Citroën's Wankel Duo Up for Auction
When one thinks of Wankel engines in past automotive production, the NSU and Mazda brands come to mind first. But other automakers also experimented with Wankel engines, including General Motors and Mercedes-Benz. Neither, however, produced any production vehicles with the rotary engine. Citroën, on the other hand, did.
First, at the end of 1969, the M35 with a single-rotor Wankel engine was produced in a run of 267 units, all of which were repurchased by the factory at the end of the trial. Today, these vehicles are extremely rare.
Citroën then switched to a two-rotor Wankel engine with the GS Birotor , but was only able to produce 847 units of this sporty four-door model, of which very few are likely to have survived.
The fact that Broad Arrow Auctions will now be able to offer one example of each of these two Citroën Wankel vehicles at the Quail auction on August 13 is due in no small part to collector Peter Mullin , who passed away in 2023.
While the 1973 Citroën GS Birotor has been estimated at USD 20,000 to 30,000, the 1970 M35 is expected to fetch USD 30,000 to 40,000. However, both cars are being offered without a reserve price—perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Citroën collectors?
