muscular appearance. On the roof, the roof rack and spare wheel reinforce the adventurous spirit of the concept. All these decorations are in a single black color, which is dyed directly into the mass.
The LED light bar on the front of the roof adds to the sense of adventure when driving at night or in fog. Once the vehicle is stationary, everything is set up for a “campfire atmosphere” thanks to the light diffused by this bar and the sound of its playlist, distilled through the nomadic loudspeaker.
The doors have been removed and replaced with clear watertight covers that can be pulled up in bad weather, a reference to the Mehari. These use sliding latches to close off the cab with a high opening reminiscent of the glass doors of classic vehicles. The practical covers can be removed, rolled up and stored in the backs of the chairs in special covers.
My Ami Buggy Concept is available in a total of three colors: black, khaki and yellow. The black, inspired by camping equipment, enhances the functional and robust character of the vehicle. The different shades of black – anodized black on the wheel arches and roof, textured speckled black for a hammered effect at the rear – match with the anodized khaki and lemon yellow, giving the vehicle a bold look with careful detailing.
My Ami Buggy Concept comes in a two-tone color scheme: Anodized Khaki at the front and Speckled Black at the rear, a play of symmetry that also aims to clearly distinguish the front from the rear of the vehicle.
The color anodized khaki is a nod to nature, because black, synonymous with strength and modernity, catches the light and dramatizes the colors with which it is associated. The choice of black was also motivated by the desire to use a dark, less messy color.
Many key elements of My Ami Buggy Concept are accentuated by a speck of Citric Yellow, such as the seats, the charging cable, the graphics capsule on the doors, all luggage and many accessories. This acidic color also indicates that the articles marked in this way are functional.
It’s all in the details…
The chevron theme, a key Citroën styling feature, is repeated with the same graphic elements on various exterior and interior elements to create a rhythm reminiscent of the Traction’s grille, the center console of the 19_19 concept car, the front roof panels of the Ami One Concept and the design of the Ami’s storage compartments. On the My Ami Buggy Concept they can be seen on the outside of the wheel covers, fascia’s, hood, side skid plates, light rail brackets, underside of bumper and rear of mirrors; and inside on the accessory brackets, storage bins and dashboard.
The word ‘Pilot’ can be seen on the roof on the driver’s side and ‘Copilot’ on the passenger’s side, and in a similar nod to motorsport, the number 01 is engraved on the driver’s seat and 02 on the passenger’s seat to indicate the location of each. Cool!
Yellow arrow stickers under the nose cone indicate the direction of the wind, a reference to aviation. This type of decoration can be found on the wheel arches.
A “+” badge appears on the driver’s side mirror, referring to the electric motor and battery terminals, just like in the parking spaces reserved for electric vehicles.
Originality also continued in the cabin…
The interior design of My Ami Buggy Concept has been meticulously (re)worked on in three areas: the seats, the storage space and the luggage.
The My Ami Buggy Concept has new Advanced Comfort® seat cushions with an increase in foam thickness from 35mm on the “City” Ami to 70mm. The combination of memory foam and seat cushions makes them both light and soft. They are easy to remove from the shell, interchangeable and washable. Their construction, consisting of two shells mounted one above the other, is inspired by the design of a buoy, thus establishing a link with the world of beach accessories.
The storage units are smart and mobile. Each has its own function in the cabin, but can also be taken outside for a picnic or outing.
The storage compartments on the dashboard, accessories already available on My Ami, have been redesigned especially for My Ami Buggy Concept. A matte gold metal gallery is attached above the bins to prevent objects from sliding.
A specific luggage line has also been created, with each piece in harmony with the interior spaces of the vehicle. Storage space is also built into the doors at seat height.
It can hold all kinds of items or a large detachable bag, which is custom and can be opened from the inside. It works like a bag. A nice push button is used to unlock the doors, which, like the Ami, always open in the opposite direction.
The charging cable is attached to the passenger door frame by means of a handle-like element that makes it easier to hold and operate.
Functional, well-designed accessories…
The accessories of My Ami Buggy Concept are not just a mere exercise in style. They had to be also truly functional. The designers adopted the mindset of a leisure enthusiast and came up with functional items to make a trip on board of the My Ami Buggy Concept are both fun and practical.
The design of the interior components was self-explaining to make their use very intuitive. For example, the turning wheel used to hold or adjust objects is used several times, in a spirit of homogeneity. The design instinctively suggests its operation. The fastening mechanisms of many accessories are designed according to the same model and are arranged transversely, so that they can be detached and placed in different places in the passenger compartment, as a mounting kit.
This is for example the case with the support for attaching a camera or camera, a must for capturing and sharing the highlights of a journey or the landscapes you pass… Equipped with a universal screw suitable for all types cameras, it can be retracted thanks to the release button integrated into the part and can thus be placed on the four anchor points located on the vertical moldings of the driver and passenger doors. A touch of genius!
The exterior mirrors can be adjusted by means of the ball joint integrated in the mounting device and can be mounted in the places provided in the door pillars. They are also removable.
The cup or bottle holder can be placed on the dashboard or on the holder instead of the My Ami bag holder.
The smartphone clamp developed for My Ami, located on the right side of the driver’s seat, transforms in the My Ami Buggy Concept into a support in the form of a cylinder with a clamping wheel at the right end of the object to hold the device. The tube can be engraved with the owner’s name and surname, a must for some.
A new conical bracket has been designed to fit the mobile speaker into the rounded shape of the dashboard behind the steering wheel.
Thanks to 3D printing, the step from idea to reality is made quickly. Each of these accessories has been the subject of an original design, as they are 3D printed and can therefore be reproduced at will.
The My Ami Buggy Concept, is for the moment a style study that you might want to put on your Christmas list. It illustrates one of the many faces that Ami could take on, the atypical mobility object developed by Citroën, ready to explore new areas. A runabout that I would love to have in my holiday home, but then, could it be sitting there for several (winter) months without using it? Would the batteries endure this? Hmmmm, wait and see…
Hans Knol ten Bensel
Autoprova - for the Connaisseur 