The Citroën brand is 100 years old. The story began in Poland, where André Citroën, who had graduated from the technical college in Paris, had bought a patent for a very special cogwheel shape. These cogwheels looked like upside-down "Vs". They soon became Citroën's trademark.
Back in Paris, Citroën set up a workshop and was soon working for important customers such as Skoda and the Mors Automobile factory.
From armaments to the automotive business
During the First World War, Citroën was able to produce large quantities of ammunition bodies, after which his arms factory was quickly converted into an automobile factory. With the 10 HP Type A, André Citroën presented his first car for mass production on June 4, 1919. This car was modern and clearly inspired by the Americans (i.e. Ford).
Production figures rose rapidly, prices fell and wages could be raised. Citroën became popular and successful and was the largest car manufacturer in Europe in the 1920s. It built 100,000 cars a year.
Marketing and promotion
Citroën didn't just build a lot of cars, it also made dreams come true and made sure that people knew about them. Specially equipped cars were used to cross the Sahara and André Citroën had 250,000 electric light bulbs illuminated alongside his logo to promote his brand.
The Traction Avant and Michelin as saviors
Citroën was not spared from the great economic crisis at the end of the 1920s. In just six months, a revolutionary model called the "Traction Avant" was launched, a masterpiece of collaboration between André Lefebvre and Flaminio Bertoni. The car was presented in 1934 and for 23 years it was as much a part of the French street scene as the baguette-wearing youth.
However, the pulling power of the new model was not enough to save Citroën. Michelin joined the company in February 1934 and took over the leadership of the group. André Citroën left the company, which was subsequently restructured and downsized.
The success of the operation was demonstrated by two models that caused a sensation, the 2 CV (Ente) from 1948 and the Type H from 1947.
Avant-gardism
Following France's liberation after the Second World War, Citroën was forced to focus on larger cars. The result was the DS, the goddess, which was presented in 1955.
Unlike the competition, the aerodynamically shaped car with hydropneumatics seemed to come straight from the future.
Other futuristic models followed, such as the SM, which was not quite as successful as the DS and its descendant the ID.
New crises, new solutions
In the 1960s, Citroën once again found itself in troubled waters, with Peugeot taking control as a result. As a result, the brand with the two cogwheels often had to forego creative solutions and adopt corporate platforms, but important models such as the BX or the XM were nevertheless created. From the end of the 1970s, Citroën regained some of its former independence and new DS models and innovative studies were created in the following years. Citroën also achieved numerous successes in racing and rallying.
A big look back at the 44th Rétromobile
On the occasion of the 44th Rétromobile in Paris from February 6 to 10, 2019, many of the milestones from 100 years of Citroën will be on display in a large special show.
Further information on the Rétromobile can be found on the event website.
