Letter from Paul Magès to Mr. Grosseau regarding the "Apollo Innovation" Grand Prix (1971)

In this document

This handwritten letter, dated 22 November 1971, is addressed by Paul Magès to a certain Mr. Grosseau.

In it, Magès relates that he learned, on "Friday morning 19.11.71", from a group leader at the BEA (Automotive Design Office), of the awarding of the "APOLLO INNOVATION" Grand Prix to the management of the SM, a prize that "Mr. Ortoli" allegedly presented to "Mr. Ravenel" p. 1.

He notes that the people present that day were "surprised" by his own "astonishment" and his "ignorance of the fact" p. 1. He adds that he finds the situation "extremely regrettable" and admits not knowing "what to think" of "this way of acting" p. 1.

The letter ends with a note of confidence towards its recipient: Magès says he is "convinced" that Mr. Grosseau "was not aware" of it himself p. 1.

A handwritten note at the bottom of the page refers to an article published in L'Équipe on Saturday the 13th (November), page 16 p. 1. A newspaper clipping, bearing the header L'Équipe Moteurs and the date "Saturday 13 Sunday 14 November 1971", as well as an article titled "'Apollo Innovation' Grand Prix for the management of the Citroën SM" are pasted onto the document, mentioning the presentation of the prize by Mr. Ortoli, Minister of Industrial and Scientific Development, to Mr. Raymond Ravenel, and comments from the jury on the hydropneumatic suspension.

Context

The SM is the high-end coupé launched by Citroën in 1970, the result of a collaboration with Maserati, and equipped with the famous hydropneumatic suspension as well as power steering (DIRAVI), technologies developed in particular by Paul Magès within the Citroën teams.

In 1971, Magès had been with Citroën since 1925 and had been working since the 1940s on the development of the hydropneumatic suspension, the first plans for which date back to 17 February 1944 (Plans for hydropneumatic suspension with differential interaction); he then held a position as technical writer and then deputy head of Super-Control within the design office (Draft letter from Paul Magès to Mr. Sarre).

The "Apollo Innovation" Grand Prix rewarded, in the early 1970s, industrial achievements deemed particularly innovative; its presentation to a government minister (Industrial and Scientific Development) highlights the importance given to this type of distinction in the French industrial landscape of the time.

Archivist's perspective

This short handwritten note is precious because it shows, directly and without detour, the personal reaction of Paul Magès to a public recognition that seems not to have associated him, even though the rewarded innovation — the hydropneumatic suspension of the SM — came from his own work, carried out since the 1940s within the Citroën design office.

The calm but visibly annoyed tone, the insistence on his "ignorance of the fact" and on the "surprise" of the witnesses p. 1, reveal a form of discreet clarification regarding the authorship of the invention, without Magès explicitly claiming anything in the text itself.

This document thus illustrates, by implication, the recurring question of the recognition of engineers by company management during official award ceremonies — an interesting angle for understanding Magès's place in the history of innovation at Citroën.