The new Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart

A Mercedes -Benz S550 and a Ferrari F430

Pablo Picasso's descendants licensed his name to one of this month's cars. The Italian firm Pininfarina designed the other one.

The Picasso name is on a smaller-than-U.S.-size minivan built by Citroën in France. It's not sold in the U.S. but I recently had the pleasure of driving one about 2,000 km. (1,250 miles) in France.

Citroën has always been known for technologically advanced design and unusual styling. You've probably seen the little 2CV in France; sort of ugly with corruguated surfaces. They're also very economical, indestructible and comfortable. In spite of their looks, the design was good enough to have a production life of over 40 years!

The bigger Citroën DS19 shocked the automotive world at its 1954 introduction with its aerodynamic shape and technical wizardry. It stayed in production almost 20 years, and had a big influence on other cars.

The Picasso is not so revolutionary, but does offer a rare blend of qualities not available on the U.S. market. First, it's quite handsome in a unique way. Tall, narrow, and short, it manages to provide spacious seating for five and plenty of luggage space. Two thoughtful touches: reclining rear seats with fold-down trays on the back of the front seats. Business class in an economy car.

It's only about as long as a Honda Civic. Power comes from a little (1.6 liter) turbo-diesel that's quiet and flexible. About half the cars sold in Western Europe are diesel today and this car can demonstrate why. With a much simpler mechanism than a hybrid, it gives comparable fuel consumption, plenty of power, and a long, low-cost life. A 750 km. (450 mile) drive across France proved comfortable, quiet — no wind noise — and remarkably economical. Highway speeds in France are high, and even diesel fuel costs U.S. $5 per gallon. But the Citroën, traveling in the 150-160 km range (93-100 mph) gave us 34 miles per gallon.

When I turned it back in at the airport, I wished I could bring it home!

The Pininfarina car is the new Maserati Quattroporte — perhaps the handsomest sedan in current production anywhere in the world.

Maserati has had its ups and downs over the years, with financial and commercial crises, and some lackluster cars. But they’ve had plenty of moments of brilliance, too. A few years ago, they were brought into the Fiat-Ferrari family. A lot of money, effort, and even genius have gone into development of the latest product.

Pininfarina has designed many Ferraris, Maseratis, Fiats, Alfa Romeos and Peugots over the years. They do everything from exotic to everyday. They produce some low volume cars too. Among the best known in the past were the Fiat and Alfa Romeo spiders and the Cadillac Allante in the early ’90s. Their highly influential Cisitalia coupe of 1946 is the only car that rated a permanent place in New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Brad Goldstone, who manages Ferrari-Maserati of San Francisco, shared some thoughts on how different a dealership for cars like this is compared to one selling everyday cars. The building itself is different — a Tuscany-style landscaped complex on the freeway in Mill Valley, but fronting on the lagoon. There are two buildings, one for Maserati, one for Ferrari. Why? Because the customers are different, according to Goldstone. Ferraris are bought by collectors. Maseratis are bought by people intending to drive them as everyday cars.

San Francisco architect Sandy Walker designed the complex in 1993. It's only gotten more handsome with time. Total sales volume per year is in dozens, not thousands. The relationship between buyer and seller might be called collegial. A typical car salesman would starve to death in this store. You might want to drive a Maserati if you value beauty, and are already intending to buy a $100,000+ car. At least, you won't park next to a duplicate when you go out to dinner.

Mark Your Calendar

The California Mille, our 1,000 mile historic race car tour of Northern California, kicks off on Sunday, April 30^th, at the Fairmont Hotel, with the race cars on display on Mason Street, which will be closed for the day.

Also on display, courtesy of the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance, will be 50 or so cars of the last 100 years; cars in which guests might have arrived at the Fairmont Hotel when the cars were new. Lois Lehrman, publisher of the Nob Hill Gazette, will award a prize to the car she likes best.

The Nob Hill Association will have their traditional afternoon Italian buffet. Tickets are $40, call Bella Farrow, 673-0614, or Katherine MacMillan, 345-2856.

Apology: The Buick Lucerne review promised last month, didn't work out. A car will soon be available, so we can find out if General Motors' latest product will help them.